MUNICH – BMW has introduced a new type of lighting system, called Dynamic Light Spot, that will detect objects in the vehicle's path, such as pedestrians, and automatically directs a marking light toward that person, which can help drivers avoid potential accidents. Dynamic Light Spot is linked to the automaker’s ConnectedDrive system. The company said it plans to include this system as part of a special BMW Night Vision system package in future vehicles.

Dynamic Light spot uses heat radiation-based sensors (an infrared camera with a viewing angle of 24 degrees) to detect an object in the vehicle’s path, up to more than 320 ft. away (97 meters). Then, the vehicle will project a beam of light (which the company calls a “marking light”) onto the road in front of the vehicle along the path to the object, which gives the driver more time to brake and avoid an accident. When the vehicle gets close enough for normal lights to illuminate an obstacle, the marking light switches off.

In addition to Dynamic Light Spot technology, BMW also plans to add a glare-free technology to its existing high beam “assistant” technology. The high beam assistant uses the camera sensor in the interior mirror bracket to recognize other objects, such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles (if a bicycle’s lights are bright enough) and then “masks” the vehicle’s headlights so they don’t dazzle other drivers. The high beam assistant camera sensor can detect the headlight beams up to roughly 3,300 ft. (1,000 meters), and the taillights of other vehicles in front from about 1665 ft. (500 meters).