Audi A8 Digital Matrix LED: the future of digital lighting

The updated Audi A8 is the brand’s first model to be available with a fully digital exterior lighting system, combining Digital Matrix LED technology for the front headlamps with digital OLED rear lights.

From summer 2022, three additional functions using this technology will become available. Stephan Berlitz, Audi’s Head of Lighting Development, identifies them as: “advanced traffic information; a lane illuminated with direction-indicator lights on motorways; and a guidance light on rural roads”.

These were exactly the three new features we tested at night in Ingolstadt, Audi’s headquarters north of Munich. During the event, the brand’s engineers also outlined what lies ahead.

A brief history

Audi’s digital lighting represents another technological leap in a field that has evolved alongside the motor car since its earliest days.

The first “motorised carriages” did not even have headlamps. When they eventually appeared, towards the end of the 19th century, they were little more than oil-powered light sources, requiring the user to open a cover, turn on an acetylene supply valve and strike a match.

The first incandescent electric bulbs arrived shortly before 1920. The next major advance came from Hella with the introduction of halogen headlamps. “After that, we can see that developments gathered pace, as happened across all industries,” Berlitz explains.

The timeline bears this out: Audi introduced its first twin-headlamp applications in 1972, followed by its first xenon headlamps in 1994, Full LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps in 2008, Matrix headlamps in 2013 and Laser technology a year later. OLED (Organic LED) rear lights followed in 2016, while digital light - Digital Matrix LED - debuted on the updated Audi A8 in 2021.

Cesar Muntada, a Catalan designer who has been based in Germany for decades and is responsible for the system’s design, told me: “With the first HD Matrix systems [on the previous A8 and the Q8], it was only possible to darken a vertical light segment. We then improved this in the next generation by also doing it horizontally and, now, with Digital Matrix LED, it is possible to do so at every point of light, without working in segments. In addition, lighting systems will be able to receive remote, over-the-air updates in the near future.”

Let there be light

Following an explanation of the lighting technology developments expected in cars over the coming years, which we will cover later, I set off in an Audi A8 on a night-time route designed to reveal how much this technological progress improves visibility.

For the first few kilometres, I was mildly frustrated: there was no discernible difference in either the light beam’s intensity or reach, let alone any sign of the new functions. A call to Audi’s experts clarified the situation: “It is still twilight; you need to wait a few more minutes until it is dark enough.” Fair enough.

And that proved to be the case. Once on the motorway, the guidance light appeared: dark arrows projected beside what Audi calls the “carpet of light”, visible on the road surface between the lane markings.

It is especially helpful on busy motorways or through roadworks - which Audi had kindly included on the route for this experience - because it allows the driver to keep their gaze on the tarmac immediately ahead, in the lane where the light is focused.

The second new function then comes into play. When I activate the right indicator, its flashing direction-change signal is projected onto the tarmac, reinforcing the message the driver intends to communicate to other road users nearby.

The third feature is intended to make the driver aware of a hazard ahead more quickly. A “other hazards” symbol is projected onto the road, meaning the person at the wheel does not even need to look away from the tarmac to be informed of the incident; the warning can also appear in the instrument display or infotainment screen.

More Digital Matrix LED functions

Beyond the functions now arriving on the A8, Audi’s flagship also offers the remaining capabilities of the Digital Matrix LED lighting system. This option costs around €1,900 and is at least as impressive on rural roads.

It not only helps identify pedestrians near the roadside in dark areas, but the digital OLED rear lights - first used on the Audi TT RS - also increase their brightness by illuminating every segment when they detect a vehicle, person or bicycle approaching the rear of the A8.

They can also display a graphic selected by the user through the infotainment system, effectively creating a form of digital signature.

Above all, the feeling of safety when driving at night is greatly enhanced by the genuine “bath of light” ahead of the A8, extending even to the front side sections. It also highlights the significantly improved ability to “mask” vehicles travelling in either the opposite direction or the same direction, without dazzling their drivers.

Indeed, while following an older car with an outdated lighting system, I am sure its driver was surprised by the bright pool of light ahead of their vehicle, allowing them to see everything more clearly - pedestrian crossings, road signs and so on. In reality, that broad, intense illumination was being produced by the A8’s headlamps behind them, but darkened around their car and their eyes.

The advancement is clear, and it should result in greater comfort, less fatigue and improved safety when driving at night.

When I asked Cesar Muntada to identify the principal benefits of the new technology for users, he did not hesitate: “The illuminated areas are much larger than before and, because we can darken the pixels, there are many more areas that remain constantly lit even when dimming is taking place. On the other hand, the transitions between light and darkness are much quicker and smoother. And for drivers in the cars we encounter, the dazzling effect is far lower.”

What to expect in the coming years

At a workshop showing the projects being developed for the short to medium term, Audi highlighted the possibility of vehicle users spending time playing games projected onto the ground or onto a wall in front of the car.

The games will be controlled using a personal mobile device in conjunction with the car’s front headlamps, which become video-game projectors.

Less playful and more safety-focused, flexible OLED lights use a flexible substrate that allows them to take on three-dimensional structures. This makes their shapes more precise while also enabling them to project illuminated pictograms into the outside world.

That world could also benefit from information about different hazards a few metres ahead, communicated through signals displayed in the rear lights or rear window.

There is still a long way to go in this area of communication through digital lighting. Standards and legal frameworks will need to be established so that the messages conveyed can be understood quickly and effectively.

Muntada has no doubt that this will be the next major area of progress in automotive lighting: “It is all about making the world a better place with light, using a human-centred approach which, inevitably, will have to be democratised because only then will it deliver global benefits. It will be a difficult task, as it will involve many car manufacturers and legislators, so that pictograms and graphics become instantly recognisable and intuitive. People understand things differently, depending on cultural nuances.”

In conversation with Stephan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Systems Development

Razão Automóvel (RA): During the night drive, some drivers travelling in the opposite direction even flashed their lights at me. Does that happen because the light temperature of Digital Matrix LED (DML) is stronger than that of normal LED lighting?

Stephan Berlitz (SB): It may have happened because they noticed a different type of light or a larger illuminated area than usual ahead of them, but I can assure you that DML brightness does not cause any glare.

RA: On several occasions, I tried to activate DML but could not because it was unavailable. Does the system’s availability depend on speed, the car’s location - if it is in an urban area, for example - or both?

SB: In fact, both. The navigation system tells the DML system that it is passing through an urban area and the system is therefore switched off. A succession of traffic lights detected by the camera also tells the system that the vehicle is in an urban area. In addition, many functions are not active below 50 km/h, although there is no upper speed limit.

RA: On dual carriageways, I could see the “carpet of light” projected onto the road ahead and the stronger illuminated area extending intermittently. On rural roads, however, there is no “carpet of light” or flashing-light effect. Instead, 2+2 arrows are projected onto the road, resembling augmented-reality arrows, but they seem subtle and difficult to distinguish from the tarmac. Is that intentional, or can the user adjust their brightness?

SB: The arrows are very subtle because they are always moving in front of the car. If they were brighter, their light would disturb the driver. This is not a warning; it is an assistance light.

RA: On some occasions, I felt that the DML light was very intense when reflected by road signs, particularly those with a blue background, to the point that I felt dazzled.

SB: We have already reduced the light intensity by 30% when the system detects a road sign. If we reduce it further, the camera, the driver, or both may fail to see the sign. It is worth considering that tonight’s test was carried out in very good weather conditions: clear skies, a full moon and so on.

If it had been cloudy and/or rainy, you would probably have considered the lighting intensity appropriate. But I admit that you may be right: perhaps the reflection of the light on road signs is still too strong, and that is something we will need to continue assessing.

RA: How will it be possible to bring this technology to more compact, less expensive cars? What limitations can be expected in terms of packaging and cost?

SB: This is the normal path for any new technology: it appears first in more expensive cars and is then passed down to lower market segments. We are already considering ways to reduce the size of the equipment in the next generations, as well as some different functions for digital light, with many pixels but not the millions of pixels we have in this system.

We need to reduce the size, certainly, but the main functions will remain - such as the “carpet of light”, guidance and so on - which means we will use the overall electronic architecture.