For a long time, small exterior lights only had the capability to illuminate the area around the car and were not used to customization or personal features. In the past few years, we have seen an increase in the functionality of these lights with the ability to display single color patterns. Using Texas Instruments DLP® technology, these lights can be transformed into fully dynamic projectors when designed with devices such as the DLP3021-Q1 and DLP2021-Q1. DLP technology is automotive qualified, compact and reprogrammable, enabling a system that can display an infinite number of full color images and videos for vehicle personalization, customization and styling. This application is called dynamic ground projection, as lighting designers finally have a dynamic projection system to display information all the outside of the car.

A projector system about the size of a human thumb can be easily integrated into many areas around the call, such as side rearview mirrors, door panels, rocker panels and tail lights. When mounted in these locations, dynamic ground projection systems can be used to create animated logos, customizable welcome messages, unique light carpets for vehicle styling, and extended displays for turn signals and advanced warnings. While our dynamic ground projections systems can act as standalone modules, connecting them to the vehicle’s communication network enable a truly dynamic display that the can further connect a driver to their car.