A research team receives the German Future Prize
The German President honours outstanding innovations. The invention by this year’s prize winners could revolutionise vehicle headlights.
Berlin/Regensburg (dpa) - A research team has been awarded the German Future Prize for a development that should enable smart vehicle headlights. In Berlin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honoured the research conducted by a team under two researchers, Norwin von Malm und Stefan Grötsch, from the company ams OSRAM International in Regensburg as well as Hermann Oppermann from Berlin’s Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM.
The team developed a “digital light” in the form of tiny, individually controlled LED pixels that are intended to enable new, resource-saving applications. One such application announced by the team is vehicle headlights that ensure “significant additional safety” due to precise light distribution on the road ahead, without blinding or endangering oncoming traffic or pedestrians. Areas that should be bright are illuminated, other areas – such as an oncoming vehicle – remain dark.
The German President awards this prize each year to acknowledge excellence in basic and cutting-edge research conducted by researchers and engineers. “We don’t win the future by a wait-and-see approach or by letting it happen, but by taking steps to shape it”, said Steinmeier at the award ceremony. The prize was awarded for the 28th time and includes 250,000 euros in prize money.