New perspectives: Bosch night-vision system lights up the darkness

Up to now, only cats or hunters with night sights have been able to see in the dark. Now, thanks to the night-vision system, drivers can also see clearly at night. This latest innovation from Bosch improves driving safety at night, in poor weather conditions, and when dazzled by oncoming traffic.

The system comprises two infrared headlights, a video camera, and a display. The night-vision system makes obstacles, the road ahead, and traffic situations clearly visible over a great distance. With a range of more than 150 meters, the infrared light reaches four times as far as traditional low-beam lights. As infrared light is invisible to the human eye, it does not dazzle oncoming traffic. A special camera mounted on the top edge of the windshield films the section of the road ahead that is illuminated by the infrared light. It “sees” what drivers miss with their bare eyes, transmitting the traffic status in the form of a high-resolution black-and-white picture shown on the display in the cockpit. This allows early recognition of dangerous situations lurking in the darkness, and gives drivers more time to react. All this thanks to electronics – with its night-vision enhancement system, Bosch makes the road at night safer for drivers, passengers, and other road users.


The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal 2005, some 251,000 associates generated sales of 41.5 billion euros. Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering,” the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of more than 280 subsidiaries and more than 12,000 Bosch service centers in over 140 countries.

The special ownership structure of the Bosch Group guarantees its financial independence and entrepreneurial freedom. It makes it possible for the company to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future, as well as to do justice to its social responsibility in a manner reflective of the spirit and will of its founder. 92 % of the shares of Robert Bosch GmbH are held by the charitable foundation Robert Bosch Stiftung. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

Contact Information

Thomas Knoll

Research and Advance Engineering

Bosch Group

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