Software-Defined Vehicle ZKW is Working on New Software Functions for Vehicle Lighting

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On the way to the software-defined vehicle, the E/E architecture of the car is also changing. This also affects the lighting systems. While light functions in today's vehicles are mainly provided directly in control units in or on the headlight, they will be consolidated in a central vehicle computer in the future.

ZKW is currently working on flexible software packages and light architectures that can be integrated independently of the specific electrical/electronic architecture of vehicle manufacturers. This includes, for example, Scene-Based Lighting—a lighting application that uses artificial intelligence to automatically adjust the light distribution to the surroundings. It recognizes specific driving situations and lighting conditions to assist the driver and better protect other road users. Individual driver data is also incorporated into the calculations. Another development area for the supplier is software-free headlights. These no longer require their own microcontroller but use new electronic components and receive their control commands directly from a central control unit in the vehicle. This enables such lighting systems to perform various functions, such as brightness or segment control.

Integrating Standard Functions into Service-Oriented Software Architecture

In addition, the company is working on "Vehicle Lighting as a Service." This means that standardized lighting functions such as low beam, high beam, or turn signals are integrated into a service-oriented software architecture. These functions then run on a central computer from LG Electronics. A driving simulator is used for development and testing, allowing light functions to be virtually tested and visualized. "This makes it possible to virtually test how lighting functions—such as automatic high beams, cornering lights, or animations—respond to driving situations. This saves time and costs in development," explains Matthäus Artmann, Project Leader Advanced Technologies at the supplier.

Eliminating Separate Control Units

By consolidating the light processing functions in central control units, separate control units directly on the headlamp become unnecessary. This means that the lights can be manufactured more cost-effectively. In addition, the electrical interfaces of the headlamps are standardized, making them easier to replace. The software for lighting systems thus becomes independent of the actual light modules. The provision of driver software for headlamp modules ensures that automakers can bring their vehicles to market more quickly. In the future, lighting functions can, for example, be integrated into the vehicle via over-the-air updates or through connections to mobile apps, which allow customized light animations to be configured. This also opens up new business models.

ZKW And LG Further Develop Lighting Algorithms

The light algorithms developed by ZKW in recent years, which are currently used in control units for series-production headlights, are to be further developed in collaboration with LG Vehicle Solution and offered as standalone software products in the future. A modular system, where each module represents an independent, tested software solution, is intended to provide vehicle manufacturers with maximum flexibility. These modules can be assembled and adapted as needed, allowing new lighting functions to be integrated into vehicles more quickly.

Currently, many automakers rely on a domain architecture where the light distribution is calculated directly in a dedicated control unit within the headlamp. In contrast, Software-Defined Vehicle platforms use zonal electronic architectures with a central computing unit. Thanks to a unified middleware, software functions can be easily updated and continuously developed there.

Demonstrator in Cooperation With LG

ZKW, in collaboration with LG VS, has developed a demonstrator to replicate typical driving situations based on realistic use cases. This allows for the representation of lighting functions that focus both on the driver and on communication with the surroundings via the front and rear lighting. The calculation of the lighting functions is performed on a high-performance computer from LG. The respective lighting systems in the vehicle are controlled via zone controllers. The driving scenarios take place in a driving simulator, which delivers real-time generated vehicle signals to the central computer. The calculated lighting functions are also visualized in the simulator and represented as a digital image in the virtual world. (se)

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