Audi revealed its Swarm lighting concept at the 2013 Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The concept has been developed to show what is available through organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology, opening up new possibilities for design.
Audi engineers transformed a vehicle’s rear end into a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small OLED lights flickering like a swarm of fish.
The movements of the small points of light echo the vehicle’s movements: When a right turn is made, they flow to the right; when the car is braked, they flow rapidly forwards; the faster the car goes, the faster they move. The following driver can always see right away what the driver of the car in front is doing.
Unlike the LEDs currently in use, which consist of semiconductor crystals, OLEDs are made from an organic material. The material is spread extremely thinly — the coating is only a few thousandths of a millimeter thick — on an absolutely flat surface such as highly polished display glass. When an electrical voltage is applied, the molecules emit photons and the surface lights up.
This innovative new technology not only looks cool, but it the light distribution is very homogeneous and very energy-efficient. And, above all, it has the capability to dramatically improve traffic safety.
Watch the video above to see the Audi Swarm lighting concept in action.
