First Launch for Valeo's BeamAtic(R) Premium Lighting System With Volkswagen

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Oct 01, 2010, 02:58 ET

PARIS, October 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Valeo equips the new Volkswagen Phaeton with its revolutionary BeamAtic(R) Premium adaptive lighting system.

While high beam headlamps light the road more effectively than low beams, they must give way to low beams quickly as soon as another vehicle approaches. With the new BeamAtic(R) Premium automatic adaptive lighting system, maximum light is maintained everywhere except in the zone where the other vehicle is located. Visibility is therefore comparable to high beam, and other drivers are not dazzled. Automatic switching between high and low beams also improves driving comfort and safety.

In high beam mode, each of the headlamps generates a cone of light which lights up the entire road. When passing or overtaking another vehicle, the latter is detected and located by a camera equipped with powerful image processing software. The system then uses a mobile shield to block out the part of the beam occupied by the other vehicle, and tracks its trajectory. The vehicle passed or overtaken is therefore no longer in the light, and its driver is never dazzled, because from their viewpoint the BeamAtic(R) Premium lights look just like low beams. For the user, however, the road appears to be fully illuminated, as it would be with high beam headlamps.

Valeo is an independent industrial Group fully focused on the design, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for the automotive industry, mainly for CO2 emissions reduction. Valeo ranks among the world's top automotive suppliers. The Group has 117 plants, 21 Research centers, 40 Development centers, 10 distribution platforms and employs 56,000 people in 27 countries worldwide.

For more information about the Valeo Group and its activities, please visit our web site