The Apple Car’s Infrared Headlights Could Let it See 3x Farther

Possibly one of the worst-kept secrets in the auto industry right now, Apple’s new car project is prompting many to speculate about the future self-driving EV’s features and design. There’s not a whole lot that’s currently known about the project, except that it will likely be a fully autonomous, electric vehicle, and won’t be set for release till 2024 or later. And while nothing is set in stone quite yet, we’re pretty certain about one thing: the Apple car will feature infrared headlights. 

Through infrared headlights, Apple’s EV could be able to see 3 times farther than a human driver. How do we know this is something the tech company is looking into? Only recently, Apple filed (and was granted) a patent for a futuristic night-vision system that would make these headlights possible. This new system would combine visible light, near-infrared (NIR), and long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors to create a better night time view for both drivers and the autonomous car. 

You can get a better idea of what the Apple car is going for from the patent application itself

“Nighttime or low-light environments present challenges for automated vehicle control systems. For example, the illumination level provided by headlights on a vehicle at night may be limited by laws or regulations, which may in turn limit the effective range of a visible spectrum sensor (e.g., a camera) used for detecting objects in or near the path of the vehicle. Having a limited effective range (e.g., about 60 meters) for detecting and or classifying objects can reduce safety and/or reduce the speed at which the vehicle can travel safely.

A combination of multiple complementary image sensing technologies may be employed to address the challenges of nighttime or low-light environment object detection and classification. For example, there may be looser or no restrictions on the illumination level of a near infrared illuminator mounted on a vehicle. A near infrared sensor with a near infrared illuminator can be configured to capture high resolution image information about objects in or near a path of the vehicle out to a significantly longer range (e.g., 200 meters) from the vehicle. This may enable earlier detection and classification of objects as the vehicle moves and improve safety and/or maximum speed. Near infrared illuminators may project near infrared light in a relatively narrow field of view (e.g., a 30-degree cone).”

Of course, this Apple car feature could be a huge move forward for both self-driving and headlight technology. Only time will tell however if Apple intends to move forward with this design choice. Would you drive a car with infrared headlights? We’d love to hear your thoughts!