Description and principle of operation of the car night vision system

Driving at night requires much greater concentration and increased attention from the driver. The road at night can sometimes be completely unpredictable, so it is not surprising that long journeys in poor visibility conditions exhaust car owners much more. In order to facilitate the journey after dark, the engineers have developed a special night vision system, which is mainly installed in premium cars.

What is NVA Night Vision System

Daytime and nighttime driving conditions differ significantly. To exclude the occurrence of dangerous situations in the dark, the driver has to constantly strain his eyes and look more closely into the distance. Considering that on the territory of the Russian Federation most of the tracks remain unlit, long journeys in poor visibility conditions can be a real stress, especially for novice drivers.

In order to make life easier for motorists and to protect other road users at night, the night vision system for cars NVA (Night Vision Assist) was developed. Initially, this technology was used for military purposes, however, it has relatively recently moved into everyday life, including the automotive industry. The development helps to see from afar pedestrians, animals or other objects that may suddenly appear on the track.

Thanks to the night vision system, the driver will be able to react in time to the sudden appearance of an obstacle and stop the vehicle, eliminating the possibility of a collision.

Thus, NVA helps the motorist:

• avoid collision with unlit obstacles;
• notice other road users posing a potential danger, even as long as they get into the headlights;
• more confidently control the trajectory of movement, clearly observing the boundaries of the shoulder and the line of road markings dividing the lanes of oncoming traffic.

For the first time, the Passive Night Vision was installed on the American Cadillac DeVille in 2000.

Elements of construction

The night vision system consists of four main components, the interaction of which ensures safety on the road:

• sensors that read infrared and thermal signals (usually installed in headlights);
• a video camera behind the windshield that records the traffic situation;
• electronic control unit that processes incoming information;
• a display on the instrument panel that combines images from sensors and a video camera.

Thus, all the information received by the sensors is converted into an image of the object and projected onto the monitor over the video camera frames.

As an alternative to the familiar monitor, you can also project the image onto a small area of ​​the windshield. The cost of such equipment is already much higher. However, changing frames on the glass in front of the driver can distract him from driving, so this option is rarely used.

The principle of the system

Today there are two main types of night vision systems:

• active;
• passive.

Active type systems use in their work additional sources of infrared color, which are separately installed on the vehicle. Typically, active systems can read information up to 250 meters from the object. A clear, high-quality image is displayed on the screen.

Passive systems work like a thermal imager without using infrared spectra. Sensing thermal radiation emanating from objects, the sensors reproduce the picture of what is happening on the road. Therefore, the images in this case are more contrasting, but less clear, displayed in gray tones. But the range of the system increases to about 300 meters, and sometimes more.

Active type systems are used, for example, by such large car manufacturers as Mercedes and Toyota. Passive NVAs are installed by Audi, BMW and Honda.

Despite the fact that passive systems have a longer range, specialists in most cases prefer active NVA devices.

Night vision systems developed by large corporations

Every car manufacturer is always trying to bring something new to the previously created functions and systems. Therefore, some large automotive concerns have developed their own varieties of night vision devices. Here are the most famous examples.

Night View Assist Plus from Mercedes-Benz

A striking example of the active system NVA is the development of the Mercedes concern - Night View Assist Plus. Its unique feature is that the system will be able to inform the driver about even small holes and uneven road surfaces, as well as warn pedestrians of possible danger.

Night View Assist Plus works as follows:

• high-precision infrared sensors detect the slightest obstacles on the road;
• the video camera determines at what time of day the car is being driven, and also reproduces all the details of the traffic situation;
• the electronic control unit analyzes the incoming information and displays it on the monitor screen.

If Night View Assist Plus detects a pedestrian on the road, the car will automatically warn him of a possible danger by giving several short flash signals from the headlights. However, such a warning will only work if there is no oncoming traffic on the highway, the drivers of which can be blinded by the headlights.

The most effective system from Mercedes works in conditions when the speed of the car exceeds 45 km / h, and the distance from the vehicle to an obstacle or a pedestrian is no more than 80 meters.

Dynamic Light Spot from BMW

Another significant development is the Dynamic Light Spot system, created by engineers from the German company BMW. It uses an intelligent night vision device that has become even more advanced in terms of pedestrian safety. A unique heart rate sensor, which can detect a person or other living creature at a distance of up to 100 meters, allows fixing the dangerous proximity of people to the road.

Together with other elements of the system, additional LEDs are mounted in the optics of the car, which will promptly attract the attention of pedestrians and warn them about the approach of the car.

Diode headlights are able to rotate 180 degrees, which makes it possible to attract the attention of even those people who are just approaching the roadway.

Night Vision from Audi

In 2010, the Audi concern presented its novelty. Thermal imaging camera A8, conveniently located on the car near the emblem of the automaker, is able to "see" at a distance of up to 300 meters. The system highlights people in yellow to ensure that the driver's attention is drawn. Also, the Audi on-board computer is able to calculate the possible trajectory of a pedestrian. If the automation detects that the paths of the car and the person intersect, the pedestrian will be marked in red on the display. Additionally, the system will play a sound signal that warns of the danger.

Is it possible to buy freelance equipment

The night vision system is rarely present in the vehicle configuration. Basically, NVA can be seen as a factory function in expensive premium segment cars. At the same time, motorists have a legitimate question: is it possible to install Night Vision in your car yourself? This option is really possible. There is a large selection of available systems on the market from both Russian and foreign manufacturers.

True, it should be noted right away that the purchase will not be cheap: on average, the price of equipment on the market ranges from 50 to 100 thousand rubles. Additional costs will be associated with the installation and configuration of the equipment, since it will not be so easy to install all the devices yourself.

Advantages and disadvantages

As perfect as the design to make it easier to travel by car at night may seem, it has both advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantages of NVA include:

• high quality display, allowing you to clearly see the boundaries of the road and obstacles on the way;
• a compact screen that transmits a picture does not take up much space, but at the same time does not force the driver to peer at the image;
• the driver feels much more confident and comfortable while driving in the dark;
• the eyes of the motorist are less tired, so the concentration on the road remains better.

Among the disadvantages of the NVA system, drivers note:

• the system clearly captures stationary objects, but, for example, an animal crossing the road may be poorly distinguishable due to its high speed of movement;
• in difficult meteorological conditions (for example, with fog or rain), the use of Night Vision is impossible;
• controlling the road by the images displayed on the monitor, the motorist will have to look at the screen, and not at the road itself, which is not always convenient.

A night vision device can greatly facilitate driving at night. The most advanced systems will not only take care of the driver's safety, but also warn pedestrians about an approaching vehicle. However, it is important for every motorist to remember that it is impossible to completely rely on devices: the driver must always be concentrated on the road in order to take the necessary measures in time in case of an unforeseen situation and avoid a traffic accident.