Apr 9 2014
HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co., a global supplier of automotive lighting and electronic products, has won the prestigious 2014 Automotive News PACE Award for its industry-first adaptive LED Matrix Beam technology.
Matrix LED Light Patterns. (PRNewsFoto/HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co.)
A leader in automotive lighting and electronics, HELLA's "glare-free high-beam" headlights use individually controlled LEDs that adjust automatically to real-time traffic conditions to reduce glare for other drivers.
The new Matrix Beam system combines a front camera, high-performance software and "intelligent lighting" technology to recognize cars that are being followed as well as oncoming traffic.
The system automatically adjusts a car's headlamps to deliver "glare free" illumination, dimming or switching on and off light sources based on traffic conditions. Individually controlled LEDs also provide two or more dark zones with "light in-between," allowing continuous use of a vehicle's high-beams to maximize visibility and provide a safer driving experience.
An industry first, HELLA's system utilizes 25 individually controlled LEDs arranged in a matrix format to provide car owners with an almost unlimited variety of lighting patterns. Audi became the first car company to introduce matrix lighting on its recently launched Audi A8.
LEDs are widely accepted in the industry as alternative light sources, supplying a variety of advantages when compared to traditional technologies such as halogen or xenon lighting. LED lighting imitates natural sunlight better than other light sources and can help reduce driver fatigue. It also can provide more "robust" solutions that don't depend on mechanical parts and are more durable than conventional lighting systems.
HELLA has participated in a number of previous PACE Award programs. In 2012, the company was recognized as a finalist for its Multi-Chip Module (MCM) oil sensing technology. Earlier nominations included full light-emitting diode (LED) headlamps in 2009 and an honorable mention in for its lane-change-assist technology in 2008.
HELLA was one of the 34 nominees for a 2014 PACE Award recognized in this year's award program.
Note to Editors: Award photos are available on request.