Lights, camera, action for last concept SUV of Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz’s latest concept SUV will feature the ultimate boys’ toy, laser headlights that double as film projectors. Under the bonnet of this new concept vehicle sits a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine rated at 155 kW (211 hp).

Its power is transmitted to the road via the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.  A new approach is taken here in the form of headlamps featuring laser technology: these not only shine more light on the road, but also function as projectors. 

These not only provide the light to drive by, but are also capable of projecting pictures or films onto a screen or other surface. Any format that can be operated through COMAND Online can serve as a source: pictures or films from a smartphone, the internet, or from a hard drive. 

Alternatively, the action can be produced live. The Concept GLA is fitted with two cameras, housed in the front roof rail. 

The HD cameras can be removed and, for example, fitted to a mountain bike helmet. An additional lamp unit in each camera ensures that the lighting is right, whatever the situation. As an alternative to the projection option, films may also be viewed inside the car on the COMAND Online screen.

The laser-beam projectors represent far more than simply an academic exercise on the part of the engineers and designers at Mercedes-Benz. As a further enhancement of the head-up display, they could also help to improve road safety: the technology could be used, for example, to project the directional instructions from the navigation system onto the road in the form of arrows. In this way other road users, too, would be able to see where a driver is heading.