Projection

Projection in cars from head-up displays solutions to decorative projections using Micro Lens Arrays (MLA).

Projections in and around the car

Automotive projection applications are an upcoming, rapidly growing segment. Projections in the windscreen (windshield head-up display solutions), on the street, when the door is being opened (ground projection), or on interior surfaces like dashboards, windows, smart glass, or roof are an integral part of the future automotive interior and enable new use cases. No matter the size or complexity, ams OSRAM’s LEDs and lasers can make it happen. 
 
Head-up displays 
 
Head-up displays and automotive interior projection displays (e.g. on the lower part of the windshield) are seeing a strong growth in the automotive industry. In the future, field-of-views will further increase, while advanced light sources will enable new applications in augmented/mixed reality. 
 
Interior projection  
 
More and more static or dynamic decorative or Vehicle-to-X (V2X) communication projections on surfaces or windows for advertisement find their way into the car.  
Decorative and logo projection complements smart surfaces and interior ambient lighting by enabling new interior elements to come to life.  
Window projection will transform the car interior into an extended surface displaying relevant information or visuals that appeal either to the passengers or to the outside. 
Especially for premium vehicles, entertainment and media projection provides an excellent opportunity for large screens in the back of the vehicle that otherwise cannot be realized using conventional screens.
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Welcome light carpet

In the welcome light carpet application, a static or dynamic projection – for example, the vehicle’s brand mark – welcomes the driver as they approach their parked vehicle. The projected pattern remains sharply focused and homogeneous even on an uneven or slightly angled road surface. Another interesting application is pathway lighting. It is projected from under the door sills and can display a pattern distinctive to the model or brand when the vehicle detects the proximity of the car key. This convenience and safety feature illuminates the road surface where the user will step while entering the vehicle. It can also create a sense of personality for the car – the lights ‘welcome’ the driver on his or her return to the car in the dark. A unique image, pattern, or logo projected on the ground can also become a signature of the vehicle’s brand. 

Driver Assistance projection and V2X Communication (H2) 

New exterior projection applications that support the driver and other traffic participants and increase safety for everybody on the road are in the process of entering the market: 
At the intersection of projection and headlamps, adaptive driving beam (ADB) and driver assistance projections are a special feature of high resolution headlamps based on MicroLED light sources like EVIYOS. Here, lane markings and symbols can be projected or selected parts of the road can be illuminated to support the driver. 
An example of V2X Communication is the so-called Reversing Projection: when backing out of a parking lot, e.g. in a parking garage, the vehicle will display a symbol on the ground behind the back of the car to inform crossing vehicles and avoid collisions. 
ams Osram welcome light carpet projection lamp effect
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Technical solutions and ams OSRAM offering 

There are several major technical solutions for realizing interior or exterior automotive projection: 
Basic static projection, e.g. welcome light carpets or interior decorative projections can be realized by shadow-mask projection (so-called Gobo projectors) or via microlens arrays for enhanced depth of focus. Both  approaches are well supported by our LED portfolio. 
Widely used is the use of an LC display within the picture generating unit (PGU). ams OSRAM provides a selection of LEDs for LCD illumination, edge backlighting as well as direct backlighting, including full array local dimming (FALD) for enhancing image quality and contrast, e.g. SYNIOS P2720, OSLON Compact or SYNIOS E1515. 
High quality projections, especially for so-called “augmented-reality head-up-displays” (AR-HUD) frequently utilize a picture generating unit based on the DLP (or DMD) micromirror approach. Here, millions of microscopic mirrors selectively reflect the light to create high quality dynamic projections. Our special projection LEDs OSTAR Projection Compact are tuned to the optical requirements (Étendue) of DLP micromirror devices to enable maximum efficiency. Similarly, ams OSRAM also provides a variety of suitable LEDs for LCoS-based projection systems.  
Beyond LEDs, also lasers can be used as light sources for DLP- and LCoS-based PGUs or laser-beam scanning (LBS) approaches. ams OSRAM offers a broad selection of color laser diodes for use in white light sources or as a stand-alone light source for excellent color gamut (Link). 
For today’s high-quality projection requirements, light sensors are frequently used to monitor the projector light sources and allowing to adjust color reproduction, white point, or brightness. ams OSRAM offers a comprehensive portfolio of photodiodes and ambient light sensors that support projection applications. 
 

Featured product families

EVIYOS™ for automotive & mobility applications

Intelligent and high resolution forward lighting raises automotive safety to a new level, with the EVIYOS™ HD25. 25.600 pixels are automatically switched on or off realizing high resolution adaptive driving beam (ADB) enabling glare free high beam functionality while increasing the safety for the driver and the environment. The technology revolutionize the era of H/L solutions by allowing road projection of legal safety relevant symbols and coming home/leaving home scenarios. EVIYOS™ is the world’s brightest and space-optimized solution from ams OSRAM providing a compact solution to realize both visualization and illumination required for future HD H/L solutions.
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SYNIOS™ P2720 for automotive & mobility applications

SYNIOS™ P2720 is a very powerful and reliable product family that excels through its high brightness, low thermal resistance and thermal stability. Featuring different chip size classes and colors with one common footprint, the SYNIOS™ P2720 family also shines with high flexibility and full scalability. Another great advantage of the SYNIOS™ P2720 is its exceptional temperature cycle stability. The lead frame part is optimized for the thermal expansion coefficient of the circuit board, thus securing very stable soldered joints.
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TOPLED™ E1608 for automotive & mobility applications

The TOPLED™ E1608 expands ams OSRAMs low power portfolio by offering one of the smallest LED industry standard footprints in a highly reliable and well proved package concept. Its outstanding performance is suitable for a huge variety of applications especially automotive interior where a small package design with excellent reliability is needed. The TOPLED™ E1608 is available in a broad variety of colors and brightness versions.
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