Contemplating BMW's 2008 round headlight design
February 2009
All part can be considered being part of the entire headlight design when looking at BMW's headlight.
Parts can be considered to solely be needed because of the function the headlight needs to fulfil, i.e. providing a well-lit road for safe driving at night.
The light bulbs used within BMW's headlight can be considered as part of the design and therefore are shaped the way they are.
There is no difference between aesthetics and design.
At some point a BMW designer must choose functionality and quality of the headlight over design.
In the past it occurred that a BMW designer agreed on leaving out some design parts/issues to get a better functionality.
The decision to leave out certain design issues in favour of functional issues is a wise decision.
It has been proven during collision testing of BMW cars that headlight design issues can cause additional danger.
Headlight design issue are not limited to a certain type of BMW.
There has been headlight designs that were chosen because it added to the overall functional quality of the headlight.
All collision tests are performed at the same location till this very day.
In the past there were times that it was needed to pay special attention to the design of BMW's headlight and car safety.
There is equipment that can test the positive and negative impact the headlight design has on a collision.
There are headlight design issue that contribute to the safety of the BMW driver and at the same time has a negative impact on the object that the BMW driver is running into.
A few of those design issues can still be maintained if the BMW's round headlight designer simply alters the design just a little bit.
A BMW designer chooses certain material to design the headlight with.
There are materials that allow for very good headlight design but cannot be used.
There are materials known to BMW designers that allow for very good headlight designs but have certain characteristics that momentarily are unsafe for it to be used for headlight design.
There are two materials for headlight design which have a negative characteristic on the overall safety of the BMW car, but when mounted two centimetres apart from each other their negative characteristics will be eliminated.
When the negative characteristic of a material cannot neutralise the negative characteristic of the other one, it is also possible to use a third material that will neutralise both negative characteristics at the same time.
Inside the BMW headlight there are locations where material with certain negative characteristic can be placed.
Some parts of the BMW headlight are solely a part of engineering and not a part of the overall design.
People being scared to be made fun of or not being taken serious, because they mention the word "creative".
You need people management to allow creativity to be used to make great looking BMW cars.
At BMW there have been designers that were too funny to be taken seriously as a designer, even though they made great designs.
Creativity frightens people not because of its meaning but because it is a challenge to get creative.
BMW cars of the past and their most important design issues.
BMW's headlight design is mentioned in many lists that are about headlight design.
Headlight design has become an important design issue in BMW's car design, a selling issue so to say.
The names of the BMW engineers of the past that were responsible of the headlight design of public BMW cars are not remembered these days.
In the past buyers of BMW cars also paid attention to the headlight design prior to their purchase.
The most important design issues that were addressed in the past was done so by car journalists.
In the past the buyers of BMW cars many times had jobs that made them having to drive many miles at night, hence, these buyers paid more attention to the quality of the headlight of the BMW car.
BMW headlights being discussed when e.g. two salesmen would meet in a restaurant after a night long drive.
Car headlight design conversations will be most frequent during rainy weather and dark conditions.
In daylight situations the headlight design is not being paid any attention.
In the past BMW drivers have contacted BMW to improve the headlight design the goal being to make the BMW car better looking.
BMW owners who lived in regions where they are often confronted with bad visibility weather were the first BMW drivers to contact BMW about the headlight design.
Not always were the headlight design issues of BMW owners presented to the responsible BMW headlight designer.
In those days there was a clear distinction between the BMW designers and what each of them had to design.
There are cases where the information from the BMW drivers who proposed new headlight designs were thrown away because the BMW drivers were considered to have a lower status than the BMW designers.
BMW drivers who drove the 24h of Le Mans in the past were more open to headlight design improvements than BMW itself.
Nowadays BMW's round headlight designers spent lots of time at the racetrack of Le Mans to improve and come up with new ideas for future headlight design.
The most important feature of a BMW headlight when it is applied in a race car that is used to drive the 24h of Le Mans is that is does its job well for 24 hours.
The sponsors of that race car also agree that that is the most important feature car during the 24h of Le Mans.
It should not be that the sticker of a sponsor is obstructing important features of the headlight to work properly.
The round lighted circle in the headlight, on top of this pages, makes that it is suitable for headlight of BMW race car.
This round lighted circle will be good for all corners on the racetrack of Le Mans.
Spectators at Le Mans will not become dizzy from the round lighted circle.
During the Le Mans race spectators can become dizzy from the round lighted circle if its colour is slightly shifted.
The amount of light that the round lighted circle must produce considering the visibility of advertising posters in the corners of the Le Mans racetrack.
The effect of the lit round circle on the advertising posters also depend on the material that is used to construct the advertising posters with.
The same goes for the material that is used to create the flags of the spectators with.
The effect of the lit round circle when its light is falling on the clothes of the marshals.
The effect should be even better when light of the round lighted circle falls on the flags the marshals.
There should be a clear effect of the round lighted circle when its light hits the black flag during night-time at Le Mans.
It is not all about the amount of light that is produced by the round lighted circle that makes that the black flag being clearly distinguished by the driver at night.
Weather influences at night-time and daytime also need to be looked at when it comes to the round lighted circle providing the driver to be seen clearly in such conditions.
The round circle that is used in the BMW headlight of a normal BMW production car needs to be adjusted for the race car driver to have clear visibility at night at Le Mans.
Solutions regarding the windshield that result in a clearer view when looking through the windshield at night than is the case with normal BMW production cars.
Fighter pilots and their windshields that would allow them to have clearer visibility during night or dusk situations.
Military planes have chemicals applied in their windshields that give the fighter pilot better visibility during the night and dusk situations.
There are always negative effects of using such chemicals.
One of those negative effects are that bright flashes are enhanced in such way that the pilot can temporarily be blinded.
The BMW race car driver has a margin that would allow for this temporarily blindness to occur when driving the race car when the same fighter jet windshield is used within the race ca.
In some parts of the circuit the driver does not have the margin for temporarily blindness to occur.
On the strait of the circuit the driver has the margin for temporarily blindness to occur.
It is possible to use the chemicals from the windshield, used in the fighter jet, to make the round circle in BMW's headlight produce a better light to see in the dark.
The effect of these chemicals during a collision test with such a headlight needs to be done.
The long-term effect of such chemicals need to be known to avoid a claim in the future.
The chemicals are not to be affected by other parts of the headlight during the race.
There are things that can be found on the public road that a BMW driver can encounter that cannot be encountered by a BMW racing driver on a race circuit.
Things that can be found on the public road can cause danger when it gets in contact with the chemical from the windshield that is implemented in the round circle of the headlight.
This chemical can respond to blinking on and off the bright light of the headlight.
In a way it must made possible that a chemical injected in the round lighted circle of the headlight can cause a temporarily brightness that can be used by the race car driver.
Care needs to be taken for the chemical not to reside too long inside the round lighted circle, this to avoid unwanted effects.
Chemical reactions can make sure that the injected chemical is only active temporarily, meaning active for a save period.
If a refill of the chemical that is to be injected in the round lighted circle is needed, the time span that for a refill should be short.
Hazards around chemicals in general need to looked into. Regulation does apply.
If the chemical to be injected is a hazarders chemical, looking for a non-hazarders alternative for this chemical would be the best next thing.
The possibilities that such chemicals can be replaced by environmental friendly chemicals. If not by one perhaps a combination of two environmental friendly chemicals will do.
It has already been thought about replacing the material of which the round lighted circle is made by such material that a non-hazard chemical can be used.
It does not solely depend on the material that the round lighted circle is made of that a hazard chemical must be used.
Mind other materials in BMW's headlight that could influence the hazard chemical that must be used.
Physical processes inside the headlight might dictate the use of a hazard chemical.
Normally there are no chemical processes taking place in BMW headlights.
Some of the physical processes can be altered without degrading the quality of the BMW headlight.
If looked to current environmental friendly cars nowadays, the kind of materials used to construct the headlight of these cars with is different than from ordinary cars.
The physical and chemical processes in environmental headlights are the same as in conventional headlights.
The headlights of concept cars tell about the innovative usage of new materials which can be used in headlight construction.
The headlight's function on concept cars is the same as it is on conventional cars.
There is a strategic benefit that artificial light can give to the performance of a race car driver at Le Mans.
Not all artificial light needed by a race car driver can be produced by a BMW headlight.
Toyota headlight produce great artificial light at Le mans.
If BMW's headlight cannot produce the artificial light that is needed by the race car driver then the only way to compensate for that is to use more headlights.
When the race car driver needs more light from its BMW headlight on some parts of the track he cannot wait for fellow BMW race cars to come along side and lit the way before continuing.
A flashlight like a Maglite would be a suitable option to enhance BMW's headlight production.
One main advantage is that the Maglite can be mounted in the race car in such a way that is shines in a direction that cannot be achieved by the headlight in the race car.
The main direction that a race car headlight is shining to is to the front, i.e. not always the direction a race car driver is looking to.
In corner situations a BMW driver is experiencing the limits of the direction in which his headlight is shining.
A BMW driver of the road car being interviewed about situations where the limitation regarding the direction in which the BMW headlights can shine.
The main objective of the BMW headlight on road cars are different than the objective of the BMW rear light.
The main objective of the BMW headlight that will be mounted on the Mercedes Benz trucks soon.
A BMW headlight that is reaching its limitation.
Headlight aspects are also related to the speed the BMW car is driven with.
There is a clear connection between the speed and the amount of light the BMW headlight needs to produce.
The way shock absorbers are working affect the performance of the BMW headlight.
At a certain angle the BMW light start to lose its performing capabilities for the BMW driver.
There are certain corners that the BMW headlight has most difficulty with to uphold the drivers wishes with respect to the direction in which the headlights should shine.
From a headlight point of view there is no main difference between a BMW road car and a BMW race car.
A new construction is needed to make the whole BMW headlight being able to turn slightly when considering a BMW road car.
It can be of strategic importance to also construct a rear light for a BMW race car that can turn.
Strategic advantages made possible by a headlight that can turn will be approved by the FIA.
In certain daylight conditions it can also be wise use rear light that can turn.
The turning of the BMW headlight can be done by the driver itself but also automatically.
For a headlight to turn automatically sensors are required.
In some situations it is important that even though the BMW driver is turning the steering wheel his focus will be straight ahead and not sideways.
During rainy conditions on the racetrack it would be good to have a rear light that automatically turns.
Instead of a head light or rear light to turn completely, a head- and rear light with light bulbs that are already mounted in such a way that they are pointing in sideways directions.
These sideways placed light bulbs be activated can then be activated depending on the type of corner the race car driver is in.
On a public road actions should be taken that people on the side walk are not blinded by these sideways mounted light bulbs.
These sideways placed light bulbs should also be activated when the driver will switch on the most powerful light performance of the BMW headlight.
New opportunities can be created as being part of the flashy car scene when considering the sideways mounted light bulbs.
The best financial results for the BMW Corporation when considering the markets that these sideways mounted light bulbs can be launched in.
There are car manufacturers that are already present in scenes where flashy car items are in demand.
The bicycle market will also have interest in the smaller version of the sideways located light bulbs, e.g. ATB sports bikes that are being used in the woods.
A strategic benefit of a headlight is that when mounted in a BMW race car it will point in to the direction of the best line the race car driver can steer to set the fastest lap.
There is not only one fastest line when considering a race circuit. Each race team picks that line on the circuit that is most suitable for their race car.
Even if each race team picks the line that is considered to give the fastest lap, they also need to have the proper race car and equal setup make use of this ideal racing line.
The light that is needed being produced by BMW's headlight that will mark the fastest line on the circuit during daytime, e.g. sunny weather.
Coloured light can be used for this.
It can be that a few rounder lighted circles must be used to be able for the BMW headlight to indicate the fastest line on the circuit.
If it is not possible to highlight the fastest lap directly on the tarmac of the race circuit, it should be made possible to mount the round lighted circles in such a way that the light they produce come together at some focus point and some distance above the tarmac of the racetrack, i.e. creating a light point in front of the race car.
Is it really needed that the BMW race car driver is continually been "told" where the fastest line of the racetrack lies, i.e. in all weather conditions.
Highlighting the racing line is a great feature in full moon conditions and in forest areas.
When equipping the BMW race car with headlights that can focus the racing line care should be taken not to create negative effects in nearby cities.
Let's say BMW will develop round lighted circles for within the headlight that help the race car driver locate the fastest line on the circuit, then that system can be used on all racetracks.
Sand that is blown over the racetrack of Abu Dhabi may affect usability of the round lighted circles that can highlight the fastest line on the racetrack, i.e. negative light reflections.
It can be good to only highlight the fastest line on the circuit on some parts of the racetrack.
Light that is also visible during daytime.
There are organisms on Earth that can distinguish between different kind of light during day time,
The BMW Corporation need to implement some of a lion's eye functionality in the round lighted circle for it to produce light that can be seen by the race car driver during daytime.
If not implemented in the round lighted circle of the headlight, instead implementing it in the race car driver's visor of his helmet.
Using a round lighted circle in the left headlight that produces a different colour than the round lighted circle which is used in the right headlight in such a way that when the light beams from these two round lighted circle cross their colours will be mixed into a new colour in the centre point of that crossing creating a concentrated light spot that is visible during daytime.
Parts of the racetrack that are very well visible at night-time when light falls on it.
Some parts of the racetrack that need a special light to fall on it to be better seen during daytime.
Sunlight that is reflected by an office building's window is visible on the pavement.
Material in the office window makes the sunlight reflect in such a way that the exact shape of that window is formed when the reflected sunlight hits the pavement.
Such material can be used in BMW's headlight to reflect sunlight in such a way that the fastest line on a racetrack can be highlighted during daytime races.
The possibilities of catching sunlight that is falling on the race car to be diverted to the headlight and from the headlight on to the racetrack.
The solution can also be small strong reflecting mirror in the headlight that reflects the sunlight.
Imitating sunlight within the BMW headlight, not with a light bulb but with a laser.
If not a laser, perhaps a strong LED can be used.
Consider the amount of energy that is needed to power both, i.e. the laser and the LED.
Light from another light source falling on the mirror in BMW's headlight.
It that case a second reflection can be generated on the racetrack besides the original.
The race car driver being distracted by the second reflection on the racetrack.
The original reflection of the BMW headlight must be made in such a way that even if there were five reflections on the racetrack the BMW driver can keep focus on the reflection from his own BMW headlight.
The shape of the mirror being in such a way that the shape of the reflection on the racetrack is displayed in such a form that the BMW race car driver will not be disturbed by the reflections of other race cars their reflections or any other light source for that matter.
In Concentrating Solar Power plants mirrors are used to reflect light from the sun. A smaller version of such a mirror used within BMW's headlight.
The manufacturers of the mirrors used within Concentrating Solar Power plants delivering their powerful mirrors to BMW Racing.
Vibration of a mirror inside the BMW headlight must be overcome.
In Formula 1 the mirrors of F1 cars are mounted in such a way that rear view mirror hardly vibrates.
Light coming from a laser or a LED is highly concentrated light. Vibrating concentrated light will show a sharp-edged vibrating projection.
The concentrated light of a laser or LED might prove to damage the racetrack.
Other influences that a headlight in a BMW race car is exposed to on a racetrack are e.g. G-forces, Hail and rain on the headlight when the race car is top speeding on the straight.
Hail can cause a resonating vibration that can damage the LED but also the laser.
Features on a racetrack that can cause distracting light patterns or light shapes when these features are lightened by the light from the laser or the LED.
Situations created in the lab always are no hundred percent guaranty the test results are the same as when the test would be performed on the racetrack itself.
There are racetracks that have the same light frequencies that are produced by the laser.
Light that is present on a racetrack at night, e.g. the light that is coming from a nearby city, manipulated in such a way that when it is reflected by the mirror in the BMW headlight it will assist the race driver.
Light that is present on a racetrack at night, e.g. the light that is coming from a nearby city, manipulated in such a way that it will get the same frequencies as of the laser that is used in the BMW headlight.
The effect when reflected light from a laser or the LED falls onto the eye of a rabbit, which is crossing the racetrack, just in front the BMW race car.
Rabbits do not simply run away for every light at night.
Reflected light from the laser or LED falls on the eye of a spectator.
safety stickers should be put on the BMW headlight when it contains the solution of the mirror combined with a laser or a LED.
The things one can do with the energy that houses inside a laser beam, e.g. igniting fuel.
When a building is renovated sometimes a laser is used to clean the brick walls. The result when the reflected light from the laser of the LED from the BMW headlight is reflected on the brick walls of a building.
Light from the laser or the LED falling on to the rear of the race car in front during e.g. the line up on the grid.
The amount of energy that can be found on that spot where the reflected lights from two cars come together.
Considering the oil and fuel that can be found on the surface of the racetrack and the energy within reflected laser light from the BMW headlight, is a cause for concern on a summer's day.
A BMW race car being launched into the air, e.g. by going over the curves and the reflected light from the laser falling onto a spectator's eye.
Many spectators wear sunglasses during races. The effect of the sunglasses being that the reflected light from the laser or LED is being even more concentrated by the sunglasses before falling on to a spectator's eye.
Objects alongside a racetrack that can have an even more concentrating effect on the reflected light from the laser or the LED.
The odds that when the BMW race car has its light turned on inside the racing truck and a highly reflective object inside the racing truck is reflecting the light that is coming from the BMW headlight in an even stronger concentrated reflected light which can blind one of the mechanics which is helping unloading the car.
Objects alongside a race circuit that do reflect the light from the laser or the LED but of which the reflection is weakened by daylight. At night-time, it is a different story.
The temperature of the mirror inside the BMW headlight being influenced in such a way that the desired reflection on the tarmac of the racetrack gets its desired brightness.
Such temperature control can be a solution when considering the circumstances the driver is experiencing at night and during day time.
The minimum time that is needed for the mirror inside the BMW headlight to reach a certain temperature.
On one part of the circuit the temperature of the mirror must be high and on the following corner the temperature must be lower.
By applying a mirror together with a laser or a LED in the BMW headlights will cause the entire weight of the headlight to be heavier.
If weight would not be an issue at all in the BMW race car then the best material for the mirror solution should be used.
A BMW road car does not have to be as light as a race car so heavier material for the mirror solution can be used.
It can be an advantage with respect to the performance of the BMW road cars that the weight of the headlight is increasing since the weight on the front of the car will increase consequently.
The power steering does not have to be adjusted when applying the BMW headlights with the mirror solution in them, i.e. a slightly heavier front of the car.
There is no effect of the round lighted circle with respect to the front weight of the car.
The number of round lighted circles that must be used in the headlight for the headlight to reach a weight level that does matter, is quite high.
There is a weight level of the BMW headlight that will cause problems for the breaks of the race car, but that weight will not be reached.
The effect on the rear of the race car when breaking hard in a corner when the race car is equipped with the heavier BMW headlight which contains the mirror solution.
The rear and front suspension do not require adjustment when using the heavier BMW headlight with the mirror solution.
There are several materials known that prevent reflection of light, concentrated light or not. On the walls of movie theatres is one such location where that kind of material is used.
The windows in the pit rooms and glass walls in the pit lane should be covered with that transparent non-reflecting material.
There is no chance that when non-reflecting material is put on those windows it will have a concentrating effect on the other side of the window.
Making non-reflecting material non-reflective, it is an art.
Non-reflective material is used on the Space Shuttle.
Non-reflective material is used on the Space Shuttle to protect its mechanical construction.
Non-reflective material is used on the space suits of the astronauts.
It is necessary that the visor of an astronaut's helmet is covered with non-reflective material.
The location where non-reflective material is installed matters, especially when it comes to an astronaut's visor.
The light that an astronaut is exposed to is not of the same frequency that is produced by the laser or the LED in the BMW headlight.
The time and intensity that the non-reflective material on the astronaut's visor is exposed to.
There is a frequency of light that the non-reflective material on the astronaut's visor can meet after which immediate replacement of the non-reflective layer is required.
Astronauts have no safety measures within the helmet in case the non-reflective material fails, other than not looking directly into bright light.
If the helmet of the BMW race car driver is compared with the helmet of the astronaut it can be said that there is little resemblance between the two.
The race car driver using the visor of the astronaut.
The visibility of the race car driver during bright sunny days with the astronaut's visor on its helmet.
The shadows will be more difficult through an astronaut's visor.
An astronaut's visor implemented in the race car driver's helmet provides new possibilities.
The race car driver opening its visor to rub its eyes or to scratch his nose. An astronaut does not have that option.
The reflection from the mirror, inside the BMW headlight, being transported on to the race car driver's visor.
Now that the mirror is focused on the driver's visor, the mirror and the laser or the LED do not have to be mounted in the BMW headlight but can mounted on the dashboard of the race car. Both can also be less power too.
Not using a reflection of any kind but instead use a small LCD screen on which the fastest line on the racetrack is constantly displayed.
The best focus point for a driver during the racing is somewhere near the steering wheel and somewhere near the edge of the front of the car.
Use both systems to indicate the fastest lap on the race circuit so both the LCD screen and the mirrors with a laser or a LED in the BMW headlight.
Indicating the fastest line on the racetrack not with an LCD screen but with a stroke of LEDs on the hood near the windshield.
The LEDs in the stroke will not light up all together at once but instead only two LEDs will be visible at the same time, one LED indicating the position of the fastest line on the racetrack and the other is the position of the race car relative to the fastest line.
Whatever system is used to show the race car driver the fastest line on the circuit, there is a chance that the driver will start to be focused on the indicator of the fastest line and not the track itself.
The round lighted circle of the BMW headlight is now the same colour as when the headlight is fully switched on.
The colour of the round lighted circle is somehow limited from a technical point of view.
The appearance of the round lighted circle affect the look of the front of the car.
Shades of green light instead of yellow or white light can be chosen for the round lighted circle.
It is possible to make the round lighted circle come alive by showing multiple colours of green moving through the round lighted circle.
Besides the colour of the light one can also think about painting black dots on the outer shell of the round lighted circle to enhance the optical effect.
Black dots on the outer shell of the round lighted circle and green light will make it appear like a tropical slug crawling is crawling inside the round lighted circle.
The overall effect of moving light can be made more eye-catching by adding a bit of bright green and bright yellow, i.e. light and not paint.
If the light bulb or the light bulbs that are now used in the round lighted circle are not enough to create the slug effect, multiple LEDs should be used.
If it is needed to highlight the slug appearance with bright yellow or bright red then then smaller LEDs should be used for this, i.e. besides the bigger LEDs.
Besides making use of smaller LEDs to enhance the slug appearance also the brightness of the smaller LEDs can be used to enhance any effect.
For a customer is must be possible to choose the colours he wants for the slug and the colour he wants for the dots on the body of the slug.
Once seated inside the BMW the driver needs to be able to control the brightness he wants to use for the dots on the slug.
A customer needs to be able to choose if he wants one slug in the round lighted circle or multiple.
Software is needed to activate the LEDs in the round lighted circle in such a way that multiple slugs seem to be moving within.
The circular speed of the slugs also should be a variable which the can be adjusted by BMW driver. Likewise, the direction of each slug is moving.
Through software it is possible to create the functionality that the slug seems to move from the left round lighted circle to round lighted circle in the right headlight.
Careful, young children might get scared when seeing the moving slugs in the BMW headlight. Not to forget people the effect it might have on people sensitive for getting an epileptic seizure.
Nice freaking headlights require a beautiful paintjob of the BMW car to go with it, e.g. the whole paintjob on the BMW car making the front of the car, including the slug headlights, appearing as the head of a python.
Careful, the attitude of the BMW driver can enhance any negative and aggressive effect the slug headlights have on people.
The BMW driver wearing similar coloured snake-like eye contact lenses as the headlights of his BMW.
Car shows are one of such places where the BMW slug headlights will make a stunning marketing aspect of the BMW car.
Nowadays there are tires that produce a coloured smoke when the wheels are spinning.
The round lighted circle being made as a modular ring that can easily be replaced.
It is possible to continue on this subject but for now it ends here.