Car headlights that make rain 'invisible' for drivers are under development and could save lives on the roads, engineers say.
Developers hope their brainchild will reduce the number of accidents by improving visibility for motorists in treacherous conditions so they can effectively see through rain.
The high-tech lights are programmed to detect water droplets and 'dis-illuminate' them as they fall.
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Developers say the smart headlights that can make rain almost invisible could save lives on the roads
HOW THEY WORK
The system uses a camera to track the motion of raindrops and snowflakes and then applies a computer algorithm to predict where those particles will fall a few milliseconds later.
The light projection system then deactivates the light beams that would otherwise illuminate the rain drops and cause a glare for the driver.
At low speeds, their system could eliminate 70 to 80 per cent of visible rain during a heavy storm, while losing only 5 or 6 per cent of the light from the headlamp.
The system is less accurate the faster the car travels.
It means the driver is less distracted and can focus on the road.
The 'See Through Rain' technology works like a projector rather than a traditional single bulb headlight found in today's cars.
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Currently when a beam shines on a dark road during a downpour, it illuminates raindrops which can distract a driver.
The new technology relies on a digital camera to establish a drop's location.
Software then predicts where that drop will fall within the driver's field of view and light rays from the headlight that would usually illuminate it are turned off for an 'imperceptible fraction of a second'.
Intel engineers say the system would eliminate up to 80 per cent of visible rain during a heavy storm
Components of the new system, which include a camera, projector and beamsplitter
This reduces the glare and leaves only the beams of light which travel uninterrupted between the falling rain, snow or hail.
John Tomkins, an engineer at technology firm Intel, said: 'Even though the light is slightly diminished from the headlight (when some rays are switched off), it is being diminished from the areas that would otherwise be distracting to the driver.
'When you eliminate the reflection from the rain, then you are able to see through the rain and see the road much more clearly.
'I would hope this could save lives on the roads though obviously the rain is still hitting your windscreen.'
In the worst thunder storm, a motorist in a car travelling at around 20mph would notice a 70% improvement in visibility using the prototype developed by Intel and Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, USA.
The system becomes less accurate at faster speeds but creators say it would still have a marked improvement on visibility.
Developers hope the technology could be fitted in cars within a decade.
The research has been developed by Intel and academics at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science.
Headlights work out which rain drops NOT to reflect off
