Lighting goes digital

Headlights move towards full integration with sensors, adjusting to turns and other driving conditions, while high-intensity discharge and light-emitting-diode technologies see continued growth.

Changes for headlights and taillights have been largely stylistic for years, but that is changing as digital technologies move into lighting. Adaptive forward lighting will bring dramatic changes beyond turning lights, while the march to LEDs (light-emitting diodes) will continue unabated.

The biggest technical change in exterior lighting in recent history has been high-intensity-discharge technology, which continues to grow despite complaints about glare. But the electronics revolution is moving to lighting. LEDs are seeing dramatic growth, particularly in rear lighting, but it is in headlights that even more dramatic changes are coming into view.