1. Smart automotive headlamp
based on arrays of optical shutters
How to make cars lighter, safer and cheaper with an innovative
and smart front lighting system…
Boris Lamontagne, researcher

2. Basic idea: replace the HID shutter with
switchable glass based on optical shutters
Some High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps have a mechanical
shutter actuated by a solenoid, in order to switch to low or high beams:
(taken from Wikipedia)
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3. Study of the MSU-Hyundai-Kia:
A report of the Michigan State University and Hyundai-Kia showed how
smart glass could replace mechanical shutter in HID headlamp.
However, they concluded that the existing smart glass technologies
(SPD, PDLC, EC) did not have the required performances to replace
mechanical shutters.
The required performances are :
1. switching time of less than 0.5 seconds,
2. less than 2% transmittance in closed state and
3. 90% or more transmittance in open state.
They did not know about NRC’s smart glass.
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4. The best smart glass candidate to replace HID
mechanical shutters:
The NRC smart glass based on micro-blinds could meet the two first
headlamp requirements, while we think we could reach 80%
transmittance. Moreover contrary to the other types of smart glasses,
the micro-blinds are very robust to temperature extremes.
The micro-blinds are based on tiny curling electrodes actuated by electrostatic forces
(voltage).
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5. Micro-blinds for headlamps: extra functionalities
Smart glass based on micro-blinds could be very easily
patterned in arrays separately addressable.
Turning High: leveling, selective illumination
signal
Steering Low beam
Coarse example of a possible array design for left-hand side
Moreover, micro-blinds are switching very fast , thus allowing them to send optical
messages to various potential receptors (cars, street lights, garage doors, etc).
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6. References
Micro-blinds:
1. B.Lamontagne et al. ‘The next-generation of switchable glass: the Micro-blinds’, proceedings of the Glass Performance Days,
2009, p.637, 2009.
2. Wikipedia: ‘smart glass’
3. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqwL2egaqYY
MSU-Hyundai-Kia report:
Automobile Headlamp High Beam Switching Using Smart Glass
http://www.egr.msu.edu/~ece480fs10-05/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/FinalReport.pdf
Headlamp:
1. ’Benefit of Headlamp leveling and cleaning for current US low beams’, Mike Flannagan et al, UMTRI-2007-46
2. Optical design of automotive headlight system incorporating digital micromrror device’, C.C. Hung et al., Appl. Optics 49, 4182
(2010).
3. ’Good headlamp’ Presentation to NHTSA workshop, 2004
(http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Public%20Meetings/Presentations/2004%20Meetings/Jiao.pdf)
4. ’High Dynamic Headlamp system based on a segmented shutter’ Mojrzisch and Strausse.
5. ’Development of an Adaptative Headlamp Systems’ M. Hrairi and A. Bakar, International Conference on Computer and
Communications Engineering, 2010.
6. ’Analysis of the world OEM headlamp market for cars and trucks’, R. Wuthrich, thesis, University of Applied Sciences
Northwestern Switzerland, 2009.
7. ’Assessment of headlamp glare and of potential countermeasures, Survey of Advanced Front Lighting System (AFS) Research
and Technology, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 809 973, 2005.
8. Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPryNWYy0YM&feature=related,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6mmQxfqo7o,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic_rAGrPzXw
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7. Summary
NRC’s smart glass based on micro-blinds
has the potential to replace mechanical
shutters in HID headlamps, and add very
innovative and attractive functionalities.
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8. Thank you
We are looking for industrial partners to
move this technology further
Please contact boris.lamontagne@nrc.ca