????讓今天的汽車不同于過去廉價(jià)小汽車的,，是一系列創(chuàng)新技術(shù)的應(yīng)用,，車前燈技術(shù)便是其中一種。最開始使用的是傳統(tǒng)鹵素?zé)襞?，之后出現(xiàn)了氙氣燈,，直至今天，發(fā)光二極管（LED）車燈已經(jīng)成了數(shù)款豪華車時(shí)尚與特色的代名詞,。

????通過激光前照燈的使用,，德國(guó)奧迪公司（Audi）又將汽車技術(shù)向前推進(jìn)了一小步。這次在消費(fèi)電子展上發(fā)布的車燈,，光照強(qiáng)度約為奧迪現(xiàn)有LED車燈的三倍,，照射距離能夠達(dá)到五個(gè)足球場(chǎng)的長(zhǎng)度。

????奧迪及其母公司大眾汽車公司（Volkswagen AG）最高技術(shù)主管烏爾里奇?哈肯貝格說：“我們將是第一個(gè)量產(chǎn)激光車燈的品牌”,。奧迪2014年勒芒耐力賽的參賽車型將會(huì)裝配激光車燈,。

????哈肯貝格是在拉斯維加斯的消費(fèi)電子展（Consumer Electronics Show）上說這番話的。這個(gè)展會(huì)如今已經(jīng)逐漸成為汽車制造商展示前沿汽車電子技術(shù)的舞臺(tái),。哈肯貝格提到,，“我們有一支由10，000名工程師組成的技術(shù)隊(duì)伍”,。

????德國(guó)寶馬汽車公司（BMW）是奧迪在豪華轎車領(lǐng)域的主要競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手之一,，它也在開發(fā)激光車燈技術(shù)，還有可能將這項(xiàng)技術(shù)用在它旗下的i系列電動(dòng)汽車上,。激光車燈的光并非來自激光本身,，而是一些發(fā)磷光物質(zhì)被激光激發(fā)而產(chǎn)生的光。對(duì)于某些消費(fèi)者來說,，好的電子配件會(huì)比高燃油效率更有吸引力,。

????哈肯貝格說，他確信這次發(fā)布的激光車燈系統(tǒng)會(huì)得到監(jiān)管部門的批準(zhǔn),。此前,，奧迪的矩陣LED大燈（Matrix LED）因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)法規(guī)上的障礙而在美國(guó)遭遇禁令（美國(guó)上世紀(jì)60年代發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)法規(guī)規(guī)定，汽車遠(yuǎn)光燈必須有開關(guān)控制打開和關(guān)閉）,，因此即使矩陣LED大燈的技術(shù)先進(jìn)性一目了然,，也得遵從法規(guī)的規(guī)定。但是哈肯貝格說,，奧迪未來會(huì)將矩陣LED車燈“用于更多的車型,，賣到更多的國(guó)家，其中包括美國(guó)”,。2012年美式橄欖球超級(jí)碗（2012 Super Bowl）比賽中,，奧迪曾將矩陣LED車燈作為一個(gè)亮點(diǎn)，在A8豪華轎車廣告中加以展示,。

????奧迪在全球共招募了10,，000名工程師。憑借強(qiáng)大的技術(shù)力量作后盾,，奧迪一直在努力吸引顧客購(gòu)買自己的高檔車型,。在某些系列的車型中，奧迪用以吸引顧客的恰恰是一些新奇的技術(shù),，而不是常規(guī)的優(yōu)勢(shì),，新穎的樣式，也不是更強(qiáng)勁的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)性能等,。

????奧迪電子產(chǎn)品研發(fā)部門主管里基?胡迪說,，奧迪公司正在改進(jìn)所謂的自動(dòng)駕駛輔助系統(tǒng)。一些人認(rèn)為,，以自動(dòng)駕駛輔助系統(tǒng)作為先驅(qū),，不遠(yuǎn)的未來會(huì)產(chǎn)生能夠自動(dòng)駕駛或接近自動(dòng)駕駛的車輛。

????谷歌公司（Google）正在開發(fā)用于商業(yè)用途的無人駕駛車輛系統(tǒng),。與谷歌的大膽形成對(duì)比的是,，奧迪和其它汽車制造商還不敢明確制訂這樣的目標(biāo)。雖然他們承認(rèn),，經(jīng)過艱苦研發(fā),，無人駕駛車輛的實(shí)現(xiàn)是有可能的。

????“某些特定情況下,，新開發(fā)的系統(tǒng)能夠接管駕駛?cè)蝿?wù)”,，胡迪說?！斑@一功能讓駕駛變得更加舒適,、安全。但無論怎樣,，方向盤還得由駕駛者自己控制,。”

????在奧迪“堵車輔助系統(tǒng)”的展示中,，試駕員在汽車低速前進(jìn)時(shí),，可以將雙手從方向盤上拿開。此時(shí)汽車仍能保持在原先的車道,，還能按要求剎車或加速,，確保能跟著前面的車移動(dòng),，并保持預(yù)定的距離。奧迪還沒有這個(gè)系統(tǒng)投入商用,。

????奧迪的這個(gè)“堵車輔助系統(tǒng)”目前還不夠完善,，它的自動(dòng)駕駛還需要司機(jī)時(shí)不時(shí)加以修正。但奧迪的工程師們表示,，他們并不擔(dān)心這些小問題,，因?yàn)樗鼈儠?huì)被減少到最低水平，最終這個(gè)系統(tǒng)在幾年之內(nèi)就可推向市場(chǎng),。

????奧迪在豪華轎車行業(yè)的技術(shù)領(lǐng)袖中率先圈出了自己的領(lǐng)地,，此舉掀起的一輪技術(shù)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)造就了很多不可思議的新功能。第一次駕駛這些新式車輛的人會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),，這些新功能的效果相當(dāng)驚人,。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：朱毓芬/汪皓??

????Among the innovative technologies that distinguish today's cars from the flivvers of yesteryear are headlights. Conventional halogen bulbs begat xenon which begat LED (light emitting diodes), now all the rage and featured in several luxury models.

????Audi is stepping things up a notch with laser light headlamps. The advanced system is roughly three times as powerful as the German automaker's current LED and will be able to project light the length of about five football fields.

????"We will be the first brand to put laser lights into production," said Ulrich Hackenberg, top technical executive for Audi and its parent, Volkswagen AG (VLKPY). Audi's entry in the 2014 LeMans endurance race will be equipped with the lamps.

????Hackenberg was speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, increasingly a venue that automakers are using to display cutting-edge electronic technologies used in cars. He referred to "my team of 10,000 engineers."

????BMW, one of Audi's German archrivals in the luxury space, also is developing laser light technology, likely for use on its i-series electric vehicles. The light comes from phosphorescent material excited by the lasers, rather from the lasers themselves. For some consumers, a car's electronic gadgetry can be a bigger draw than fuel efficiency.

????Hackenberg said he is confident the laser light system will meet with regulatory approval. Audi's Matrix LED headlamp system, featured in an advertisement for the A8 luxury sedan during the 2012 Super Bowl, so far has been banned in the U.S. due to a regulatory hangup (a 1960s-era regulation that requires high-beams to be switchable on and off), despite its apparent technical sophistication. He added that Matrix LEDs, will become "available in even more Audi models and more countries, including the U.S."

????Audi, employing 10,000 engineers worldwide, has been pushing to attract customers to its upscale models by dint of technical wizardry in a number of categories other than the usual, styling, and engine performance.

????Ricky Hudi, head of Audi's electronic research and development, said the company is refining so-called piloted driving systems, which some regard as precursors to cars of the not-too-distant future that can drive -- or very nearly drive -- themselves.

????In contrast to Google (GOOG), which is working to create a driverless vehicle system for commercial use, Audi and other automakers are more circumspect about defining such a goal, even though they concede it's a possible outcome of research and development efforts.

????"The new systems will take over the driving in certain situations," said Hudi, "making it more comfortable and safer. Nevertheless, it always remains the driver's choice to turn over the wheel."

????In a demonstration of "traffic jam assist," an Audi system not yet offered commercially, a test driver was able to take his hands off the wheel at low speeds. The vehicle remained in its lane, following the car in front of it at a predetermined distance, braking and accelerating as required.

????But the "traffic jam assist" isn't yet foolproof, occasionally requiring correction from the driver. Audi engineers said they weren't worried that glitches would be reduced to a minimal level, allowing the system to be introduced within a few years.

????Audi has staked out territory among the technology leaders in luxury automobiles, stoking a competition that's producing unimaginable features. For anyone who drives these up-to-date cars for the first time, the effect will be quite startling.