BMW relies on biologically effective light for the Le Mans racing classic

Feature articles | June 8, 2018

By Christoph Hammerschmidt

LEDlighting Automotive

This classic car race in France places the highest demands on man and machine. Light is also a factor that can be decisive for success. LED light glasses are used to prepare the athletes. The blue light of the LED stimulates the central nervous system and prepares it for the next race. Special room lights are also used for the drivers and engineers in common rooms and in the command stand. The luminaires provide light with a high blue component, which maintains and strengthens concentration even during the night shift. The influence of light as a factor in the race was already tested at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2017. Here too, the BMW team relied on biologically effective light from Osram.

Osram LEDs are also used in the main headlamps of the BMW M8 GTE, which were manufactured by custom-built specialist GERG Lighthouse – six Oslon Black Flat S LEDs in the 3-chip version per headlamp. For the auxiliary headlamps of the race car, the Ostar Headlamp Pro was chosen, which was specially developed for high-brightness applications.

The Oslon Black Flat S LED with its robust SMT packages can be used for a wide range of applications from main beam and fog lamps to cornering lights. The high contrast between the individual LED chips and their individual controllability enable adaptive driving light. The light beam of the headlamp is divided into individual segments so that different sectors can be switched on and off independently of each other. For example, glare-free high beam can be achieved by avoiding oncoming traffic from the high beam while illuminating the rest of the environment with full intensity.

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