Smart signs and lighting created for automotive market

Dan Rogers - 24 Aug 2010

Intelligent, organic electronic lighting and signage are being developed for roads and vehicles in a three-year R&D project.

A consortium led by Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF) will create LED signs that can communicate with vehicles, and vehicle lighting that adapts to its environment, for the EU-funded PRIAM project.

The project has been given €3.8 million to create two demonstrators of fully integrated devices. One is a sign that can gather data, for instance on parking spaces, and transmit it to a waiting vehicle. The other is an autonomously-powered LED taillight that gets brighter or dimmer in response to ambient light.

Both devices will fully integrate LED lighting, sensors, photovoltaic (PV) cells and other components in a single substrate, and be designed for roll-to-roll production.

Production

The sign demonstrator could enter the market shortly after the project ends in 2013, says project coordinator Nello Li Pira of CRF.

Li Pira comments: 'When the project is complete we could start production, or pre-production, of a road sign.

'[Consortium member] Solari already produces this kind of panel, and so could produce the information panel demonstrated.

'Solari already has a request from a customer for an information panel with integrated solar cells, so there is a market pull for such technology.'

While the integration of the taillight demonstrator may be less straightforward, Li Pira says the consortium partners will help commercialise the technology.

'CRF is part of the Fiat Group, and internal communications are conducted daily,' he adds.

'If we think something is possible to produce, we can contact the group in charge of designing and assembling these systems and discuss requirements, restrictions in size, and ensure we have all the necessary information.'

Partners

As well as Fiat's research group, the consortium includes the Centro Ricerche Plast-Optica (CRP), a joint venture of the CRF, Automotive Lighting and development agency Agemont.

Other partners are materials supplier Amepox, semiconductor firm microTEC, and research groups VTT and the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission.

The consortium will create low-complexity demonstrators by 2012, says Li Pira, before defining a complete, high-complexity design to demonstrate at the end of the project.

And, with input from CRF owner Fiat Group, PRIAM could lead to the use of the intelligent taillight in an existing model, or new concept.

Li Pira adds: 'Towards the end of the project in particular, discussions with Fiat regarding style, size and so on will be mandatory. Fiat Group comprises Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, IVECO and CNH, so there are many different cars and vehicle brands.

'We will focus first on introducing this on a concept car, or there may be a case for use in a small car, like a Fiat 500, or Panda.

'We will discuss this at the beginning of the second year of the project, and decide whether to make a system for an existing car, or design something for a concept.'