The What! You know, that mysterious device that occasionally keeps your car from passing smog and turns on the dreaded “Check Engine” light. According to a Bosch news release it has now been around for 30 years. First installed in 1976 on the Volvo 240/260 line of cars, its popularity (at least with the Auto Makers) has increased so that it is now on most Cars and trucks. Sometimes with more than one!

Besides causing untold grief and a trip to the mechanic, have you ever wondered what the devise is for? Well, yes it does have a useful purpose, and most of us can breath at least a little better because of it. If you would like to know a little more about this small device you can check out the news release at. 02 Sensor turns 30

I found this article on designing lights for cars out of LED’s to be interesting. As you may know, LED’s are far more durable, last longer and take less energy than incandescent lamps. The problem is in the past they have not been bright enough.

No doubt you have seen an increase in the number of brake and turn signal light on the street today made from LEDs. You can normally recognize them by the brake light being a large number of small dots instead of one large light source. These are frequently used on the trailers of shipping trucks, but you can also find them on passenger cars and trucks.

As technology develops they will become more common also in the headlights. This article from Photonics.com gives you an interesting overview on what it takes to design a LED based headlights.
LED Headlights