Necessity of New Approaches for LED Headlamp Design

The characteristics of the semiconductor based Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) is completely different to the characteristics of traditional light source used in automotive exterior front lighting systems. The characteristics include not only optical items, but also electrical, mechanical and temperature issues. These characteristics make new approaches in the field of automotive headlamp development necessary.

Due to the designer's wishes, the LEDs must be mounted on a 3-dimensional surface with small tolerances to the associated optics. High power LEDs create a lot of heat, so that they have to be assembled with a cooling device. The generated heat should be used for defogging and deicing of the outer lens of the headlamp. Electrical drivers are needed to keep the current through the LED constant. All new technical challenges will lead to more stylistic freedom