LG Electronics subsidiary ZKW develops new lighting technology for self-driving cars to make vehicles safer

ZKW, the Austrian lighting systems subsidiary of South Korea's LG Electronics, has announced that it and its partner companies are developing new micromirror modules, a complex device that enables laser beams to be emitted more precisely and can provide intelligent lighting functions for self-driving cars.

The micromirror module is a complex microelectromechanical system (MEMS) consisting of a chip with integrated microscopic mirror mechanical elements. The micromirror can rotate around two axes through piezoelectric means, emitting laser beams to project symbols and warning information onto the road. In addition, the technology can be used in automotive headlights, taillights, and light detection and ranging (lidar) systems to achieve optical distance measurement functions.

ZKW lighting system (Image source: ZKW)

“The goal of this ‘intelligent road lighting’ is to make vehicles smarter, safer and more interactive,” ZKW CEO Oliver Schubert said in a press release on August 25, local time. Schubert also predicted that MEMS will become a key technology for autonomous vehicles to achieve new automated lighting functions.

ZKW, whose research partners include Austrian research center Silicon Austrian Labs and German electronic module and component manufacturer TDK Electronics, is currently working on two prototypes that integrate micromirror chips and the necessary electronics into a single lighting system.

Earlier this year, ZKW also partnered with Israeli startup Newsight Imaging to develop an adaptive high-beam system. This smart vehicle lighting technology uses sensors to control the direction of the car's headlights to prevent drivers of oncoming vehicles from being temporarily blinded by the bright light.