Adaptive Lighting System for Automobiles

When a vehicle is driven on the highway at night, it is required that light beam should be of high density and
should illuminate the road at a distance sufficiently ahead. However, when a vehicle coming in the opposite
direction approaches the vehicle with a high-beam headlight, driver of that vehicle will experience a glare,
which may blind him. This dazzle effect is one of the major problems faced by a driver in night driving. To
avoid this impermanent blindness, a separate filament is usually fitted in the dual-filament headlight bulb in a
position such that light beam from this second filament is deflected both down and sideways so that the driver
of the oncoming car is not blinded. In practice, one mechanical dimmer switch is used by the driver to manually
select high (bright) or low (dim) headlight beam. However, this is an awkward task for the driver especially
during peak traffics.
Our project Adaptive Lighting System for Automobiles is a smart solution for safe and convenient night
driving without the intense dazzling effect and aftermaths. Adaptive Lighting System for Automobiles needs no
manual operation for switching ON and OFF headlight/downlight (Bright/Dim) when there is a vehicle coming
from front at night. It detects itself whether there is light from the front coming vehicle or not. When there is
light from front coming vehicle, it automatically switches to the downlight and when the vehicle passes it
automatically switch back to headlight. The user can adjust the light detection sensitivity of this Adaptive
Lighting System.
Troxler Effect
A study by Dr. Alan Lewis, who runs the College of Optometry at Ferris State University in Big Rapids,
Michigan, found that during nighttime driving, headlight glare from the vehicles traveling with you could be
blinding. Even after the source of the glare is removed, an after-image remains on the eyes retina that creates a
blind spot. Known as the Troxler Effect, this phenomenon increases driver reaction time by up to 1.4 seconds.
That means that if driving at 60 mph, a motorist would travel 123 feet before reacting to a hazard. Normal
reaction time to a change in driving conditions is .5 seconds and the distance travelled before applying the
brakes is 41 feet when traveling at the same speed!

Parts list

IC: NE555 1
IC Socket 8 Pin 1
Transistor: BC547 1
Diode: 1N4007 2
Resistors: 100K Trimpot 1, 47K 1/4W 1 ,22K 1/4W 1 ,10K 1/4W 1 , 1K 1/4W 2
Capacitors: 10uF/25V 1, 100uF/25V 1
LEDs: 5mm Red /Green 2
LDR: 20mm Encapsulated Type 1
Relay: 12VDC SPDT 1
Switch: SPST Rocker Switch 2

Working of the circuit

This circuit is built around the popular timer chip NE555 (IC1). Here IC1 is configured as a gated-astable
multivibrator running at a frequency of about 1.5 Hertz ( duty cycle 75%),determined by the values of
components R1, R3 and C1. The whole circuit can be directly powered from the 12V automobile battery.
When power switch S1 is turned to on position, 12VDC supply from the battery is fed to the whole circuit
through polarity guard diode 1N4007 (D1). Capacitor C3 (100uF/25V) is a traditional buffer capacitor to
improve the circuit stability. Initially, astable built around IC1 is disabled by the light sensor circuit realized
using the 20mm Light Dependent Resistor (LDR),100K trimpot (P1) and BC547 (T1) transistor. As a result
output (pin 3) of IC1 is at a low level, and the 12V electro-magnetic relay (RL1) connected at the output of
IC1 is in off state. The first LED (LED1) indicates this condition. As per the wiring (+ve supply is routed to
headlights through the N/C contacts of RL1), headlights are in now in on condition.
However, when a strong light falls on the LDR, IC1 is enabled immediately and as a result its output goes
high to energize the relay. Now the downlights are powered by the N/O contacts of the relay and stays in this
condition until the light level on LDR is reversed. The second LED (LED2) indicates this condition. Note that,

switch for the ASM mode (S2), directly grounds pin 6 and 2 of IC1, when it is in on mode and hence the
astable function of IC1 is in disabled state. If S2 is in off mode, the ASM function turns to on and this
flashes headlights and downlights rapidly, as long as strong light level (from another headlight) is detected by
the LDR.
Notes

Switching contact of the relay (RL1) can directly be connected in parallel with the existing dim/bright selector
switch. It is also possible to route + 12V through the relay contacts to Headlights (Bright) and Downlights (Dim)
One 20 mm encapsulated LDR is recommended for this circuit. The LDR should be fitted at the front side of the
vehicle in an appropriate position