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Headlamp performance has changed in the last 20 years significantly. Sealed beam lamps were replaced by VHAD, VOR and VOL types, but still the optical input in terms of tungsten filament based luminous flux remained more stable. With Xenon discharge lamps and now LED the performance of a headlamp may vary strongly and thus the optical performance. Various rating systems have been developed to assess the quality of lamps and light distribution, some based on laboratory based data, some based on static or dynamic street test drives with online measurements and assessments. Basic interest is to understand the performance of the light for a real driver. This article will discuss the influence parameters on achieving a repeatable and precise rating as well as the outer influence that creates glare and varying seeing distance. Mostly mechanical headlamp and car conditioning will influence the result as well as human factors like aiming precision and aiming tolerances.

The introduction of innovative new technologies is related to aspects of safety and to human factors as comfort level and visual appearance. The intelligent headlamp system that is currently being developed allows the combination of the different aspects of driving comfort and safety. The top performing headlamp generations of the future will be the successors of the today’s standard low beam. By using the sensor information available in the car, the light distribution will be adapted to different driving situations and generate an optimized light distribution. Relaxed and safe driving is the goal. Investigations concerning adaptive headlamps are presented. Highway, country road, curves and turning situations are examined by investigating detection distances of standard objects and by rating safety and comfort. Photometric measurements rating glare effects during curve road driving for different headlamp control algorithms are carried out.