How might we use digital light in communication for automated driving?

Utilizing Car2Car communication, modern mobility concepts will improve in typical standards like safety and comfort. While driving this evolution of connected machines, it is also very important to keep a high level of Car2X communication to non-machine interfaces like human beings. Communication with pedestrians or human drivers is needed to establish a healthy acceptance of autonomous driving vehicles. In this communication pathway light plays a very important role. Modern vehicles have to implement an exterior communication content, easy to understand and easy to recognize, during daylight and nighttime. Therefore, new light sources and optimized car architectures are required to provide this Car2Human communication while maintaining legal requirements. Audi’s approach to digital light is the first step into a revolution of exterior lighting.

Dr. Michael Kruppa

Head of Taillight and Light Function development Having managed material innovation at lighting expert OSRAM for 6 years, Dr. Michael Kruppa joined Audi in 2013. For the AG, the lighting specialist who holds a degree in organic chemistry has been developing rear lamps and exterior lighting solutions since 2016.

Johannes Reschke

Development Engineer Johannes Reschke has worked as a Development Engineer for light functions at Audi since 2017. He is responsible for the (pre-)development of functions for light-based communication with other road users. He holds a master’s degree in electrical Engineering and is a doctoral candidate at the KIT - Karlsruher Institut für Technologie.

Dr. Werner Thomas

Project manager OLED lighting Since 2012, Dr. Werner Thomas, who holds a degree in electrical engineering, has been working as a project manager for OLED lighting at Audi. He was responsible for the introduction of OLED lighting in the AG's first-series production cars, starting with the Audi TT RS in 2016.