The four parts of this report are:
1. Summary and analysis of most of the 25 lectures including six from automakers and seven from lighting tier-1s. Overspanning highlights:
• Digital manipulation of light is replacing hardware. ADB, though not yet allowed in the USA, is the headlighting technique of the future. Everybody’s working on it (matrix/pixel, DLP, LCD, µAFS, or scanning) to improve the resolution.
• But ADB is not suitable for dense mega-cities, so it is important to define a new light function such as Honda’s ACL.
• Headlamp aim is a real problem for automakers and suppliers because improper aim effectively spoils even good lights. Everyone is working on how to improve their lights’ IIHS rankings.
• Standardisation is a cost-lowering technique car makers are increasingly using.
• Fast progress in LED & laser efficacy, luminance, and accuracy.
• Regulations need to adapt quickly and be safety-orientated, anticipating new technology and autonomous vehicles.
• New concepts (e.g., holography) and reliability improvements (e.g., condensation management) are now available to car makers.
2. The panel session on regulations headed by GTB President Geoff Draper, who is successfully steering stepwise progress on regulatory reform and coöperation to minimise divergence among regs in Europe, North America, China, Japan, Korea, and the rest of the world.
3. Networking amongst participants and speakers—illustrated with pictures of the exhibitations, during the lectures, during the breaks, and the dinner.
4. The round table chaired by Audi’s Wolfgang Huhn, who led ten of the field’s greatest experts in discussion on the future of vehicle lighting to help the community to better know the future of their jobs.