High-resolution headlamps: An innovative concept for the next-generation

Abstract

Headlamp systems have been undergoing rapid developments in recent years to enhance traffic safety and comfort, with the trend of having a higher resolution. This higher resolution brings forth functionalities such as precisely glare avoidance and on-road lighting projection. Among them, the on-road projection is a function besides of illumination, which provides the opportunity for drivers to acquire the information directly from the road, and more importantly, to communicate with other road participants. This lighting-based communication is especially significant in the coming era of higher autonomous driving levels since it can display the intentions of a vehicle immediately to other road users. In order to make full use of the advantage of the on-road projection, the chromatic lighting projection is put forward because it enables this lighting information not only visible in the night, but also during the daytime. Current projection technologies have either an undesirable output luminous flux regarding the capability of the light source or a complex structure to generate white light and chromatic projections at the same time. In this paper, an innovative concept using laser diodes as light sources with LCoS devices for a high-resolution vehicle headlamp system is presented. Specific design schemes, according to this concept, are also discussed.