Ichikoh Industries Ltd showcased a white LED-based adaptive front lighting system (AFS) that can control the light angles of the right and left headlamps independently.
The AFS was exhibited at AT International 2008, which took place from July 23 to 25, 2008, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
The new headlamp is composed of two fixed units and one swivel unit. Each of the fixed units and the swivel unit is loaded with a white LED. The fixed units are projector type and the swivel unit is rotated by a stepper motor. The white LED loaded on each unit has four LED chips.
The swivel unit lights up the area ahead of a vehicle by reflecting the light generated from the white LED twice. The headlamp has a total luminous flux of 12,000lm, which is equivalent to that of a HID lamp. The luminance efficiency of the LED is about 100lm/W, according to the company.
The power consumption of the headlamp is currently 35W to 40W, about the same as in a HID lamp. "If the luminance efficiency of the LED is improved, the power consumption will be lower than that of HID," a company spokesperson says.
The new headlamp allows adjustments of flux distribution, responding to driving conditions such as straight lane driving, curve driving and highway driving, as well as weather conditions.
For example, when driving through a curve, it can be controlled to light the area ahead of the curve. In highway driving, the visibility of distant areas can be improved by increasing the output of the LED through a slight upward adjustment of the swivel unit's light axis.
In addition, beams can be directed to side strips by the outward adjustment of swivel units on both sides in city driving. During heavy rain, the visibility of guardrails and side strips will be improved by directing the beams toward the shoulder.
Nikkei Electronics Asia magazine is available each month free of charge to engineers, managers and other qualified readers.
Nikkei Electronics |
Nikkei Monozukuri |
Nikkei Automotive Technology |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| The magazine for electronics designers and managers. | Design You Won't Regret - How to Reduce the Risk of Accidents | The comprehensive automotive technology magazine. |
Copyright © 1995-2010 Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
All editorial content and graphics on this Web site may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the copyright owner.
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009