Huds made of LED and laser lights finds its way in vehicles applications

Global LED manufacturers regard car led lights application a niche market. The booming electric vehicle and self-driving technology require  more power saving solutions.


Head up display (HUD) which enables drivers to see information while looking the road is an application that can be enhanced through the latest LED technologies. A HUD system usually include a picture generating unit (PGU) consisting of an LED array, a thin film transistor production display, a lens system and beam splitter. The units projects images and the images are reflected through fold mirrors and magnified on the windshield or a glass.

There are three types of HUDs for the automotive market, combiner HUD, windshield HUD and AR HUD. Combiner HUD has been replacing by windshield HUD and the application of AR HUD is more popular in high-end automobile models.

AR HUD is better windshield HUD as it offers a longer virtual image distance (VID) which is around 7.5 to 15 meters and a wider field of view (FOV) that enable drivers to focus on the front road without changing vision and attention to the windshield.

Power LED or laser lights are the most important components for HUDs as they need to provide light that is bright enough for drivers clearly see the projected images and information. Suppliers of the LED components of HUD include OSRAM Continental, Nichia and Episar.