The link between lighting and ADAS is recent. It took root a decade ago when AFS—Adaptive Front-lighting Systems—used steering angle sensors to swivel the headlamps into road curves. Then some years later, ADB arrived as a camera-driven evolution of the previous, relatively crude AFS.
After describing the various sensors used by ADAS, this report presents the interaction of these sensors with lighting—how intelligent lighting functions help ADAS sensors to better see obstacles and pedestrians, how front and rear lamps integrate sensors, and how both existing and novel lighting functions need sensors.
The report describes the integration of lidar, camera, radar in the front and rear lamps with descriptive reference to the work of various suppliers who have demonstrated better efficiency of lighting-integrated sensors, because of their optimised position at the front and rear corners of the car.
The author presents the current lighting functions, including the evolution of adaptive lighting systems which automatically and dynamically adjust the light output and direction to optimise visibility and conspicuity in all driving, weather, road, speed, traffic, and driver conditions, as well as new lighting functions to protect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians.
There is emphasis on future safety technologies being progressively improved, and the new lighting functions which can contribute. Future cameras, new lidars and radars, for example, will give a much more precise image, allowing vehicles and drivers to keep better, more accurate track of road users and obstacles. Software developments, too, will dramatically improve the level of recognition. More intensive use of artificial intelligence will further boost this line of evolution. These improvements will be realised by dint of better ADAS sensors and by the evolution of lighting—more high definition systems, using technologies like DMD and μLED.
A variety of technologies are presented in context of road projection functions to support the driver and communicate to others, and of new communication-by-light concepts using sinals and displays.
Finally, the author presents an outlook on the link between sensors and lighting.