Researchers develop MEMS optical scanner to improve performance of adaptive driving beam headlights

Every year, car accidents kill about 1 million people worldwide, and the death rate caused by night driving is much higher than that caused by daytime driving. Therefore, improving night driving visibility is crucial to reducing fatal car accidents.

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自适应驾驶光束（ADB）可在一定程度上提高能见度，减少碰撞事故。这种高级汽车前灯驾驶辅助技术可以根据车速和交通环境自动调整视野。虽然与手动控制的前大灯相比，ADB系统已显著地改进，但其可控性受限。此外，虽然空间光调制器，如液晶像素或数字微镜，有助于解决这一问题，但这些设备比较昂贵，并未充分利用光能，而导致热损失。

According to foreign media reports, Japanese researchers have developed an alternative to traditional ADB systems, namely a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) optical scanner that relies on the piezoelectric effect of electromechanical vibration. The scanner contains a thin film made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) that induces mechanical vibrations in the scanner in synchronization with the laser diode. The optical scanner spatially guides the laser beam to form structured light on the phosphor plate, which is then converted into bright white light. The ADB controller adjusts the intensity of the light according to traffic conditions, steering wheel angle and vehicle cruising speed. Hiroshi Toshiyoshi, a researcher at the University of Tokyo, explained, "The uniqueness of this device is that it efficiently converts the laser beam into white light, reducing the heat generated by the ADB system."

The system can be used not only for driving assistance technology, but also for light detection and ranging, as well as vehicle-to-vehicle interactive optical communication links, which means that the system can also be used for autonomous driving technology in intelligent transportation systems in the future.