Gentex Auto High-Beams to Bow in '04 Lincolns

Gentex Corp. says it will debut its new SmartBeam intelligent high-beam headlamp control system on an '04 model Lincoln. The Zeeland, MI-based supplier of electrochromic mirrors won't specify the model, but the new device likely will bow first on the Town Car, followed by the LS. The system uses a forward-facing CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor developed by Photobit Corp. (owned 10% by Gentex) to detect light images on the road ahead and automatically activate or deactivate the vehicle's high beams. The CMOS camera on the chip, which fits on the tip of a finger, is mounted to the back of the vehicle's electrochromic rear-view mirror and views the road through the windshield. The system is set up to turn the high beams off within 500 m (1,640 ft.) of an on-coming car.