[jlin101]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot1050

As long as the hardware is present, you're a coding session away from enabling it over here

I am not sure there's hardware in there to have selective dimming enabled by coding. Audi's Matrix system has many tiny diodes, whereas BMW's system consists of laser diodes that pass light through sulfur-impregnated lens which in turn generate diffuse white light to be focused/redirected by a reflector, that's it.

[Greeney]

Originally Posted by cupojava

It's enabled via but not functioning exactly as intended. I did go deep in the rabit hole at some point in my research but gave up on it after finding out it was missing some bits and pieces of hardware (optic micro-shutters). Don't want the liability of glaring other drivers.

Edit:
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=17

Makes sense, i'll look in to it.

[1ToBeOn2Wheels]

Originally Posted by cupojava

Keep in mind the laser light is only for high beams. Regular low beams are still LED. Official name is "BMW Laserlight with Adaptive LED Headlights".

99% of the time it'd be useless to us U.S. customers as there isn't approval for the fully adaptive low/high beams which and create light tunnels as to not blind other cars like on the Euro models.

This article came out today. Looks like the US is moving on up in the automotive world :

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/10/11/...lights-safety/

[jlin101]

"NHTSA said it was proposing to amend current safety rules that bar the advanced lights but will still need to take final action after receiving public comment before it can the allow the new lights. The agency is also proposing new test measures to ensure the systems work as planned."

A big step in the right direction, no doubt, but how long will it take to implement the changes; that is, when will we see the matrix-type headlights the German auto-makers' been bragging about. I'd hate to fork over $2k for the Laserlights in 2019 only to miss out on Matrix lights arriving in 2020.

[upsidedownfunnel]

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/10/11/...lights-safety/

The NHTSA is moving to allow adaptive low-beam headlights.

It looks like Toyota got the ball rolling in 2013 and was joined by VW and BMW in 2016-2017 to petition for the use of adaptive headlights like Toyota's ADB, Audi's Matrix, Mercedes MultiBeam, and BMW Laser Light.

Now the question is whether people who order BMW Laser Lights in the upcoming G20 and G05 X5 will be able to enable the feature once it's officially made legal. We know that in the past, in cars like the LCI F30, the adaptive anti-dazzle LED headlights only required some coding the enable the feature. Hopefully the people that order Laser Lights will be able to enable the low-beam functionality at the dealership or at least by coding.

[jlin101]

BMW's low beam is LED, regardless whether it's in the US or Europe. The only difference is that the Laserlights HIGH beam in the US has only on/off modes, whereas in Europe/Asia it can selectively dim certain portions, depending on condition. What that means is that in the US, the Laserlights will remain OFF whenever the car detects oncoming traffic or preceding cars, and the non-US ones will remain ON but deactivates part of the beam to avoid blinding others.

[ted99]

NHTSA has asked for public comments on adaptive beam headlights. The point of contention seems to be whether the US standard will limit the beam brightness or allow the full brightness of the European standard. The European standard has the lights on full brightness all the time and uses a matrix to shift the beam away from oncoming traffic. This requires multi-source LED's. A laser version of the new method keeping the lights on full brightness all the time would have to use a single laser reflecting off micro mirrors. These mirrors would be like the mirrors in Texas Instruments TV chips. Laser versions of these micro mirrors are already in use in Projection TV's and would have even more flexibility because of the thousands of mirrors (point sources), compared to a limited number of LED's. The time frame is 18 to 24 months for approval. Audi has said that with their multi-LED's, the change could be incorporated by software as soon as it is approved. Doubtless, BMW could do the same with their multi-LED lights. For a sure thing, one should probably get the LED lights and not the current Laser lights, because the Laser application would require a hardware change.

[ted99]

The public comment period has started. A final rule will be 18 to 24 months away. The biggest point of contention is whether there will be a limit on the brightness, or no limit as in Europe. The European standard allows the lights to be on full brightness all the time, if the beam can be steered away from oncoming traffic. Current US standard requires TWO beams, high and low and the max brightness is limited. The full steering requires multiple LED lamps or a laser source with some type of shadowing mechanism in the reflector light path. The optimum solution is a laser light source with a micro mirror reflector. This technology is currently in use in Projection TV's with a Texas Instruments micro mirror chip and would allow a huge amount of steering. Audi has said that they can reprogram their multi-LED lights to a new standard, once it is approved. To be safe, I would order the multi-LED lights rather than Laser lights because full implementation of single beam steering will probably require a hardware change in the current laser lights.

[jlin101]

It should be mentioned that laser light has nothing to do with beam steering or matrix-type lighting pattern, that can all be accomplished using LED's (similar to the selective or local-dimming in LED TV's). Laserlight is nothing but a more efficient energy source used to generate light, which then gets reflected/projected onto the road. The main benefit of laser is that it requires a much smaller module. In BMW's current implementation, the Laserlight high beam does not even turn on in well-lit areas or below high-way speeds.

[agentorange]

Originally Posted by 1ToBeOn2Wheels

This article came out today. Looks like the US is moving on up in the automotive world :

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/10/11/...lights-safety/

That would be nice. When I arrived in the US 20 years ago I was appalled at the poor headlights on US cars. They were still using transverse filament sealed beams, something that went away in about 1982 in Britain IIRC.

Strikes me the USDoT wouldn't know a good headlight if you smashed in their faces. A few years back Buick was required to recall a bunch of cars because there was insufficient UPWARD light scatter to illuminate overhead reflective signs in rural areas where there was no electricity to light the signs. Buddy over from the UK commented "don't like a good cutoff here, do they" during a night trip. Small wonder US spec lights cause so much dazzle. Smooth even spread on low beam is something else lacking too, IMHO. It wasn't until I fitted some Euro spec Cibie Z-beams to my 96 Firebird that I felt safe driving at more than 55 mph at night.

Mind you, when all is said and done, I don't think it is possible to fully reconcile the need to see down the road with the need to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers and the apparent desire to drive SAFELY at 70 mph at all times and never use the high beams. The prevalence of SUVs with their high mounted lights just adds to the fun, unless you mandate a very strict UPPER light height which would no doubt result in some seriously weird looking trucks and SUVs.

[jlin101]

Not only do the US-bound cars get Laser lights, they also get an unremovable warning sticker, lol. Unsafe at any speed, eh?!