GM is back at it with cutting-edge tech — headlights point wherever you look

　　As early as last year, GM had already applied eye-tracking technology to in-vehicle systems to monitor the driver's eye and head movements, determining whether fatigue driving is occurring based on how long the eyes remain closed, as well as the position and duration of head stops. However, GM doesn't seem to want to stop at this kind of cutting-edge technology. Now they have applied it to headlights — wherever the driver looks, the headlights will shine there.

　　This technology called "Headlights" looks like an enhanced version of a flashlight. The system comprehensively analyzes the direction of the headlight illumination based on the current driving speed, geographical location, and traffic conditions. The eye-tracking technology here plays a role in identifying the direction of the driver's eye movements, and then the headlights will make timely adjustments via a stepper motor, which is much more user-friendly than a simple and crude adaptive headlight steering system.

　　Car owners don't need to worry about whether their eyes are too small or the interior light is too dim. The sensors used for monitoring are a set of infrared rays and photodiodes, which repeatedly scan the driver's eyes at a frequency of 50 times per second and hand them over to the computer for processing. At the same time, the headlights will also instantly adjust their horizontal and vertical positions to ensure they illuminate anywhere the driver sees.

　　In fact, developing a reliable adaptive cornering headlight system is no easy feat in itself — one must consider the steering relationship between vehicle speed and the headlight beam. The introduction of Headlights will make this system even more complex, and there is no doubt it will bring greater convenience to car owners. Although GM has not provided a timeline for mass production, they have already begun real-vehicle tests on an Opel. In the future, when drivers encounter each other at night in a fit of road-rage, they will truly be able to stare each other down.