OLED Lighting in Automobiles

[DJShortyG]

Okay, I have been tooling around with this idea and would love everyone's take on it:

I know that a lot of work is being done on OLED Screens, especially flexible ones for use in Automotive. The manufacturing process is still expensive and unreliable, but it is definitely improving. I want to know the feasibility of molding OLED material (or screens) into pieces like door handles and dash buttons. It would save weight and energy consumption as well as allow for some interesting pieces where interior lighting can be placed within an automobile.

What are everyone's thoughts on the idea of using OLED for interior lighting and the possibilities that it opens up in interior design of cars? Is the idea of molding the actual lighting mechanism into an interior component worth it to simplify assembly or does it make it more difficult?

Thanks for any thoughts on the idea!

Link

 

[berkshire]

Whilst OLED's are supposed to have a longer service life, will this mean replacing the whole molded part if the OLED goes bad?
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor

 

[DJShortyG]

bershire,

You are correct that it could mean replacing the whole part, but if a single OLED pixel fails you would be hard pressed to see it. The nice part about it is the electronics could b elsewhere in the car and just the OLED panel molded into the piece!

 

[patprimmer]

What's wrong with a simple low power LED in each part that needs illumination.

Regards
Pat
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[TomDOT]

Pat,

That would be using a simple, proven, cheap, durable, energy-efficient technology instead of the new, shiny, more-failure-prone, expensive "next gen" technology.

 

[patprimmer]

Dam

I knew there was something wrong with the idea. I just didn't know what, I mean, cheap, durable efficient reliable and effective. What else could it be

Regards
Pat
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[DJShortyG]

Pat,

Your suggestion is completely legitimate, and as long as we do not need lots of light then it works extremely well. The harder part is the electronics that drive the LED and the LED itself are not small and space is a concern is something like a door handle. Also the fact that the LED cannot be bent to fit in a nice molded piece of the door or dash.

TomDOT,

As for your statement, you are absolutely correct that it is a simple and proven technology being ousted by the shiny new one. Unfortunately OLED lighting gives us many options that were not available before like lighting in the shape of an OEM symbol without the need for multiple LED back lights or even crazier an entire dashboard that can have its color changed based on your mood. (Okay Extreme Example) I am not saying it isn't more pertinent to use the simple and proven technology I am simply stating that I believe the use of OLED lighting in the auto industry opens up new possibilities and hope that the experts here may know of some.

 

[DJShortyG]

Pat,

Again you are pointing out the pros of an LED but not the cons. Yes LEDs are proven, cheap, simple (the LED not the electronics running it), and durable, but they are not as small as and OLED light source could be, they generate heat (especially when over driven to be brighter), they are single point light sources (if the lighting is one LED and it results in no light), not to mention there are limits to color options (unless you put an LCD screen filter over it, or spend a lot more money on multi-color LEDs). The Link is and example of a tri-color LED that would probably be around $1 to an OEM.

 

[TomDOT]

DJ,

I'm not sure what you're referring to. You can get VERY bright LEDs now. Traffic signals are now using as few as 3 LEDs per lamp color, and one of those is just for redundancy. The board will automatically raise voltage on the remaining two if one fails and still meet full brightness. This is for a 12" lamp face. Single LED versions are supposed to become available in a year or two.

One LED and a diffuser can easily illuminate a large OEM symbol.

LEDs are readily available in multiple, changeable colors. You can change the entire dashboard color based on mood.

OLEDs have a place for changeable displays. Radio faces are the obvious example. For illumination they are just overpriced and more failure prone.

 

[TomDOT]

Apparently we were typing at the same time. Realize that 3-color LED represents a full color spectrum when used with varying voltages on the different legs.

 

[TomDOT]

On the heat topic: Conventional LEDs are more efficient than OLED. You can get 100 lumens/watt from conventional LED, and maybe 60 lumens/watt from OLED. The rest of that watt in either case is heat.

 

[MintJulep]

Sounds largely like a solution in search of a problem.

Just because it's possible to illuminate a manufacturer's emblem doesn't mean that it's necessary to do it.

 

[JayMaechtlen]

well, for really high-end stuff, you could probably come up with some very cool effects using either OLEDs or lots of RGB LEDs.
I really don't think the drivers are an issue either way- if you're bored, check out hackaday.com



Jay Maechtlen

http://www.laserpubs.com/techcomm