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Optical System Design and Optimization for Digital Light Processing Headlights

Shen, Wenqi LU (2025) In Lund reports on atomic physics (LRAP) PHYM03 20251
Atomic Physics
Department of Physics
Abstract
An optical system for digital light processing car headlamps was designed and optimized in this project. The specifications include five lens elements and a field of view of 15 degrees horizontally and 7.5 degrees vertically. The system consists of an illumination module and a projection lens assembly. A high-brightness LED source and a rectangular light integrator ensure uniform illumination on the digital micromirror device surface, with a simulated light efficiency of 62.4 %.The projection optics were optimized to reduce distortion and enhance image quality. Final performance includes a modulation transfer function greater than 0.4 at 66 lp/mm, distortion below 0.65 %, and relative illumination above 72 %. Full-system simulation in... (More)
An optical system for digital light processing car headlamps was designed and optimized in this project. The specifications include five lens elements and a field of view of 15 degrees horizontally and 7.5 degrees vertically. The system consists of an illumination module and a projection lens assembly. A high-brightness LED source and a rectangular light integrator ensure uniform illumination on the digital micromirror device surface, with a simulated light efficiency of 62.4 %.The projection optics were optimized to reduce distortion and enhance image quality. Final performance includes a modulation transfer function greater than 0.4 at 66 lp/mm, distortion below 0.65 %, and relative illumination above 72 %. Full-system simulation in SPEOS yielded an optical efficiency of 24.0 % and a total luminous flux of 937 lm. The project was performed at GAC R&D, a company with experience in automotive manufacturing in China. (Less)
Popular Abstract
Have you ever considered that headlights could do more than just illuminate the road - that they might also ‘communicate’ ? Automotive lighting systems based on Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology integrate millions of microscopic mirrors within the headlamp structure. By precisely controlling these micro-mirrors, the system enables highly accurate and dynamic light projection onto the ground. While driving, it can display navigation cues and highlight vehicle boundaries; when approaching sidewalks, it can project warning symbols or personalized animations. This not only improves the human-vehicle interaction, but also significantly improves driving safety.

This study presents a design of a vehicle DLP headlight system with high... (More)
Have you ever considered that headlights could do more than just illuminate the road - that they might also ‘communicate’ ? Automotive lighting systems based on Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology integrate millions of microscopic mirrors within the headlamp structure. By precisely controlling these micro-mirrors, the system enables highly accurate and dynamic light projection onto the ground. While driving, it can display navigation cues and highlight vehicle boundaries; when approaching sidewalks, it can project warning symbols or personalized animations. This not only improves the human-vehicle interaction, but also significantly improves driving safety.

This study presents a design of a vehicle DLP headlight system with high resolution and a wide field of view (17° horizontally and 8.5° vertically). The system is composed of three main components: the illumination system, the projection system, and the DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chip. The DMD is a microelectromechanical chip consisting of millions of tiny mirrors, each of which can be individually controlled to reflect light or not, thereby generating highly precise projection patterns. For this design, we employed the DLP5531-Q1 DMD chip from Texas Instruments (TI).

The primary function of the illumination system is to deliver uniform light onto the surface of the DMD. In the design presented in this article, a high-brightness LED (Nichia NV3W470A) was selected as the light source, delivering a luminous flux of 3900 lumens. This illumination system also integrates a rectangular light homogenizer, a relay lens assembly, and a reflective mirror. The simulation results indicated a light efficiency of 62.4%.

The projection system serves to magnify the patterns formed on the DMD and project them onto the road surface. In this paper, the projection system consists of a lens assembly comprising five optical elements. It was optimized by introducing aspheric lenses, adjusting the F-number, and suppressing distortion, effectively enhancing image clarity and system contrast. After optimization in ZEMAX, the system achieved an effective focal length of 46.8477 mm, F# of 1.27, and a field of view of 17° × 8.5°.

Furthermore, a full 3D model of the optical system was built and simulated in the SPEOS platform, enabling the analysis of the entire illumination and projection path. The final system optical efficiency reached approximately 24.0 %, with a total luminous flux of 937 lm. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Shen, Wenqi LU
supervisor
organization
course
PHYM03 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Digital Light Processing, Car Headlamps, Optical System Design, DMD
publication/series
Lund reports on atomic physics (LRAP)
report number
LRAP 615
language
English
id
9206754
date added to LUP
2025-07-01 07:51:14
date last changed
2025-07-01 07:51:14
@misc{9206754,
  abstract     = {{An optical system for digital light processing car headlamps was designed and optimized in this project. The specifications include five lens elements and a field of view of 15 degrees horizontally and 7.5 degrees vertically. The system consists of an illumination module and a projection lens assembly. A high-brightness LED source and a rectangular light integrator ensure uniform illumination on the digital micromirror device surface, with a simulated light efficiency of 62.4 %.The projection optics were optimized to reduce distortion and enhance image quality. Final performance includes a modulation transfer function greater than 0.4 at 66 lp/mm, distortion below 0.65 %, and relative illumination above 72 %. Full-system simulation in SPEOS yielded an optical efficiency of 24.0 % and a total luminous flux of 937 lm. The project was performed at GAC R&D, a company with experience in automotive manufacturing in China.}},
  author       = {{Shen, Wenqi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Lund reports on atomic physics (LRAP)}},
  title        = {{Optical System Design and Optimization for Digital Light Processing Headlights}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}