BMW Showcases Its Dramatic Yet Efficient OLED Tail Light Concept | TechTree.com

BMW Showcases Its Dramatic Yet Efficient OLED Tail Light Concept

In the not so distant future, OLEDs will be everywhere and not just on your smartphones screen.

 

The lights on a car are one of the more functional elements, but are at the same time a major contributor to the character of the design. Today's lighting technology leaves a lot to be desired in terms of both, design and function. BMW however – well, being BMW - has revealed some details about its upcoming OLED-based Organic Lighting system, opening up a whole new possibility for car lighting.

 

Currently tail lights of cars are big, power hungry and require reflectors to be seen from various angles. BMW's concept shows thin uniformly lit strips that don't require reflectors while also consuming a fraction of the power of regular lights. The real disruptive bit is that BMW has already figured out how to build the OLED panels in a variety of 2D as well as 3D shapes.

 

The company claims the technology could be used on production cars within the next three years, but will not completely replace existing lights. The OLED panels aren't bright enough to replace for example brake lights or headlamps, but could replace the LEDs that are currently used. Moreover, for better projection of light beams, Audi has already developed its LASER headlamps, something it showcased on its Quattro concept.

 

The reason LASERS and OLED panels will replace traditional lights on cars is because of their space saving nature, while also consuming far less power to be operated. This becomes even more relevant on electric cars, where running lights and other devices adds strain on the battery packs.


TAGS: technology, OLED, BMW, efficient lighting, electric cars

 
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