Can't wait to see all the knockoffs of these all over the import world.Perhaps because BMW’s rival Audi’s design strategy is based around LED lighting, or maybe because even the lowly 2012 Kia Soul sports the bright eyes, the Munich-based, propellor-clad automaker wants to develop and own the next big thing in headlight technology: lasers.
Yes, we said lasers. BMW announced this week that it is working to create laser lighting for automotive headlight use (it better hurry—Audi just put the tech into a rear fog light on the A2 concept car). The company believes that lasers’ low energy consumption, high brightness, and brightness consistency are far superior to those of LEDs. Obviously BMW won’t be mounting lasers on a 5-series and flicking on a switch—the light is emitted from laser diodes, and is indirect. According to BMW, the bluish light from the diodes must first pass through a fluorescent phosphor material that converts it into a brilliant white color.
Another benefit to the laser diodes, says BMW, is their compactness—headlight units as a whole could be much shallower, and might not need to be large units at all. The automaker is excited by the design possibilities that compact, bright diodes open up. BMW didn’t give a timetable on when we might see the first automotive application of laser light, but we would imagine it will be several years before the tech is ready to hit the road.
http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-ceter ... s-2011097/
Hrrrrmmm!
Thoughts?
