Automotive interior displays are getting larger, the number of manual controls is decreasing, and customisable lighting solutions are creating a feel-good atmosphere. ADAS and technologies previously designed for mobile devices, such as facial recognition, eye tracking, and gestural control, are increasingly making their way into the automotive sector.
These technologies are based on infrared light. The smaller and more powerful the required components, the easier they are to integrate into complex designs. Osram’s Oslon Piccolo now offers an extremely compact IRED (infrared emitting diode) that packs enormous power in a small package.
An AV will have a fundamentally different interior design than current models. The classic dashboard will be replaced by other user interfaces and options for communication.
Gesture recognition is bringing new ways of using displays. For example, when navigating to a destination, the vehicle displays a map with the corresponding route. With the help of gesture recognition, menu item are only shown when the driver moves his hand towards the display, allowing the route to appear on the whole screen.
The Piccolo IRED’s very small dimensions of only 1.6 × 1.6 mm mean it can be installed easily in a small space. With a DC power of 1.15 W at 1 A and very fast switching times of 10 ns, the component is suitable as both a constant light source for a camera-based applications and for 3D image acquisition with modulated or fast pulsed light.