According to statistics, the majority of accidents occur at dusk or at night – poor visibility is often the trigger. Intelligent headlights adapt to the current traffic situation, and can be a remedy. In collaboration with industry partners, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a high-resolution illumination system with more than 1,000 LED pixels: It offers considerably more options for precise light distribution than previous solutions have and is also energy efficient.
Out at night on a winding country road. It‘s raining and, to make matters worse, the headlights from the driver behind you are blinding. This is unpleasant and may, at worst, lead to an accident. Modern headlights make nighttime driving safer by adjusting the light distribution to the current traffic situation: While they illuminate specific areas in a targeted fashion, they do not blind other road users.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin have collaborated with Infineon, Osram, Hella and Daimler in the composite project ?AFS to develop an adaptive front lighting system: „
We have been able to solidly connect four LED chips having 256 pixel each with the driver electronics chip. Due to this high resolution, we can control the light distribution to the smallest detail,“ explains Dr. Hermann Oppermann, Group Manager in the Department of Wafer Level System Integration at the IZM. The headlight allows permanent high beam, blinds other road users less and makes it possible to alter the light distribution according to need: such as the course of the road, the oncoming traffic as well as the distance and position in relation to other road users. Only the pixels which are needed at the moment are turned on. This is usually only around 30 percent of the total available light output of the entire system, so it is very energy efficient, since light is generated on the light source only where it is needed in the traffic area. The LED chips are currently installed in headlights.
The experts from the IZM were responsible in the project for establishing contact between the individual pixels and the driver chip in order to be able to control each point of light independently. With a pixel size of only 125 microns, that is not an easy task: „The connections have to be sturdy, and we need good thermal contact to ensure sufficient cooling of the chip,“ Oppermann explains. The Berlin researchers are pursuing two different approaches: In the first variant, a gold-tin alloy is applied in a pattern onto the chip. The technology is well established in the field of optoelectronics. Such fine grid structures with intermediate distances as small as 15 microns, as are required for the LED chip, have not previously been possible, though. In the second approach, the researchers are working with a gold nano-sponge. „This nanoporous gold structure has the advantage that it compresses like a real sponge and can be precisely adapted to the topography of the component,“ says Oppermann. A small unevenness of a few micrometers, which inevitably occurs, can therefore be compensated for easily and quickly.
This is because previous solutions have drawbacks: LED lighting systems are relatively large and expensive: one LED is needed for each point of light. Today, upLearn to 80 individual LEDs are commonly interconnected to form a system. In order to produce a coherent beam of light on the road, though, every LED has to have its own, precisely aligned optics. In another approach, the light source is a laser light or an LCD display with LED lighting, which fades areas of the light distribution according to the situation. Since light is produced and reabsorbed, this solution is not very energy efficient. The same applies to the method of shading certain areas by means of mechanical masks. In the latter system, moreover, only relatively large areas can be selectively illuminated and darkened.
Learn more: Better visibility when driving at night
The Latest on: LED lighting
[google_news title=”” keyword=”LED lighting” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: LED lighting
- The horticultural lighting revival gains groundon April 29, 2024 at 2:02 pm
More signs of a horticultural lighting resurgence emerged late last week ... [Ams Osram's] latest hyper red LED product for the horticulture market boasting the highest efficacy on the market is ...
- illumiPure Inc. Achieves IEC 62471 Exempt Certification, Setting New Standard in Lighting Technologyon April 29, 2024 at 11:01 am
HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 29, 2024 / illumiPure, Inc., a leader in innovative LED solutions, is proud to announce that its patented CleanWhite® 405 nm and 405/470 nm ...
- The Best LED Face Masks To Target Fine Lines, Dark Spots And Moreon April 29, 2024 at 10:06 am
The best LED face masks are designed to complement a well-rounded skincare routine when used properly and consistently. We spoke with experts and rounded up our top picks.
- Nottingham LED street light replacement programme completedon April 29, 2024 at 6:40 am
The Nottingham programme has successfully replaced over 36,000 lights with new LED sources, in partnership with Enerveo. Featured ...
- Consciot LED Vanity Lights For Mirror, Now 23% Offon April 28, 2024 at 9:11 am
Now up for grabs on Amazon is the Consciot LED Vanity Lights For Mirror, an item that enhances your grooming area with Hollywood sophistication. Not only does this product give your vanity a fresh and ...
- RGB LED HexaClock Doesn’t Actually Light Up The Nighton April 27, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Who says a clock can’t be both useful and beautiful? That seems to be the big idea behind the lovely little HexaClock from [Bulduper]. And boy, is it both. Probably the most important part ...
- LADOTD begins phase one of Crescent City Connection lighting projecton April 26, 2024 at 4:17 pm
Starting Tuesday, April 30, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says one lane in each direction of the Crescent City Connection bridge will be closed until August. The bridge ...
- Outdoor LED Lighting Market Projected US$ 27 billion Valuation by 2034on April 25, 2024 at 8:04 pm
Energy Efficiency: LED lights offer significantly lower energy consumption compared to traditional lighting options like incandescent or metal halide lamps. This translates to substantial cost savings ...
- The Best LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants and Veggies, Testedon April 23, 2024 at 8:42 pm
Light-emitting diode (LED) grow lights are ideal for many home gardeners. They are energy efficient and can produce the full spectrum of light wavelengths, from infrared to ultraviolet ...
- We Tested the Best Under-Cabinet Lighting to Illuminate a Kitchenon April 20, 2024 at 7:55 am
“Under-cabinet lighting is indirect, not glaring, and creates an ideal countertop workstation,” he says. “Most are dimmable, energy efficient, and have multispectrum LED lights to provide op ...
via Bing News