Audi adaptive beam headlights to debut in U.S. later this year

Audi’s adaptive beam headlights will debut in the U.S. on the 2027 Audi Q9 and SQ9 flagship SUV models later this year, after years of regulatory delay. 

The adaptive driving beam (ADB) Digital Matrix LED headlights continuously shapes the light pattern in real time, keeping more usable light on the road while reducing glare for other road users, an Audi release states.

“Using front-facing cameras, the system detects oncoming traffic and vehicles ahead, then selectively masks the light around them, allowing the driver to maintain maximum illumination in all other areas, while minimizing glare for other road users,” the release states. 

Audi points to an AAA survey that found 6 in 10 drivers struggle with headlight glare. It notes that adaptive headlight technology that improves nighttime visibility has been available in Europe since 2013. 

“In the U.S., however, Department of Transportation (DOT) testing requirements historically differed from the standards used elsewhere, delaying widespread adoption,” the release states. “New federal rules adopted in 2022 created a pathway for the technology, but manufacturers until now have struggled to meet the stringent federal regulations.”

Audi engineers have developed a system that meets the U.S. regulation for glare with the full-size 2027 Q9 flagship SUVs, the release states. It adds the system also delivers the same performance of the adaptive systems already widely used in Europe for more than a decade. 

“Audi has always been a leader in lighting technologies,” said Filip Brabec, SVP Product Planning at Audi of America, in the release. “Audi pioneered the LED daytime running light signature now found on virtually all cars. We are very excited to be able to offer Digital Matrix LED lighting functions to our U.S. customers for the first time. It’s a technology that will benefit all road users by providing better lighting and less glare for all.”

Stephan Berlitz, Audi head of Lighting Development added, “Light technology is steadily creating a wider range of possibilities and perspectives, from added safety for the driver, to external communication and individualization. Systematic light digitalization is making all of this possible. 

“Because of this we can continuously develop new lighting functions and new lighting technologies. The use of the innovative micro-LED technology in the digital matrix LED headlights not only defines the appearance of new Audi models but also significantly expands their range of functions.”

The Audi Digital Matrix LED technology uses a micro-LED that is about 13 millimeters wide. The module also has a chip with about 25,600 individually controllable micro-LEDs. Each micro-LED measures about 40 micrometers, or half the thickness of a human hair. 

Audi describes the way the system works as a moving “shadow puppet,” that moves light around other vehicles-blocking only the light that would hit their mirrors or eyes while keeping full brightness elsewhere. 

The system uses front-facing cameras, sensors, and software and continuously reconfigures the light pattern when it detects key situations in real time. It only dims the precise pixels that could cause glare.

The delay in headlight technology has been discussed often in the media recently following the Beijing Auto Show. 

During the show, Huawei showed off the latest XPixel headlight which projects full-color. 

The headlights allow drivers to pull up to a blank wall and sync content, essentially turning the vehicle into a drive-in theater, Yahoo News said. 

Xpixel lights also integrate with advanced driver assistance systems. This could mean visual cues in traffic situations and emergency signaling, according to Yahoo News. 

The upgraded system is set to launch in the Aito M9, but is also planned to roll out in the Qijing GT7 and Luxeed V9. 

An article in The Street notes that headlights have been advancing at a quicker pace outside the U.S. For example, Europe uses matrix beams that paint around oncoming traffic, and Japan has laser headlights that throw light a quarter mile down the road.  

A recent Substack post by Phoebe Wall Howard explores how front brake light technology, ITellMotion, could reduce pedestrian deaths in the U.S.

 “We’re talking about an enhanced front brake indicator light placed inside the windshield, attached with a silicone strip, that shares vehicle intent with pedestrians, cyclists and oncoming traffic,” the post states. “It can help at four-way stops and traffic circles. This front light shows amber when the car is slowing and white when the car is going.”

She reports that the creator, Paul Schaye, has been meeting with Jonathan Morrison, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

Schaye is looking for a commercial partner to test prototypes of the technology for a fleet run, the post states. It adds that only 50 vehicles are needed for 30 days. 

“We want to capture aggressive braking data of vehicles with and without the brake light,” Schaye says in the post. “It’ll show pedestrians are stepping in front of the vehicle without our light. And with our light, a car coming to a four-way stop will not do aggressive braking at intersections or merging onto the highway.”

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Photo courtesy of Audi