Hyundai Mobis, the Korean marque's technology development arm that is also responsible for the e-Corner crab walk function for the Hyundai Ioniq 5, has revealed its latest innovation, an HD Lighting System. This lighting system does much more than illuminate the road ahead for drivers. It has been specifically developed to reduce the chances of nighttime accidents, both between cars as well as cars and pedestrians.

Among the system's primary features is the ability to alert drivers of upcoming hazards with text and symbols shone onto the road surface itself and an illuminated crosswalk sign that can greatly assist in helping pedestrians cross the road safely at night.

Are alerts on the road surface itself more useful than via a head-up display? Hyundai Mobis certainly thinks so, especially when it comes to pedestrian safety.

The lighting system uses HD micro LEDs as its light source and a digital micromirror device, the latter being several tiny mirrors that combine to act as a reflector. Around 25,000 micro LEDs are used, each with a width even thinner than a human hair, representing approximately 250 times as many LEDs as those installed in conventional LED headlights. For reference, even the latest Porsche HD Matrix headlights will each have just 16,384 LEDs.

These Hyundai lights work with a front camera sensor and GPS navigation to capture and interpret important information. With 1.3 million of those digital mirrors, the desired shapes and symbols can be projected onto the road surface.

Hyundai's example involves approaching a construction zone. An "Under Construction" symbol measuring just under five feet and placed almost 50 feet ahead of the driver can then be projected onto the road. Highway entries/exits and nearby speed bumps can also be identified early in this way.

As for pedestrians, many need to cross roads in dark areas where a permanent pedestrian crossing isn't set up. The vehicle equipped with the HD Lighting System can identify a pedestrian in such zones, alert the driver to stop, and then display a virtual crossing for the pedestrian's use.

Vehicle-to-pedestrian communication is something that Volkswagen's Skoda is also working on with its intelligent grilles that can tell pedestrians when it's safe to cross the road.

"In the era of autonomous driving, software technology capable of integrating numerous auto components into a single device will be more important than ever," said a representative from Hyundai Mobis. "Hyundai Mobis is taking the lead in [the] development of cutting-edge lamps and securing technology capable of controlling them."

As for how much these lights will cost to replace if damaged, well, that's another topic altogether. It's also unclear how these lights may affect oncoming road users, since current headlights are already found to ba dangerously blinding for oncoming drivers. We doubt that Hyundai Mobis hasn't taken this aspect into account, though.