Osram LED turns car headlights into a projector
Osram Opto Semiconductors has announced its Oslon Boost HX, a LED that is designed to be used for illumination of digital mirror device (DMD) systems in cars.
Just like a normal projector can display pictures on a screen, a DMD system with its millions of micro-mirrors can project images onto the road in HD quality. Used in a car headlight, Osram says its technology can achieve a resolution of more than one million pixels, offering car drivers not only classic illumination but also optional support from information projected onto the road. For example, future headlights may project two guide lines the width of a car apart, enabling the driver to negotiate roadworks more safely. Projections may also be used to tell drivers that they are too close to the vehicle in front, or warn them that they are approaching roadworks, icy patches or other hazards.
In developing Oslon Boost HX, Osram Opto Semiconductors made use of its know-how in projection technology, in which high-current LEDs have been used for a long time and have been continually optimised. They have now been transferred to the automotive sector and adapted to meet the strict quality requirements. "This first product in the Oslon Boost family addresses the trend for special user experiences with added safety and emotional appeal. This LED is a good example that shows the enormous potential our products will have in automotive lighting", said Stefan Seidel, senior manager marketing Automotive Exterior at Osram Opto Semiconductors.
Oslon Boost HX delivers luminance of more than 200 cd/mm², taking light-based driver assistance systems and communication with the driver into new territory. Its 2 mm² chip emits at least 1,400 lm at a current of 6 A.
The package has been designed order to make use of the high current capability of the chips. An electrically insulated thermal pad and special internal design structures ensure that heat is reliably removed from the component. The 4 mm x 4 mm ceramic package is said to be very robust so it is easy to handle.
Osram says that passive DMD solutions herald the start of a broad range of applications. More efficient active solutions for glare-free high beam and projection as well as other Oslon Boost derivatives will follow.
