Interview

Prof. Khanh came to Germany in 1979 for studying mechanical engineering and optical science from 1980 to 1985. In 1986 he started to work for his Ph.D-Thesis on the optical spectroscopy.
From 1990 to 1999, he was laboratory leader in two companies in Berlin and Munich on the field of photometry, colorimetry and especially in the UV-radiometry.
In 2000 until September 2006, he was project leader in the company Arnold&Richter in Munich, a world famous company for cinema film camera, film scanner and digital film production. .
Since October 2006, he is chair of the laboratory of lighting technology at the University to Darmstadt.

DVN: At the Technische Universität Darmstadt, you organize every 2 years the famous ISAL symposium. What can you tell us about former ISAL in 2005 and 2007?
Pr Khanh: The ISAL 2005 had 450 and the ISAL 2007 had 546 attendees.
The two main foci were the LED-technology, which was at the ISAL 2005 time in the conceptual phase and at 2007 with the first LED-headlamp cars like LEXUS LS600h and Audi R8, and new driver assistance systems like adaptive driving beam which incorporate camera technology and image processing.

DVN: and about ISAL 2009?
Pr Khanh: In the next two or three years, considering the selected papers, we will have the following trends:
– LED-technology with light efficiency of 70 lm/W in comparison to 50 lm/w of today automotive LED.
This allows us on one side to develop headlamps with an efficiency of more than 50% and in absolute numbers an effective luminous flux of 1100 lm just like HID-headlamps. Today, most LED-headlamps are having 600-800 lm. However, the LED headlamps will be reserved to the high-end segment, an introduction to a wider market even as an option is not probable.
– AFS/AFL-systems with dynamic bending light, city light or motorway light.
These systems will be realized with LED-technology in classical LED-arrangement from Osram, Nichia or Lumileds.
– AFS/ADB systems with LEDs in matrix beam structure.
Here, we will expect more than 100 LED-elements on the matrix in order to realize low and high beam, dynamic bending light, town light and further more functions.
– The biggest opportunities in this regard do not lay headlamp technology itself but the necessary camera and sensory technology. The future of the driver assistance is dependent rather on the quality of sensors, sensor fusion and image processing. At this point, we should see the potential for ISAL-conference to organize the discussion.
On the ISAL 2009, we shall have a podium discussion round of about 45 minutes, on which all of us will have the chance to discuss on the innovations in the crisis time, CO2-reduction issues, innovation and safety aspects. A further issue is the discussion on the light distribution on the road for an improved sight.

With a PhD in Physics, Ral Schäfer joined Philips in 1977 in the Lighting Research Group. He held different positions in research, development and marketing.He is working for Philips Automotive Lighting since 1988. In this period he was involved among others with the development and market introduction of Xenon systems from the early 90’s in the roles of Development and Product Marketing Manager. Since 2005 he is responsible for the headlighting bulb business of Philips Automotive Lighting as Vice President & General Manager.

DVN: Xenon is still a growing technology. Some experts consider there is still room for progress on performances. What is your opinion?
Ralf Schäffer: We definitely see options to improve Xenon Lighting. In my view we have not yet reached the limits of light technical performance of the light source. Parameters as efficiency – related to lower energy consumption -, light colour for sharper visual impression and luminance pattern can still be enhanced.
Target is to reach more safe and comfortable light on the road for the enduser.
Other elements for performance improvement are related to system aspects.
Is the current architecture of Xenon systems really future proof or can we get additional, not yet exploited benefits out of features like automatic high beam control etc.? From the bulb side we are studying options to support such functionality.

“1200 fatalities every year in Germany could be avoided if all cars had Xenon light”

Lex Krzyzanowski is active for more than 25 years in M&S for different B2B activities outside and within Philips. During the last seven years he works as OEM project marketing manager for the BG automotive lighting and has implemented a Global KAM organisation.
Together with several customers he established the LSS LightSightSafety initiative under the CLEPA umbrella in 2006, with the aim to promote better quality in car lighting to carmakers, end users and governmental organizations.

Driving Vision News: Could you give more information on the LSS challenge? What are the first results?
Lex Krzyzanowski: The initiative LSS was set up in 2006 under the Clepa umbrella. The objective of the initiative LSS is to create more awareness and understanding to the safety, comfort and environmental aspects of good quality car lighting at end users, carmakers as well as at relevant decision-making authorities.
The Initiative LSS is a coalition of AL, Hella, Valeo, Visteon, Osram and Philips, all of whom are involved with vehicle lighting in Europe. The Initiative commits to bring new lighting advancements to the market in order to increase the performance, safety, comfort and environmental compatibility of cars and trucks, enabling to support the continuous efforts of the society to reduce fatalities and to lower power consumption as well as pollution due to traffic.