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Porsche’s ‘next-generation’ light tech uses 16,000 LEDs to turn night into day

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“Of these LED chips, two are used for each headlight – four per vehicle. The headlights with HD matrix technology, therefore, offer a high-resolution light distribution up to twice as bright on a surface four times larger than previous top-notch systems.”

A homogeneous illumination system

The end result is extremely homogeneous illumination and high-performance high beams that turn night into day at a distance of up to 600 meters. The new invention is also energy-saving.

“Because the HD matrix headlights only activate the pixels that are actually needed at any given moment, they consume considerably less energy [than] other high-resolution systems, while the amount of light remains the same,” explained Stappen.

In addition, for the first time ever, the characteristic Porsche four-point headlight graphics of the daytime running lights can also be seen at night when the new system is used with both low and high beams. Porsche had to apply for over 25 patents to make the innovative technology a reality.

Porsche's 'next-generation' light tech uses 16,000 LEDs to turn night into day

The new Porsche headlight includes two of the new HD matrix modules.

Now, the HD matrix headlights will be introduced successively in different model lines with identical module technology but adapted designs.

“The new technology must unite different, and sometimes contradictory, requirements in a single system,” noted Stappen.

As such, Porsche made use of pre-design simulations to analyze which overall system design would best meet all requirements including those of customers. This led the firm to choose the new and efficient HD matrix LED technology with 16,384 pixels per module rather than the maximum resolution that is technically feasible.

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