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Automotive

Audi's Swarm concept reinvents the humble taillight

By James Holloway
March 15, 2013
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Audi's concept OLED taillight, Swarm
Audi's concept OLED taillight, Swarm
Dynamic patterns could relay information to other drivers
Audi suggests Swarm could relay information about speed, traffic behavior, and the layout of the road ahead
Some have raised concerns that the patterns could be distracting
Dynamic patterns could relay information to other drivers
Some have raised concerns that the patterns could be distracting
Audi describes the concept as "a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small points of light flickering like a swarm of fish"
Dynamic patterns could relay information to other drivers
Audi describes the concept as "a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small points of light flickering like a swarm of fish"
Some have raised concerns that the patterns could be distracting
Audi's concept OLED taillight, Swarm
Dynamic patterns could relay information to other drivers
Audi suggests Swarm could relay information about speed, traffic behavior, and the layout of the road ahead
Some have raised concerns that the patterns could be distracting
Dynamic patterns could relay information to other drivers
Some have raised concerns that the patterns could be distracting
Audi describes the concept as "a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small points of light flickering like a swarm of fish"
Dynamic patterns could relay information to other drivers
Audi describes the concept as "a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small points of light flickering like a swarm of fish"
Some have raised concerns that the patterns could be distracting
View gallery - 20 images

Practically, this may be a terrible idea, but as a tech demo, it's an excellent illustration of OLED, and its potential to kick holes in the divide between what we think of as display technology and what we think of as lighting technology. The concept is called Swarm, and is in essence an ultra wide aspect ratio TV placed on a car's derrière where the taillights should be. The idea is that the swooping, fluid animations displayed will relay all sorts of useful information to other road users.

What sort of information can be relayed? Braking and indicating turns are a good start, obviously. Additionally, though, Audi suggests that the car's speed, the behavior of other traffic and even pitches and turns in the road could be relayed through various combinations of patterns and color. In effect, the car becomes a sort of benevolent autonomous sentinel.

The objection is obvious: that Swarm could prove more distracting than useful, and therefore be a potential hazard to other drivers. A spokesperson for the UK's Automobile Association has been widely reported as sounding a note of caution. "The Swarm is a delightful concept design but under current lighting regulations it is probably best saved for aquariums or art galleries," they said.

In the description of a YouTube video of the technology posted at the AudiAustralia account, the company hints that OLEDs may one day cover the car's entire body, inside and out, allowing animations that may highlight the door handle to the approaching driver (Audi's idea) or glow when orcs are near (my idea). Maybe people will just use it to sell advertising space on their car.

Swarm is version 0.1 of this theoretical OLEDified automobile of the future. Audi describes it as "a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small points of light flickering like a swarm of fish." We look forward to version 0.2: "shoal of bees."

Oblig vid below...

Source: Audi

View gallery - 20 images

Tags

AutomotiveAudiOLEDLighting
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James Holloway
James writes about science and technology from his home in rural East Anglia. Whether it's the internet, nature, video games or AI, he pays particular heed to the flash points with culture, society and the planet.
13 comments
drgnfly004
wow i love it i want a whole car covered with this you could put sensors or cameras all around the car and then use a computer to view the images and project onto the side of the car the view from that direction and create a very interesting camouflage effect
RJB
Brilliant! For years I have wanted one of those moving displays at the back of my vehicles so that I can say "Sorry" on the rare occasions that I do something silly and (more often) to say "You silly man/woman - you really should concentrate more" (or more probably just the one word) when the situation lends itself. An OLED screen with pre-programmed words operated by buttons on the steering wheel is just so much cooler.
ElSmurf
That looks like one expensive taillight.
Joel Detrow
The problem with their demonstration is that it's not responsive enough and definitely has the potential for confusion. Such technology is awesome, but by the time such a thing could reach a low enough cost, cars will be driving themselves anyway, and the external visuals would just be...probably advertisements and arrows showing pedestrians where the car is going.
Valkyrie Ice
And yet another prediction of mine coming true.
http://hplusmagazine.com/editors-blog/quantum-dots-future-vr
The use of displays conformed to the surface of an object is going to change how we interact with the world around us.
Sure, it's tail lights now. But that same display could also be a user interface, and once covering the entire car, could enable all visual aspects of the car to be user controlled.
Joop Dresscher
still have the tech 1987 reports how much better readable a self illuminating licence plate will be. also eu governement reply's they liked the idea on a eu plate with didnt come, just a small -at first illigal!- later required small eurosign with a country's first letters. so didnt make the 100 million cents i was thinking of. only cost as at the time i patented and proposed a retroreflecting self iluminating sticker made of 3m-usa material. stil dont like number plate dents and external lichting, maybe a cars number can be displayed this way. than again there is the legal issue but meanwhile have heard in japan cars ride with something like this..
KMH
What will make this affordable is the car companies using it to advertise. Think of driving behind someone on an expressway who has moving ads running across the back of their car.... Oh, and of course, there's the whole road rage and texting-while-driving things to be considered also.
Joel Reed
I just want a "Hang up and drive!!" message.

This would make a great stealth replacement for light bars atop police vehicles
Sonya Jones
Big brother will like this. Inspection and license info could be programmed in so the police would know just by pulling up behind whom was driving, if the car was properly licensed, out past curfew or any other little detail. Fingerprint readers may take the place of keys for starting and the cars will not start if the right person is not touching the wheel. For the drivers comfort, the seat will automatically weigh the person for correct contour and if it does not meet the acceptalbe region, the car will not start or run without a passcode.
This may not be such a good idea, but it is where we are headed. It is cute, though.
Eddie Hagler
This should not be allowed on the road... drivers will not know what is going on. The format of signaling shown is going to cause crashes and be useless as a signaling device.
The concept could also lead to obscene messages being displayed on the rear of cars to motorists and could lead to more road rage.
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