Opel Experiments with AI-Powered Lighting
The setup helps cars “talk” to the world around them.By Natalie NeffPublished: Sep 23, 2025 2:50 PM EDT
Save Article
Opel
Headlights used to be simple: two beams pointed forward, maybe some fog lamps for bad weather. Opel thinks they can do a lot more.
The German brand, part of Stellantis, is testing how AI-powered lighting systems might one day let cars “communicate” more clearly with pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers.
Related Stories
The project, demonstrated on an Opel Grandland concept, blends adaptive headlights with new materials and AI recognition software. The idea is that the car could project cues or highlight hazards—say, pulsing light to warn a pedestrian in a crosswalk, or glowing door panels to remind a driver not to swing into a passing cyclist. Opel is even looking at using electrochromic materials inside the cabin so surfaces themselves can light up as warnings.
There’s also a visibility angle. Opel has shown how external camera feeds could be projected inside the car, giving drivers a better sense of what’s in a blind spot. Combined with AI software trained to recognize humans, animals, or obstacles in low light, the car’s headlights are transformed into a whole communication system.Opel
While other automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volvo, have all experimented with using lighting as a communication tool, Opel’s use of AI helps to automate when different lighting modes, techniques, and messaging is needed.
As cars take on more of the “responsibility” of driving, they’ll also need better ways to “talk” to the people in and around them. Opel’s experiments suggest the conversation might start with light.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.
Ford Updates Its BlueCruise Hands-Free System
The improvements include better speed stability in curves, which Ford says should benefit truck drivers the most.By Natalie NeffPublished: Sep 23, 2025 12:33 PM EDTSave Article
Ford
Ford’s hands-free driving system, BlueCruise, is getting a boost—particularly beneficial for current truck owners—with updates that make long highway stretches less fatiguing. Ford says the enhancements use both hardware and software improvements to stretch hands-off time, reduce interruptions, and better handle tricky road conditions.
The newest version of BlueCruise, called BlueCruise 1.4, now more smoothly modulates the vehicle’s speed through curves, while also improving in-lane stability thanks to a new motion controller, as well as enhances hands-off performance in poor visibility situations created by inclement weather or glaring sun.
Related Stories
The changes is not yet universal; some older models may need hardware changes to enjoy the feature, including upgraded sensors and cameras.
Ford says truck owners in particular stand to benefit from the improvements. The F-150 and its electric Lightning variant are among the first to see these updates, the improved lane-centering tech working to reduce side-to-side wiggle from the taller stance and heavier body of the full-size pickups.
It also means fewer sudden system disengagements due to curvy roads or reduced visibility. BlueCruise’s interface is also getting smarter about telling the driver why control must return: whether it’s sensor blockage, weather, or road geometry.
It’s not full autonomy, but it gets Ford’s ADAS suite closer to that goal.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.
