Will there be laser aux driving lamps?

Sadden

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My main question becomes..

Will we see a high quality laser based aftermarket driving light come down the pipe. It must be nearly inevitable at this point. If so will the system used be standardized or will it be like leds where everyone does something different..
 

-Virgil-

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Probably not for awhile (multiple years) and probably not for anything like a price point that's within reach of most drivers. If/when it does eventually happen, it'll probably be a unitized system without a replaceable light source.
 

Sadden

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I imagine we will see the aftermarket flood with garbage first here in the coming years.
 

SubLGT

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SoraaLaser has some 7mm x 7mm laser modules that might find their way into aux lamps. But it won't be cheap.

http://www.ledsmagazine.com/article...es-will-be-key-to-the-future-of-lighting.html

...We at SoraaLaser have developed a white light module using a reflective approach in which the diode laser pumps a small phosphor chip, which emits up to 500 lm of white light from a 300-μm spot……. Laser-based white light sources have very high luminance values (1000 cd/mm2) relative to LEDs, so hundreds of lumens can be emitted within a small beam angle (1–2°), allowing for a high degree of optical control using very small optical elements...

A more in depth article:
http://www.archlighting.com/technology/lessons-on-laser-diodes_o
 
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ssanasisredna

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SubLGT

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A Google search did not return any details about the Baja Designs lamp. Do you have a link?

PIAA has a laser lamp in the works:
http://www.piaa.com/laser-light.aspx

...Designed by PIAA with the laser technology provided by Sharp Corporation, we plan to bring the first ever Laser Light to the aftermarket world of accessory lighting….The PIAA Laser light has an array of eight laser diodes that produce a ultra-sharp, long range beam. Using our industry first Reflector Facing Technology, the laser diodes are aimed at a multi-surface reflector, then color filtered through a phosphor plate and finally passed through a micro-domed projector to produce a near perfect pencil beam pattern. Availability and pricing are not yet determined.
 

Sadden

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Baja Designs annoucement here

Had too look up sema dates and then backtrack through their fb timeline too find it.
And, like the rest of their products, won't be worth a nickel, plug or otherwise.

I wont be so quick too judge. If they are bringing in a 3rd part company to help them engineer it then i will wait for objective test results too come in. At this point in time it will take quite a bit of engineering too put a laser based driving light on the market. I dislike piaa as much as everyone else around here. But i wont jump on the hate train until the product is actually fully announced and those more knowledable then i are able too look at it...
 

-Virgil-

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LOL, as they say. I wonder if that's the same "million candlepower" claim that's been pasted all over every $19.95 handheld flashlight or pair of "driving lights" at Wal-Mart for the last thirty years.

Sadden, you're right that we can't judge a product that doesn't exist, but Alaric's also right: PIAA has a long and basically unbroken history of their bark being a lot louder than their bite (a bunch of fancy hype and handwaving...not much substance, performance, or legitimacy to the actual products).
 

Magio

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Good to see Morimoto looking to become a tier 1 supplier. Would have to see actual beam specs but that wall shot looks promising
 

Alaric Darconville

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Good to see Morimoto looking to become a tier 1 supplier.
If they really are going to become one:
They are showcasing this disruptive technology at DVN to highlight their ability to think outside the box and begin making a name for themselves as a Tier 1 supplier.
A Tier 1 to who? Notice they don't say what automaker they're working with. To begin making a name for themselves as a Tier 1 supplier, they need to BE a Tier 1 supplier.

Thinking "outside the box" typically means "making outlandishly hyped, underperforming junk that complies with no standards whatsoever".

Having the words legitimate and Morimoto in the same sentence hurts Hilldweller's head.
Won't last long.
 
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-Virgil-

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Good to see Morimoto looking to become a tier 1 supplier.

OK, first of all, there is no such company as "Morimoto". That's a brand name, not a company. Second of all...says who? I mean on both parts of this: Aside from themselves who says they're going to become a Tier-1 supplier? That takes a huge amount of investment and capabilities and process documentation/control I seriously doubt if TheRetrofitSource has even begun to think about. And aside from themselves (and you), who says it would be a good thing for them to be a Tier-1 supplier? And why, what makes you say so? Would it be good to see Nabisco looking to become a lighting Tier-1, too? How about Wrigley's? Trojan? Marlboro? Budweiser?

Would have to see actual beam specs but that wall shot looks promising

Not really. Just about any light source crammed into a projector will produce a wall shot like this very easily with any camera.

Don't get me wrong; the idea is interesting on its own and holds promise, if they can develop it to the point where it really works (for a complete and legitimate definition of "works"). And I think it is a very good thing that they were able to show themselves at the DVN conference and get some exposure and "face time" with the legitimate players in the automotive lighting field; it shows commitment to straightening up and flying right after years of getting rich by endangering road safety with fraudulent and dangerous trinkets. But it is wayyyyyyyy too early to be applauding them. Wait and see what, if anything comes of this.

I think they're seriously mistaken to think any auto maker or headlamp maker has been dreaming of a product like this for OE usage. If that was the case, it would already exist. LED and Laser-based vehicle lights are just not evolving in this direction. For the aftermarket, yes, maybe this kind of architecture has some promise.

Also let's not forget the extremely stringent mandatory safety measures required for lasers used in any application that could even conceivably result in human exposure to laser radiation. Given TRS' track record of complete, laughing disregard for the safety aspects of vehicle lighting (even perverting the concept by claiming their products increase safety), what is there to make me think they're suddenly going to be all concerned with safety measures that would add cost and complexity, when they can just go sell OMG WAY COOL LASER HEADLIGHT BULBS!!!! to clueless kids in the aftermarket?

I would love to be wrong and have to eat my words, but for now I think the weight of evidence justifies me being skeptical.
 

Hilldweller

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The gorilla in the room with that laser bulb is that they want it to fit into the jiggered retrofitted lamps that they've already sold, not just into legitimate lamps on cars equipped with OE HIDs.

I shared the info with a MOPAR dude this morning. He said "hmmmmmmm....."
 

Sadden

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Are they planning on releasing these laser retrofits for halogen bases or well or just for hid based systems?

Maybe one day there will be a legitimate laser rebased replacement bulb. But im not holding my breath. Because even if there is i dount it will be produced by TRS.
 

SubLGT

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