Zhang Xiaolan from Xinyang, Henan province, September 24, 2017. [Photo: Dahe Daily]

Zhang Xiaolan, an 18-year-old girl from a village in Henan Province has invented a system which automatically switches a vehicle's lights between high and low beams, which she's now been able to patent, reports youth.cn.

Coming from an underdeveloped rural area of Henan, Zhang Xiaolan's family doesn't even own a car.

"My dad has poor eyesight due to an industrial accident, so it's unsafe for him to walk at night," Zhang Xiaolan explained, "He gets blurred vision when a car's lights are on high beam."

Out of her concern about her father's safety, Zhang decided to improve the way car headlights work, beginning her project during her second year in high school.

"Convex lenses, light screens and photoreceptive circuits are used to judge the brightness of a car's headlights," said Zhang Xiaolan. "Two cars equipped with this device are able to switch automatically from high beam to low beam when they meet head-on."

Zhang Xiaolan holds her patent at her family's home in Xinyang, Henan province, September 24, 2017. [Photo: Dahe Daily]

The automatic auto high-low beam switcher Zhang Xiaolan invented gained a patent from the State Intellectual Property Bureau in August, 2016.

A manufacturer from Guangdong Province has already requested Zhang Xiaolan allow her product to be used in their vehicles.

Zhang Xiaolan is not resting on her one invention. She has enrolled in Jilin University.

"Given there are more opportunities at university, I'd like to make more inventions in the future," said Zhang.