Extract of an interview with Just-auto
| Carsten Roch, head of Hella’s Driver Assistance Systems division |
About the two new Hella technologies:
Hella’s novel radar sensor based on 77 GHz technology was developed in close collaboration with NXP, as well as InnoSenT, a leading provider of radar technology.
The CompactRadar is the smallest radar sensor of the Hella product portfolio and will be hardly bigger than a matchbox. And the HD84 headlamp module consists of 84 individually controllable LEDs. The headlamps receive the necessary information for proper light distribution adjustment to traffic, weather and road conditions via a link to a front camera, usually installed behind the windshield. Software from Hella Aglaia enables front camera activation also for functions such as lane keeping assistance or pedestrian and vehicle detection.
About how lighting and electronic components can support automated driving:
Lighting and electronic components act together to ensure safe and efficient driving conditions. Our vision is that the vehicle’s environment is constantly being monitored by a combination of radar and vision-based driver assistance technologies, to ensure safe conditions for all road users. Without any intervention by the driver, the vehicle recognises traffic signs and traffic lights to then adapt its acceleration speed accordingly. Lighting systems have the ability to project warning messages onto the street or the car itself to inform other road users about possible hazardous situations that lay ahead. Lighting is now taking part as a safety function as well. It will be able to warn of the danger and assist in focusing the driver’s attention to where it is needed.
About how the autonomous car change the interior ambient lighting:
As drivers relinquish control of the vehicle to a computer, the focus falls on the car interior to attend to the occupants emotional and comfort needs while continuing to provide the exciting driving experience. The biggest trend of today, when it comes to interior lighting, is a personalisation of light. A lot of current eye-catching lighting features and designs are made possible by the introduction of LED technology. Hella have been installing LEDs in its interior illumination applications since 2001. With RGB LED and dynamic light technology lighting will be integrated to provide the occupants with a completely personalised environment.
One of the latest eye-catching features offered by Hella is, for example, the ‘moving colour’. The light moves around the interior in various colours and colour mixtures. In the near future, a smartphone app will allow the end-user to predefine all the aspects of the interior illumination – a single colour scheme, a storybook or a dynamic light show.
