Cars are getting smarter, changing how they work with roads and people. Imagine vehicles that can actually talk to you, a pedestrian, using lights. Stellantis is making this happen with a new lighting system. It uses special colors and a screen on the car’s front to tell you when it will stop or let you cross. The amazing part? This happens without the driver needing to do anything.
People used to say that cars would one day talk to people on the street. That future is here. Stellantis showed off its impressive new headlights at the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting (ISAL) in Darmstadt. These lights do more than just show the way; they send clear messages to anyone near the car.
The company worked with Opel and Darmstadt Technical University on this project. They created an Opel Grandland car for the tests. This vehicle can drive itself at Level 3. It can spot people walking nearby and guess their next moves.
How Stellantis Headlights Use AI
The new system uses artificial intelligence. It looks for possible dangers and then uses colors to communicate. When the car drives itself, its turn signals shine in a bright cyan color. This clear signal tells everyone that the car’s computer is in control.
If a person steps into the car’s path, the main lights change to magenta. A screen on the car’s front also flashes a magenta alert. At the same time, the car slows down. Once it stops, the lights turn green. Then, a picture of a walking person appears on the road in front of the car. This means it is safe to cross.
Engineers picked cyan and magenta for a good reason. These colors are not used in normal road signs. This helps avoid any confusion. “We wanted to prevent wrong understandings,” said Julisa Le, an innovation manager at Stellantis. “These colors are not found in traffic and are easy to recognize.”
If the system cannot handle a situation, the driver gets a warning. They then need to take control of the car. This follows all safety rules for self-driving cars.
Three Years of Development
Stellantis started working on this technology in 2022. It is part of their research to make self-driving cars safer. Philipp Röckl, Stellantis’s Global Head of Lighting, believes the headlights of tomorrow will do more. He said, “lights will be a means of communication, not just a resource to see and be seen.”
With this test car, Stellantis and Opel show how car lights can help. They are making it safer for self-driving cars and pedestrians to share the road. This creates a clearer and safer experience for everyone.