Dr. Wolfgang Huhn, AUDI AG

Licht für autonome Fahrzeuge

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The Top three Future Mega Trends

Digitalization

Urbanization

Sustainability

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Today´s most digital Light: Matrix LED

► Matrix LED headlights are „Adaptive Driving Beams“ in other words it´s glare free high beam

► Each segment is individually dimmable and swichable

► Camera detects other traffic. Image processing controls segments.

► Segments with oncomming and proceeding traffic are off. Traffic sign segments have reduced brightness.

► Driver has always long seeing distance

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Video: Matrix LED Night Drive

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3 Hypothesis about the Influence of the

3 Mega Trends on traffic 2025

1. The car population on the road is mixed:

Manually driven, semi autonomous and fully autonomous cars.

Powered by combustion engine, PHEV, BEV, F-Cell

2. City toll systems partly exclude combustion engine cars and

later manually driven cars

3. Car sharing in city further grows.

People use different types of cars they dont know perfectly

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In the U.S., a self-driving car has successfully completed

a test in total darkness

› The test car, a Ford Fusion Hybrid, used laser-based radar as its main road-sensing system and finished a winding

track in the Arizona desert. The so-called Lidar system relies on high-resolution 3D maps. It complements the

cameras installed on the outside of cars, which help navigating during daytime. Thanks to Lidar technology, self-

driving cars are not reliant on visibility conditions.

Is this the future of car lighting?

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As a pedestrian: Would you walk on?

› The driver is texting not looking on the road

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Is this safe traffic by autonomous cars?

› Obvious: The driver is reading a Newspaper and not able to look on the road

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› Communication for autonomous driving

Semcon Smiling Car

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> We need new communication!

> Lighting can play a role

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DML – Digital Matrix Light

Matrix LED-Technology ► Columns

Matrix LED-Technology 2. Generation ► Two Lines above cutt off

Digital Matrix Light ► High Resolution> 1 Mio. Pixel in addition DML

1 Mio. Pixel

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› Footstep animation for environmental interaction

› Content: recommendation and warning

› Target: environment / pedestrian

› Position: low beam area (~12m)

› Addition to low beam cone

Light-based driver assistance

Visual crosswalk

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› Warns the driver in case of critical situations

› Content: warning

› Target: driver

› Position: low beam area (~10 – 35m)

› Addition/Subtraction to/from low beam cone

Light-based driver assistance

Visual emergency break

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› Shows the carwith adaptively depending on trajectory prediction and sensor data

› Content: assistance

› Target: driver

› Position: low beam area (~8m - 35m)

› Addition to low beam cone

Light-based driver assistance

Construction zone lighting

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High resolution technologies

Technologies

LED Array LCD Laserscanner DMD

Subtractive Additive

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High resolution technologies

System resolution

LED Array: >1000

LCD: >10.000

DMD: >1.000.000

Beam scanning: Flexible resolution

Resolution

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Technical Issues

► Small projection

lense

► Depending on

light function high

absorption rate

► Flexible

backlight

illumination

► Cheap

► Large

projection

lense

► High efficiency

due to active

illumination. No

absorption of

light

► High thermal

requirements

► Flexible aspect

ratio

► Phosphor

crossovern

results in a low

contrast

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> In certain traffic situations,“ the Companion“ is in visual contact with road users.

The green light on the front of the vehicle helps the pedestrian to cross the road

BMW

Source: BMW

Source: BMW Source: BMW Source: BMW

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Mercedes

F015 Concept Car

Source: Mercedes Source: Mercedes

> LED fields in the front show, if the car ist

driving autonomously (blue) or is controlled

manually (white)

> A laser system at the front of the car projects

a virtual crosswalk

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VW I. D.

› The I. D. communicates with the environment by lighting

› Interactive Spotlight – the headlights interact like human eyes

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And Rear Lighting?

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› A dynamic effect (linear wiping) within first 150 msec. Makes a significant difference and shows traffic safety

relevant improvements in direction detection and reaction / visual processing speed

Dynamic Direction Indicator

Static Direction Indicator

Dynamic Direction Indicator

dynamic vs. static

D

Real Scencery: Direction Indicator recognition

72% 85% + 18%

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› The rear has been converted into a large display

› Movements of the dots take their orientation from movements of the car

› When a right turn is made, they flow to the right; when the car is braking they flow more dynamically and brighter.

› The faster the car is going, the faster they move

› The driver in the car behind can thus always tell what the driver ahead is doing

Matrix OLED Technology

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Mercedes

F015 – Concept Car

Source: Mercedes Source: Mercedes

› The LED filds at the rear of the vehicle tells pedestrian to STOP or SLOW

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Mitsubishi

Road Projection by Direction Indicators

› The system projects large, easy-to-understand animated illuminations onto road

surfaces to help pedestrians to comprehend driver´s intention

Forward indicator Reverse indicator Door opening indicator

source: Mitsubishi source: Mitsubishi source: Mitsubishi

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Reversing indicator › It is used when the vehicle ist moving backward. The direction of the vehicle´s movement can be intuitively understood. The pattern blinks on and off at a frequency of 0.7 Hz

Emergency braking indicator › When the driver suddenly applies the brakes, it blinks a red pattern on the road surface. To indicate an emergent situation, the pattern blinks on and off at a relatively high frequency of 5Hz

Turn Signal › It indicates direction changes and right and left turns. It blinks at a frequency of 1.5 Hz

Stanley

Road Surface projection signal lamp

source: Stanley

source: Stanley

source: Stanley

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Electric cars

Audi R8 e-tron

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Electric cars

› From the outside it is not visible whether the car is electrical or not

VW e-Golf Tesla Model 3

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Additional signature light for electric driven cars?

› Additional signature light in the bumper to differentiate between electric and

normal cars

Toyota Prius VW e-Up Renault Trezor

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› New lighting signature for electric cars

› Black Panel front grill: glazed design element with a shining Mercedes star and all lighting elements

› The rear lights are framed by a LED light guide in electric blue. In the driving modus the color changes into red.

› The lighting signature changes into orange, when the indicator is activated

Mercedes

EQ – SUV Study

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›Car Sharing

Car Sharing fleet needs at least

one digital function (urgent!)

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Car Sharing Companys in Munich

› People use different types of cars they dont know perfectly (at all)

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(Too) many individual solutions for light swiching

› Automatization of all vital light functions is neccessary (DRL, low /high beam, rear fog light)

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Conclusion

Automotive Industry needs guidelines for future communication with light

1. International Research about C2X communication with light for

next generation vehicles is necessary

2. Worldwide standard C2X signals need to be discussed

3. Are status displays (front, rear, side) for fully autonomous

cruising / electric drive neccessary?

Thank you