PLYMOUTH, MI -- A new infrared night-vision system developed by Hella has received a 2006 Tech Award from the editors of Automotive Engineering International (AEI).

Hella's ADILIS (Advanced Infrared Lighting System) is designed to improve traffic safety after dark and is capable of detecting objects up to 500 feet away. The system uses a complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera, an infrared headlamp and a display for the driver.

Three different prototype infrared headlamps can be used in the system, including an H7 halogen bulb with an interference filter; two projection modules and LEDs (light emitting diodes) that act as infrared light sources; or a headlamp with an infrared laser, where light hits an angled reflector before being beamed onto the road. Showing distant objects normally invisible to the naked eye, the display provides the driver with a gray-scale image of what the camera detects.

AEI is a monthly automotive trade magazine published by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Recipients of the 2006 Tech Award were selected by AEI's editorial staff based on technology introduced during the past year and exhibited at the Society of Automotive Engineers' annual World Congress held in Detroit.

The magazine's staff rates new technologies based on a variety of criteria, including innovation, customer relevance, overall design, cost, utility and ease of use. Hella's new infrared night-vision system was one of only 19 new technologies honored by the magazine this year.

For more information about Hella, go to: www.hella.com .

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