After a shaky start, automakers that sell cars in the U.S. are finally beginning to design adaptive headlights specifically for the NHTSA’s new rules, which are critically different than those of Europe, where the technology is far more prevalent. Audi is the latest example, with its new Q9 flagship SUV touting the company’s Digital Matrix LED tech, allowing it to steer beams around oncoming traffic so as to not blind anyone in your path. But Audi’s going even further with the Q9’s lighting, introducing a new system that can project turn indicators onto the road, complete with dynamic arrows that make it clear to everyone—even those who can’t directly see your headlights or taillights—where you intend to go.
Plenty of upmarket vehicles today have onboard projectors that will shine a graphic on the nearby ground, usually as you unlock the doors and get in to begin your journey. The difference with what Audi’s doing here is that there’s actually practical benefit to it.
Imagine you’re in a line of vehicles before a stoplight. You’re at the back of the queue, then there’s a semi truck, and at the very front is an Audi Q9 with these matrix lights. Normally, you might not be able to see from your vantage point that the Q9’s driver has signaled left. These projections, however, would tip you off. And it’s not a life-changing safety perk, but any measure that increases visibility into what other motorists are doing is generally positive.
The arrows animate in a repeating pattern, shining from each corner of the car in a diagonal orientation, which makes them easier to read from a shallow angle. In theory, this wouldn’t merely help fellow drivers, but pedestrians and bicyclists as well, who might be more inclined to pick up graphics on the ground in front of them rather than lights above the road.
This feature won’t be exclusive to the Q9. The (slightly) smaller Q7 will also get the same matrix tech, and perhaps it’ll roll out to other products in the range after that. The advent of adaptive headlights isn’t coming a moment too soon here in America, where automakers keep making headlights brighter, but regulatory paralysis has kept them from managing that intensity in a way that’s safe and comfortable for everyone on the road.
Audi’s new indicator perk is definitely a less consequential secondary development, but still a neat one. And who knows what else these projectors could convey in the future?
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