BeamAtic Premium: The Breakthrough in Lighting Technologies

Optimal visibility when driving in the dark and in all driving situations without glaring other road users.

riving in Dark D
Despite the fact that traffic volume at night is much lower there is a relatively large risk for accidents and especially for fatalities. Recent studies prove that drivers tend not to use the high beam sufficiently mainly due to their concern of glaring oncoming or leading cars. Another reason for the insufficiently use of high beam is the effort of manual switching. Lighting automation is the key solution for both problems. New advanced lighting systems, based on camera technology contribute to improved visibility at night and thus reduces significantly the risk of accidents.

manently without glaring other drivers; the maximal light is maintained on the road with the exception of the zone where the other vehicle is located. With this innovation Valeo brings a remarkable gain of safety in night-driving. The permanent high beam usage allows the driver to better anticipate the potential dangers, for example an obstacle or pedestrian on the road. The system adapted to xenon headlamps will be on the market in 2010. In the future the system will also be available with other light sources which are under development. The BeamAtic Premium function is the latest outcome of the developments done by Valeo following the lighting automation roadmap. Valeo is unique in combining both core competences in front camera and advanced lighting technologies. The front camera is an enabler for this breakthrough technology and of course can also be used for other front applications such as Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Departure Warning. All intelligent front lighting systems are based on the compact CMOSMultifunction Camera and are all modularly designed. BeamAtic systems are equipped with a predictive levelling function which ensures that the light is always on the road avoiding glaring of oncoming vehicles while passing hills or slopes. Valeo conducts surveys to analyse end consumer expectations and measure the acceptance towards innovative Driving Assistance Systems on a regular basis to have a better understanding of the market and to be able to support the OEMs by choosing the most suitable technologies. These studies were conducted world wide each year. They combine socio cultural trend analyses, online questionnaires as well as focus groups.

utomation of high beam switching A

Thanks to the Valeo BeamAtic system the switching between high beam and low beam is done automatically. The new high beam assistant will take over the switching task as soon as an oncoming vehicle appears or a car is driving ahead. The camera monitors the road and leads the fully automated switching operation. As a result of an independent Car Clinic (60 drivers, 3.400km) the average high beam usage was merely at 8% where as with Valeos high beam assistant the usage is increased by a factor of 4,7 compared to traditional switching.

he breakthrough: The adaptive T driving beam pattern

The further development of BeamAtic is a camera based advanced high beam assistant, the BeamAtic Premium system. The vehicle keeps high beam switched on per-

Automotive technology, naturally

The main result that overlaps all surveys is the strong requirement for enhanced visibility. According to recent surveys the acceptance of innovative advanced lighting systems are at 50% and higher.

dvantages of BeamAtic A
Advantages for the carmaker BeamAtic, BeamAtic Plus and BeamAtic Premium innovations are highly attractive to end consumers. The exterior dimensions of the headlamps remain unchanged. The safety image of the brand is enhanced by the inclusion of new lighting technologies. The camera can also be used for other functions. Advantages for the user BeamAtic Plus and BeamAtic Premium provide optimal lighting without dazzling other motorists. BeamAtic multiplies the use of high-beam lights by five. Better lighting reduces the risk of an accident and makes the driving task more relaxed.

perating Principle O
In high beam each of the headlamps generates a cone of light. With an oncoming or leading car, the BeamAtic Premium system maintains these cones of light while placing a mask in the zone represented by the vehicle in the scene. This vehicle is then in a non glaring dark zone. The system follows the trajectory of this vehicle allowing to maintain as much light as the driver would be driving with high beam. The detection and localization of the oncoming or preceding vehicles are assured by a camera and powerful image processing software. BeamAtic Premium also includes advanced lighting functions (AFS) as the so called "Tourist mode" option allowing to drive with a lighting system in left hand drive countries.

Automotive technology, naturally