The 2014 VISION congress is now closed and we’re left with a deep impression of how quickly lighting technology is evolving. This week, the totality of the newsletter is focused on the VISION congress which gathered 450 attendees. This year’s event was the best ever with:
• The DVN welcome cocktail and dinner on Monday the 13 th at the famous Hotel de France in Versailles—where Colbert, the minister of King Louis XIV lived. Over hundred VIPs, managers and experts from DVN Gold member companies were there (click to view pictures), an excellent opportunity for our lighting and ADAS community to catch up, exchange views, schmooze, and network.
• High-level lectures on LEDs, laser, and ADB with matrix but also still with mechanical features. Pretty amazing, given that just 10 years ago we couldn’t really imagine even a basic low beam with LED. And five years ago, a glare-free high beam was a dream. And three years ago, we could be excused for doubting whether BMW’s suggestion of a laser high beam booster would ever come to be realised. never imagined only 10 years ago that it was possible to make a low beam with LED. Now we have these three technologies on real cars on real roads, and we profusely thank the speakers presenting the progress of these technologies at VISION.
• Elaborate, thoughtful exhibitions by set makers like AL and also, especially, by light source makers and the Tier 2s who greatly contribute to lighting innovations. All these exhibitors have understood the opportunity to show their great achevements and to communicate on it, and they did a fabulous job.
• The nighttime ride-and-drive demonstrations which showed us the state of progress in very tangible, real-world ways. And the demonstration car pool has changed quite a bit; just two years ago, attendees were very interested by LEDs which were at that time the newest innovative lighting technology. LEDs are still interesting, but this year’s attendees got a grand demonstration of ADB and laser technologies—LED is becoming a standard technology we can almost take for granted!
Indeed, all the participants have done a fantastic job and we congratulate you all—you’ve done a job well worth pride. Now we must all educate the public and the regulatory community so that these achievements will recognized by drivers still afraid to drive at night because they don’t yet know these technologies which make it so much easier.
Sincerely yours