Ford’s High-Tech Headlights Are Augmented Reality Everyone Can See

Ford won’t say when its headlight tech will make its way to commercially available cars, and hasn’t delved deep into the technical aspects, either. But the short demonstration video shared by the company suggests that the headlight light projection tech is ready and can be tweaked as needed to make it more versatile. As mentioned above, the company’s focus is on making night driving more comfortable, for both the driver as well as cars and pedestrians in the vicinity.

For example, it could be a godsend for routes where the markings have faded from the asphalt, or navigation boards are missing from the roadside. Plus, the safety aspect is a key consideration. Driving at a modestly high speed at night and taking a peek at the digital console can create a driving blind that can prove to be quite costly. Information projected on the road will minimize the safety risks of taking one’s eyes of the wheel, including providing proximity guidance and projecting guidelines for straight lane cruising. 

Mercedes, on the other hand, is inclined towards an Augmented Reality Heads-Up Display (AR-HUD) tech for cars. In this iteration, the pricey S-Class cars from Mercedes will serve directional cues right on the windshield, which acts like a huge see-through display. Interestingly, Ford’s latest test appears to have been inspired by Mercedes’ Digital Light headlamp tech from 2018 that crammed the equivalent of one million pixels in each headlamp to project information on the road ahead.