Opel to Launch Eye-Controlled Headlamps

General Motors Co.'s Opel AG and researchers at Germany's Technical University of Darmstadt are developing a system that adjusts headlamp intensity and direction according to the driver's line of sight. Opel plans to introduce the technology a few years from now.

The system uses a single camera pointed at the driver's head to detect nose position and eye movement. Electronic actuators use the data to adjust the headlamps horizontally and vertically.

Opel's eye-tracking headlamp guidance system

The engineers say their first attempt produced accurate results. But the system took too long to calculate headlamp adjustments to suit the demands of real-world driving. A second-generation version solved the problem with an eye-tracking algorithm and optimized camera operating parameters. Developers also added peripheral infrared sensors and photo-diodes that enable the tracker to scan a driver's eyes more than 50 times per second.

But the researchers say they had to overcome one more hurdle. They point out that drivers continuously glance from one place to another as they monitor surrounding traffic conditions. A "delay" algorithm prevents the headlamps from jerking around in tandem. Opel notes the system's low beams always maintain a forward beam, regardless of where the driver is looking.