Audi consept car with LED headlamps (Pics)

[Spectre]

I just saw a review in CAR (English magazine - August issue) that the new Audi Nuvolari consept car has luxeon LEDs as headlamps. I just thought you guys might be interested:

Front:


Headlamp closeup:


Text describing the headlamps (not much...):


(I used my digital camera and took snapshots from the mag).

Here is a picture from audi world:


More info here:
http://www.audiworld.com/news/03/050403b/content.shtml
http://www.audiworld.com/news/03/gen.../content.shtml
http://www.vwvortex.com/news/03_03/03_04/index.shtml
Bjorn

[kakster]

so THAT's why we havent seen any X binned 5 watters...Audi have nicked them all for themselves

[V8TOYTRUCK]

They look a bit green to me

[hawkhkg11]

Hmm, how would the brightness compare to HID (which is probably cheaper and more readily available)?

[IlluminatingBikr]

Are those five watts? What is the bin rating on those?

[The_LED_Museum]

They do have a bit of that "rotten dog urine green" color to them, but maybe it was just the camera. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smoker5.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img]

[What's this? Can't spell toilet?. Edited for spelling by Size15s.]

[FlashlightOCD]

[ QUOTE ]
The LED Museum said:
They do have a bit of that "rotten dog urine green" color to them, but maybe it was just the camera. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img] :toliet: [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the correct technical term was "rotten cat urine green"? Is there maybe a slight color variance I'm not detecting that distinguishes the two?

Seriously ... I don't get it. Those have to be expensive, what is the advantage other than being novel? I could understand maybe for dash light's, because if one of those burns out it is a real pain to change it. Todays HID car lamp's seem to last for several years, can be easily changed when needed, and aren't all that expensive.

Sort of looks like a case of where a solution is seeking out a problem [that doesn't exist].

[glen]

I bet they mave a very nice even white color and flood, making visability really nice.

[Roy]

I'll bet those lights have never shown upon any road! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
How'd you like to have that thing coming at you in the middle of the night? Talk about loss of night vision!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[markus_i]

[ QUOTE ]
hawkhkg11 said:
Hmm, how would the brightness compare to HID (which is probably cheaper and more readily available)?

[/ QUOTE ]

Your guess would be as good as mine: there are 22 luxeons in there with individual optics in 5(IIRC) arrays that seem to be individually adjustable. So, if they're using 5 Watters driven at nominal power, that would be 110 Watts.
It could also be overdriven 1-Watters or underdriven 5ers, but I'd guess total light output would be comparable to an HID within the resolution of the human eye.
Advantages of the array could be:
- larger emitting area -> less blinding to others, less problems with partially obscured glass
- adjustable arrays -> emitting characteristics (near, far, fog, left side drive, corners, drl, load adjustment, ...) can be adjusted on the fly
- more homogeneous flood would be possible

Of course, there's the disadvantage of having moving parts and a shorter lifetime....


Bye
Markus