4^th International L-LAB Summerschool:

September 2006: For the fourth time, experts from all over the world joined the L-LAB Summerschool, which took place in Winterberg/Altastenberg from 18th to 22nd of September. Most recent research results, development trends and know how have been exchanged under the title “Futures for Automotive Lighting caught between technology an human factors – Where are the real improvements?”

The L-LAB, a Public Private Partnership backed by the University of Paderborn and Hella KGaA, again was able to gather more than 50 experts from all over the world around the table. During five days, the experts presented their current research in the Berghotel Astenkrone in Winterberg-Altastenberg and open-mindedly discussedthe developments of automotive lighting techniques and driver assistance.

 
Participants of Summerschool 2006

 
Prof.MacLeod

How far will the technical developments extend? Will traffic safety increase with the help of these new developments? How do the new systems influence the driver? The main focus of this years' summerschool was on these and related questions. Lighting engineers, ergonomists, psychologists and vehicle experts agreed, that only interdisciplinary research can provide meaningful answers to the above questions. The spectrum of topics ranged from fundamental research on mesopic vision up to automatic vision and design metaphors for driver assistance systems.

The discovery of a fourth color receptor in the human eye, presented by Prof. McLeod (University of California in San Diego), belongs to the remarkable results of the more than 20 lectures that have been held, since it could lead to an explanation why LED, Xenon and Halogen light is perceived differently at night time traffic. A method to determine the recognition distance of headlamps, which allows an objective evaluation of headlamp quality , was presented by L-LAB's PhD. student Dirk Kliebisch and was received with great interest too.

In the context of test drives at night the Summerschool participants had a chance to see how ideas are transferred into first prototypes on the road. The mix of lectures, workshops and open discussions again provided for a convenient and productive atmosphere. Thus the two organisers and L-LAB board members Prof. Dr. Erik Woldt (Hella) und Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Wallaschek (University of Paderborn) achieved an important goal. By now the L-LAB Summerschool is an established institution, that allows experts as well as young scientists to exchange experience and know how and to set up a network in the international professional community.