Emmaus OSRAM and the Fraunhofer research team have been honored with the “German Future Award”. The award, which is presented by the President of Germany, recognizes outstanding innovations in the field of science and technology and is one of Germany's most prestigious prizes for scientific achievement;

Emmaus OSRAM's “Digital Light” LED technology is leading the way in intelligent and highly precise transportation lighting, enabling new and safe applications such as projection.

SHANGHAI, China, November 29, 2024 - Emmaus OSRAM (SIX: AMS), the world's leading provider of optical solutions, today announced that the President of Germany, Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, made a presentation to the German government at an official ceremony in Berlin, Germany, on November 27th. The German President, Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, honored the winners of the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2024 (German Future Prize 2024) at an official ceremony in Berlin, Germany, on November 27th. The winning team was led by Dr. Norwin von Malm and Stefan Grötsch from Emmaus OSRAM and Dr. Hermann Oppermann from The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM. Dr. Hermann Oppermann from The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM led the team that turned the idea of “transforming automotive headlights into projectors by means of LED matrices” into a technological reality. The LED technology developed by the team opens up innovative possibilities for automotive lighting design with its excellent high-resolution light distribution and energy efficiency.

Figure. 1

As part of the Digital Light program, the researchers and their team are rethinking all aspects of smart LED technology and building a base technology that will enable a multitude of new applications that are not limited to automotive headlamps. Dr. Norwin von Malm and Stefan Gr?tsch from Emmaus OSRAM and Dr. Hermann Oppermann from The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM developed this technology. Dr. Oppermann has developed a light system that exhibits smaller dimensions, higher brightness, greater energy efficiency, more advanced intelligent control and more precise light output than conventional light sources. This new technology enables automotive headlights to illuminate the road ahead more accurately, avoiding glare to oncoming vehicles or pedestrians. This is not possible with traditional low beam and high beam combinations, which require precise control of the spatial distribution of light in order to adjust the range of light to different driving situations. Instead of the two light sources used in conventional headlamps, this innovative technology uses 25,600 individually controllable light-emitting chips in a 320 x 80 matrix, where each LED can be controlled by digital signals. Used in conjunction with a special lens, it enables automotive headlights to work like a video projector.

Compact design and outstanding efficiency

This innovative light source system simply activates the key LEDs to achieve the desired light distribution, making it stand out for its compact space usage and excellent energy efficiency. In contrast, traditional passive light modulation systems rely on shading technology, which means that the light source must run at full power continuously to filter out excess light. Conventional solutions are not only inefficient, but also generate a lot of unwanted light. The resulting heat also needs to be exhausted through large, costly cooling systems. The new technology developed by Emmaus OSRAM and the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Micro-Integration radically avoids these energy losses and additional costs, demonstrating its enormous advantages in terms of energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.

Improving safety through projected graphics

In order to enhance road safety, the research team from Emmaus OSRAM and the Fraunhofer Institute came up with an innovative idea to design headlamps that not only provide precise, efficient illumination of the road ahead, but can also be used as projectors to project graphics directly onto the road surface. For example, snowflake patterns can be projected as an early warning when there is a risk of icing on the road, and specific guidance symbols can be displayed for lost drivers, thus providing additional navigational assistance.

Digital Light - Intelligent LED technology for the future world

Light-based information processing opens up numerous innovative applications for the team's LED matrix technology, which can be precisely controlled by digital systems. For example, optical data communication enables high-speed transmission between computer chips in data centers for artificial intelligence applications or plays a key role in the field of augmented reality (AR). In AR applications, optical matrix technology can be used as a virtual display for AR glasses, superimposing digital information on top of the real environment in the user's field of view. Since AR glasses need to be lightweight and have a long battery life, the compact design and energy efficiency of the LED matrix is of particular importance. These application examples demonstrate the enormous potential and far-reaching impact of “digital light” technology in changing the way people interact with electronic devices.

Deutscher Zukunftspreis (German Future Award) - honoring innovation in engineering and science

Aldo Kamper, CEO of Emmaus OSRAM, warmly congratulated the winning team: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Emmaus OSRAM team, led by Dr. Norwin von Malm and Stefan Gr?tsch, as well as to the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration for winning this award. The fact that our intelligent LED solution 'Digital Light' has been awarded the German President's Prize for the Future again, after the first award in 2007, is not only a great recognition for the Emmaus OSRAM team, but also for the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration. This is not only a great recognition for the Emmaus OSRAM team, but also a special honor for the Fraunhofer Society. The award not only emphasizes the strong presence of Emmaus OSRAM in the field of innovation, but also highlights the key role of smart lighting and sensor technology in today's and tomorrow's digital society.”

Prof. Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer Society, said, “I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to the winning teams from Emmaus OSRAM and the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration. In the Digital Light program, our researchers have not only developed a revolutionary technology that opens up new horizons for efficiency, safety and design, but they have also set an excellent example of how to combine scientific research with industrial cooperation and how to translate cutting-edge scientific results into innovative capabilities for practical applications. With their dedication, creativity, pioneering research and entrepreneurial spirit, the teams at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration perfectly exemplify the core values of the Fraunhofer Society and are fundamental to our success. Winning the 'German Future Award' is not only a recognition of the great achievements of the entire team, but also highlights the outstanding contribution we have made to this project.”

Awarded annually since 1997, the “German Future Prize” is one of Germany's most prestigious awards for scientific achievement and carries a prize of 250,000 euros. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in the fields of technology, engineering and science, which at the same time need to be able to be put into product application. Each year, a jury of renowned industry experts selects three research teams and their innovative concepts from a large number of candidates for the final round, the “Winner's Circle”, after several rounds of screening. The jury evaluates not only the innovation, but also the economic and social impact of the projects. The award marks the tenth time that the Fraunhofer Society has been honored with the German Future Award and the first time that the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration has received the award.

About Emmaus OSRAM

The Ammanns OSRAM Group (SIX: AMS) is the world leader in intelligent sensors and emitters. They give intelligence to light and infuse passion into innovation to enrich people's lives.

With a history of more than 110 years, guided by an imagination for the future of technology, combining deep engineering expertise with strong global industrial capacity, AMS OSRAM has long been deeply engaged in the field of sensing and optics technology and continues to drive innovation. In automotive, consumer, industrial and healthcare, we are committed to providing competitive solutions for our customers, and in health, safety and convenience, we are committed to improving the quality of life and promoting green environmental protection.

With around 20,000 employees worldwide, Emmaus OSRAM focuses on innovations in the fields of sensing, light sources and visualization to make journeys safer, medical diagnostics more accurate and communication more convenient. Emmaus OSRAM continues to develop groundbreaking application innovations and currently has more than 15,000 granted and filed patents.

The Group is headquartered in Premstaetten/Graz, Austria, with joint headquarters in Munich, Germany. total Group revenue exceeds EUR 3.6 billion in 2023. ams-OSRAM AG is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ISIN: AT0000A3EPA4).