Feature request?

[whitex]

Seeing the other comments about highlighting a pedestrian leveraging the matrix headlights, my 2015 Mercedes S550 did exactly that. This feature was in a US/DOT car, not a European programmed version. When the nigh vision system identified a person or bicyclist or animal it would flash a box on them with the headlights and alert me on the dashboard by switching the entire screen to the nigh vision view and put a red box around the identified object. This happened once or twice a week in my regular drive (and the P-Car has never done this on the same drives with the same pedestrians and cyclists). So it appears that ability is not blocked in the US per say, it's just that some auto manufacturers have chosen not to implement this.

Based on some cursory googling around it seems 2015 Mercedes was not limited by the US rules "headlight beam must operate as one" (meaning all-on or all-off, no partial-on allowed) because it had this feature implemented via an additional, physically separate spotlight, which was separate from low or high beams, similar to fog lights or side/turn lights. Current technology cars use matrix headlights for this, and that is what is disallowed by the NHTSA regulations. Couple of years ago the current administration made a big deal about allowing it, but in true government fashion after a victory lap by the president it's been stuck in government red tape since, here is an article @Jonathan S. found on the current state of this process:
https://www.newsweek.com/nhtsa-roadblocking-headlight-technology-that-could-save-lives-1811354

This functionality is already implemented in Taycans equipped with Night Vision and Matrix Headlights, just disabled in North America due to NHTSA regulations. It works well outside of North America where it is allowed, the object which causes the warning is box flashed 3 times. Here is an example of what it looks like in action (in this example the car is changing lanes which makes the car think the pedestrian is in direct path of the car, hence the warning):

Sadly to get this enabled in the US, you have to reprogram/hack your own car, or pay someone to do it, then hope some recall, repair, or OTA update doesn't reprogram it back. Today in North America you only get a warning on your IC with the pedestrian highlighted in a yellow box (which also shows up when matrix headlights are highlighting the pedestrian).

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[RSouthern]

Based on some cursory googling around it seems 2015 Mercedes was not limited by the US rules "headlight beam must operate as one" (meaning all-on or all-off, no partial-on allowed) because it had this feature implemented via an additional, physically separate spotlight, which was separate from low or high beams, similar to fog lights or side/turn lights.

I just did a check too and the function is referred to as a "spotlight function" by MB but there was no separate light module in the headlight module. There was the turn signal, a high beam, low beam and the "eyebrow" running light. I think they refer to the spotlight as the result of the matrix light element behavior being used to track the pedestrian. I'm not trying to start an argument and appreciate that you were able to find more info about the NVA system in the MB.

One thing that makes me more confident that this was a matrix light feature on the MB and not a separate or dedicated light element is the way that MB switched light levels from low beams to high beams. It was "animated". The beam grew, first vertically then in width every time the lights changed to high beams. It was pretty cool to watch. It's this same level of brightness and beam animation that was used for the pedestrian illumination, except that it flashed and tracked, just like in the video above. I think that MB just used the same LED matrix light module in the headlight housing for this and all the light movements (corner illumination, road tracking and NVA etc). They probably classified these functions as separate from the low/high beam headlight behavior to sidestep the DOT limitations. Sadly, the more advanced light shaping (highbeam around traffic to avoid dazzle) was disabled in the US. That's the same story with our BMW X7 (LASER matrix lights with antidazzle disabled on the build sheet).

While this is getting off topic from the original request I had posted, I wonder if Porsche (and BMW and others) will enable the advanced light shaping options now that DOT allows this. Seems like it's programmable per the above thread, will dealers support this ability or do we need to pay $150k USD to enable that feature (by buying a 2024+). This is my 1st Porsche... what does history tell us about supporting these changes?

 

[whitex]

I think that MB just used the same LED matrix light module in the headlight housing for this and all the light movements (corner illumination, road tracking and NVA etc). They probably classified these functions as separate from the low/high beam headlight behavior to sidestep the DOT limitations.

You might be right on this. As long as there was a separate, dedicated part of matrix dedicated to flashing objects, so that it could be considered separate from high or low beams, that probably allowed them to sidestep it. I found this in the article you linked:

For variable light distribution, a groove cut into the profile of the
headlamps helps to create a controllable light source, the spotlight.
Outside of built-up areas, pedestrians are flashed with the spotlight
function up to four times at night, provided they are located within
the light cone. If the Adaptive Highbeam Assist has been switched to
dipped beam, the pedestrian is flashed with the spotlight function
beyond the area of the dipped beam. If on the other hand main beam is
activated, this remains on in the left-hand headlamp, while the
pedestrian is flashed with the right-hand headlamp. The flashing
headlamp then remains dipped for five seconds in order to avoid dazzling
the pedestrian during this time.

I am not sure what a "groove cut into the profile of the headlamps" is. Also, I haven't checked recently but about a year ago, I was considering the EQS, and apparently their full matrix functionality was also disabled, with no mention of spotlight function, but maybe it still has that groove tech?

While this is getting off topic from the original request I had posted, I wonder if Porsche (and BMW and others) will enable the advanced light shaping options now that DOT allows this. Seems like it's programmable per the above thread, will dealers support this ability or do we need to pay $150k USD to enable that feature (by buying a 2024+). This is my 1st Porsche... what does history tell us about supporting these changes?

Yes it is programmable. No, the dealers will not do this for you today. The techs are aware that some people get their cars reprogrammed but they are not allowed to do it (even if you promise to only use it on the track, which is possible since you can disable automatic headlights in the PCM) and most probably wouldn't even know how as there is no official documented nor supported Porsche process to do it (it leaves a car in a state which is likely never tested, and therefore not officially supported, by Porsche - part of the car thinks it's a German version, another that it's a US version). That said, AFAIK dealers do not go out of their way to disable it if you already have it enabled. When I was at a dealer recently, SA told one of their customers is having someone fly-in (privately) to enable their matrix functionality.

As for future enablement of current matrix equipped Taycans, sadly, it is extremely unlikely primarily because NHTSA certification has to always be against a complete set of rules. So if a car passed against 2020 NHTSA rules, if adaptive headlights are made legal for 2025, the 2020 car would have to pass all 2025 tests, not just headlights. Essentially, you cannot mix and match NHTSA requirements, some from 2020, some from 2025. This means a whole new cost of certification, and possibly having to augment other parts to meet new requirements - all this for little or no additional revenue. This of course assumes that 2020 headlights would even pass the 2025 rules, which are still in discussions (see the link I posted earlier on the current state of things). When I talked with a PCNA rep a year ago, he said Porsche had high hopes for the rules to be finalized last year, but even then they apparently were only planning to certify the new upcoming matrix headlights, rather than the current ones.

The common sense legislative solution would be to approve existing standard, grandfather-in any existing cars on the road which meet this standard, then start working on a new, better standard effective whenever the government is . Given typical government M.O. though, I wouldn't count on common sense prevailing - it hasn't so far.

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