Digital Light - From Matrix To Micro Mirror

Since LED technology found its breakthrough in all lighting functions, it comes now to digitalisation. LEDs meet the digital needs; they can be switched on or off individually. Using the matrix function, Audi could optimise the high beam. The next step is about micro mirror arrays with more than one million segments, which allow the exact vehicle contour of an oncoming vehicle to be copied quickly and selectively or enable pedestrians to be warned by marking lights on the road.

- Dr-ing Wolfgang Huhn, Dr-ing Michael Hamm, Dipl-ing Stephan Berlitz, & Said Omerbegovic

THE HAND SIGNAL LOSES ITS MEANING

Classical communication between drivers and road users, such as making eye contact, nodding one’s head or giving hand signs, may no longer be necessary because autonomous driving is advancing. Concerns are arising about safety and also acceptance by pedestrians and cyclists. Many concepts have been proposed for autonomously driving vehicles and automated-driving light systems, so standards have to be discussed. However, there is still no standard. This could lead to important discrepancies between regulations worldwide, making it very difficult and expensive for automobile manufacturers to develop autonomously driving cars for a global market.

The future focus of automotive lighting will no longer only be optimised illumination for the driver, but optimised signal lights for all other road users: first of all for pedestrians and cyclists, but mainly – at least for the next few years – for the huge number of drivers in conventional non-automated cars. Since LEDs found their breakthrough in all lighting functions, the basic technology for digitalisation is now available. LEDs offer a digital benefit: they can be switched on or off individually. New technologies based on semiconductors like lasers, or Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) will offer additional possibilities. At Audi, digitalisation started in 2013 with the introduction of matrix beam headlamps.