Mercedes-Benz E-Class awarded ‘Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016’
Mercedes-Benz has reaffirmed its position as a design trendsetter as the all new E-Class continues to receive accolades for its technology and design. The Stuttgart-based company was awarded the prestigious “Red Dot Award” for its MULTIBEAM LED headlamps on the new E-Class, taking out the Product Design Award in the globally renowned design competition.
Marking a technical milestone, the MULTIBEAM LED headlamps are each comprised of 84 individually drivable high-performance LEDs, which illuminate the road surface with a previously unsurpassed, precision-controlled distribution of exceptionally bright light, without impeding oncoming road users. At the same time, with their contemporary, pure elegance and dynamically sensual radiation, they reflect the intelligence and high-tech character of the EClass saloon.
Ensuring the best possible light performance at all times, without affecting other road users, the system adjusts to the course of the road and, via the information from the camera, to the vehicle’s actual surroundings. By making the distribution of light freely configurable in both headlamp grid modules, it has been possible to implement all of the headlamp functions, including for example the dynamic cornering light function, without any mechanical actuators.
The new adverse weather light function reduces reflections on the opposite carriageway in the rain by specifically dimming individual LEDs, preventing indirect blinding of oncoming vehicles. The city light on the other hand provides a particularly wide distribution of light when travelling at low speeds in built-up areas, brightly illuminating difficult-tosee pavements and danger zones. Data from the navigation system is also used to ensure the distribution of light automatically adapts to the vehicle’s surroundings on roundabouts, at junctions and on motorways.
Huge advancement in safety
Michael Ruehle, Chief Executive Officer, AR Albisher and Z Alkazemi Company commented: “We are honored to receive such a highly regarded award from the the Red Dot community. The new MULTIBEAM LED technology is a huge advancement in safety and intuitive driving, and we are sure the Kuwaiti market will be pleased with it.” Testament to the work of Konrad Zuse (1910 - 1995), the German inventor of the computer, and specifically to his patent for a controllable system of vehicle lights, the MULTIBEAM LED headlamp in the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is made possible with today’s cutting edge LED technology.
Until the digitization of older records, Zuse’s invention, registered in 1958 under the number 1190413 and entitled “Lighting device photoelectrically controlled by backlight”, remained buried in the German Patent Office’s archives. In the patent the computer pioneer, inventor and talented artist describes how maximum illumination of the road can be achieved with minimal disturbance to oncoming traffic.
The inventor of the computer envisaged multiple light sources which are deactivated by photoelectric cells if these cells detect other cars in their vicinity. In the innovative MULTIBEAM LED light system, the photoelectric cells are replaced by a camera in the windscreen which provides the necessary information on the vehicle’s surroundings. Four control units use the camera images to calculate the ideal light pattern 100 times per second and activate the 84 high-performance LEDs in each headlamp accordingly. Helping to enhance safety, the MULTIBEAM LED also supports the driver when there are other vehicles in the field illuminated by the headlamps.
A high-caliber panel of judges for this year’s “Red Dot Awards” was called upon to judge a record number of 5214 product entries from 57 countries. Of those, 41 independent designers, design professors and specialist journalists reserved awards for products of outstanding design expertise, well-thought-out, innovative styling, aesthetic quality and trendsetting design. The Red Dot Award for design concept has grown to be the largest and most recognized professional design competition for design concept and prototypes worldwide.