Making 'smart headlights' with machine learning

Zipping around corners and over hills, the car's high beams are on to improve vision while the driver's hand remains poised to turn them off at a moment's notice, lest they blind oncoming traffic and cause an accident. Xin Li believes there is a better solution, and he's working with China's largest headlight manufacturer to make it a reality. "Modern headlights don't have just one or two light bulbs, they can have up to a million," said Li, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke University and Duke Kunshan University. "I'm working with industry partners to create a'smart headlight' that can control each pixel individually and automatically light up different areas in front of the car after recognizing the surrounding environment." For example, the headlight could reduce the amount of light pointed at an oncoming car while simultaneously increasing the illumination of an upcoming road sign. Or it could detect nearby pedestrians and alert the driver by highlighting their body while avoiding shining light directly into their eyes.