When the first laser headlamp appeared in the market, it was only to use the small size and the high luminance of the source to increase the driver’s seeing distance without adding light close the car. From my side, I’ve driven several equipped cars and I was often impressed by the range of the high beam, and so by the increase of safety.
There has been much discussion on this ability, questioning the practical need for such long distance, drawbacks like safety risks, complexity, and price, and optimism for expanded, more practical laser-based car lights. But now highly performant LEDs are arriving to compete with the lasers, and they’re delivering interesting first results not far from the first laser results.
After the unique benefit to improve the range, the laser technology has much more ambition, with the target to extend the technology to ADB lighting, using DMD, scanning, or other new technologies. Moreover, blue/white LED Nobel laureate Dr. Shuji Nakamura hopes laser lighting will one day dominate the general lighting domain, replacing LED lighting within the next 10 years on strength of better efficacy and luminance—certainly interesting characteristics with the trend towards tiny headlamps!
This week we take a look at SLD Laser (formerly SoraaLaser), with intriguing information about the future of laser technology, and we anticipate great technical discussions about it at the DVN Munich Workshop next week with a sold-out crowd of 320 attendees.
Sincerely yours
DVN President