Automotive

Rapid urbanization and globalization, along with increasing environmental challenges, demand bold solutions, especially in decarbonization (with a focus on mobility) and digitalization. In response, the Future Mobility consortium project, led by Infineon Dresden, aims to develop innovative technologies across the entire value chain. From product design and development to process innovation and technology development and high-volume manufacturing, the goal is to enable next-generation power products and automotive electronics systems.

Fraunhofer IPMS plays a central role in this effort, focusing on energy-efficient technology development and high-reliability process innovation to support advanced mobility applications.

Key work packages at Fraunhofer IPMS:

• Next-generation material layers: We're developing new coating techniques that ensure even the smallest structures on microchips are perfectly covered—essential for performance and miniaturization.
• Smarter metal connections
  Our work includes improving how tiny metal contacts are added to semiconductor structures, making them more reliable and energy-efficient.
• Surface perfection for high performance: We’re refining polishing processes to create smooth, defect-free surfaces, reducing electrical resistance and improving durability.

Together with project partners, Fraunhofer IPMS is shaping the quality standards of tomorrow - supporting battery longevity, power loss reduction, and system performance. Simulation, real-time monitoring, and smart process control contribute to a sustainable, people-centered production environment, aligned with the goals of digital transformation and green mobility

In autonomous vehicles, humans become passengers while the car drives itself, detecting obstacles and reacting to its surroundings in real time. To achieve this level of environmental awareness, advanced LiDAR sensors are essential.

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measures distances and velocities between the vehicle and surrounding objects. It works by emitting laser signals into the environment and analyzing the reflected light. This data allows the vehicle to generate a precise 3D map of its surroundings.

A Scanning Eye for the Autonomous Era

Fraunhofer IPMS develops miniaturized MEMS-based scanning mirrors that meet the demanding requirements of autonomous driving -compact, lightweight, vibration-resistant, and easily integrable. The concept is based on a "scanning eye" that enables real-time 3D vision.

At the core is a micro-mirror module that distributes laser beams across two spatial dimensions. The third spatial axis is reconstructed by measuring the reflected light using techniques such as time-of-flight, coded pulse sequences, or FMCW signal demodulation.

Advantages of Fraunhofer IPMS in MEMS-based LiDAR technology

• High-precision MEMS scanning mirrors for reliable 3D environment detection from a few centimeters up to several hundred meters
• Compact, space-saving design for easy integration into existing vehicle systems
• Vibration-resistant and mechanically robust modules that maintain sharp measurements even under vehicle vibrations
• “Scanning eye” with innovative mirror control enabling precise 2D and 3D environmental scanning
• Durable, reliable design made from monocrystalline silicon – wear-free and fatigue-resistant
• CMOS-compatible technology enabling scalable and cost-effective mass production
• Meets all requirements for optical performance, shock resistance, and vibration stability for solid-state LiDAR systems

Scalable and Cost-Efficient for System Integration

Manufactured using CMOS-compatible silicon technology, the modules are scalable and cost-effective—ideal for integration into existing automotive platforms. The combination of compact design, reliability, and precise 3D perception makes this MEMS-based LiDAR solution a promising step toward fully autonomous vehicles. 

Imagine a projection so realistic, you feel compelled to reach out and touch it: Traffic signs appearing three-dimensionally on the windscreen, seamlessly embedded into the driver’s view. What once sounded like science fiction is becoming a reality through MEMS-based micromirror arrays developed by Fraunhofer IPMS.

At the core of this innovation lie micro mirror arrays fabricated on a semiconductor chip. Each mirror can be individually actuated (lowered) to form high-resolution two-dimensional light patterns. These patterns serve as the optical basis for generating three-dimensional holographic images.

The system uses the wave nature of light to achieve spatial imaging. Since the human eye perceives only reflected light waves, holography replicates the natural appearance of objects - without the object physically being present. This enables projections that appear convincingly real.

The Breakthrough: Real-Time, Animated Holography

Traditional holography has been largely static. Real-time holography has long been hindered by the lack of high-speed, high-resolution light modulators. Fraunhofer IPMS is addressing this challenge with its MEMS micro mirror arrays, capable of creating dynamic holographic light fields that evolve in real time.

These light fields can simulate real-world depth, movement, and spatial presence, effectively merging physical and digital perception. The result is a leap forward in augmented reality and immersive display technology.

Applications: Augmented Reality Displays & 3D Visualization

Fraunhofer IPMS technology enables new forms of display innovation:

• Augmented Reality (AR) in Automotive Systems: Real-time traffic information and navigational cues projected directly into the driver’s field of view
• 3D and Holographic Displays: Immersive user experiences in entertainment, education, and communication
• Medical Visualization and Industrial Interfaces: Enhanced imaging tools for diagnostics or machine control through spatial visualization

Key Advantages of Fraunhofer IPMS Technology

• Individually addressable MEMS micro mirrors for high-resolution, real-time image generation
• True 3D projection through dynamic light field modulation
• Scalable semiconductor fabrication based on CMOS-compatible processes
• Compact, energy-efficient design suitable for integration into automotive, wearable, and embedded systems
• Solid-state reliability with high vibration and shock tolerance
• Enabling real-time augmented reality in critical applications like mobility and human-machine interaction

Connected vehicles are the key to future mobility, enabling innovations like autonomous driving and platooning (automated driving in convoys). So far, radio-based communication standards like WLAN (IEEE 802.11p) have been widely used, offering high data rates and broad deployment.

However, these technologies have critical limitations:

• Narrow frequency bands
• Susceptibility to interference
• Manipulation risks
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues

Li-Fi: The Optical Alternative to Radio-Based Communication

Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) offers a secure and interference-free alternative. Instead of using radio waves, Li-Fi transmits data via modulated light signals, typically from LEDs. A photodiode receives and decodes the information. With latencies in the microsecond range, real-time Li-Fi can serve as a redundant or complementary channel to existing Wi-Fi systems.

In vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, reliability, low latency, and security are critical. Compared to conventional wireless technologies like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, Li-Fi offers major benefits. It enables real-time data exchange with microsecond latency, supporting highly responsive applications like platooning or collision avoidance. The requirement for line-of-sight ensures that the signal stays confined to the optical path, offering natural data security and making it resistant to hacking or interference. Additionally, Li-Fi operates without generating or being affected by electromagnetic interference, making it especially suitable for the complex EM environments of modern vehicles.

Your Benefits with Fraunhofer IPMS

Fraunhofer IPMS provides a full range of services to help you integrate Li-Fi into your mobility or industrial solution:

• Li-Fi Workshops: Learn how optical communication can complement or replace RF-based systems
• Technology Consulting: Evaluate use cases and feasibility
• Concept Development: From idea to implementation roadmap
• Hardware & Module Design: Custom Li-Fi transceivers and integration into existing systems
• Pilot Production: Prototyping and validation under real-world conditions

The goal of this project is to explore distributed and efficient data processing using artificial intelligence (AI) in digital radar networks for use in fully automated vehicles. The focus is on the complete digitization of all system-relevant functions and the optimal distribution of computing loads between domain controllers, sensor nodes, and central processing units.

This distribution is optimized for image quality, cost, energy efficiency, reliability, and real-time performance. The project will culminate in the demonstration of an intelligent radar sensor network.

Supporting Sustainable Communication and Climate Goals

The project contributes to the advancement of sustainable communication technologies, directly supporting climate protection objectives. Its primary benefit lies in enabling resource-efficient and secure communication systems for autonomous driving.

In addition, the results can be transferred to other sensor types and applications such as Industry 4.0, logistics, and medical technology.

Fraunhofer IPMS: Developing Advanced Automotive TSN Network Architectures

Fraunhofer IPMS is responsible for developing a future-ready Automotive TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) architecture and high-performance network nodes for reliable, high-speed in-vehicle data exchange.

Drawing on its deep expertise in Ethernet TSN networks, subsystems, and IP core design, Fraunhofer IPMS is creating custom TSN IP cores based on existing technology, with a focus on:

• Real-time capability
• Ultra-low latency
• Minimal jitter
• Determinism
• High data rates (up to 10 Gbit/s)
• Redundancy
• Functional safety (ISO 26262 compliant)

Integration, Demonstration, and Performance Testing

Fraunhofer IPMS is also responsible for the integration into FPGA platforms, the setup and configuration of zone-based demonstrator networks, and the overall demonstrator development. Together with project partners, the institute will lead the performance analysis in a real-world application environment, including the integration of radar sensors and zone gateways.

Autonomous driving is fundamentally transforming the electronic and electrical vehicle architecture (E/E architecture). To process the massive and complex data streams generated in highly automated vehicles, the automotive industry needs customized, flexible, and energy-efficient computing solutions. These must feature automotive-qualified, high-performance processors with robust security features. The CeCaS project (Central Car Server) marks a crucial step toward this new generation of automotive supercomputing.

Objective: Centralized High-Performance Computing in Vehicles

CeCaS focuses on developing the processor and software foundations for heterogeneous real-time computing platforms in modern vehicles. The project combines security, performance, and scalability to create a new class of central vehicle computers designed specifically for the automotive environment.

Key features include:

• Custom processor architectures
• Dedicated system interfaces
• Scalable software platforms
• Application-specific hardware accelerators
• Built on FinFET (non-planar transistor) technology

All components are developed to meet ISO 26262 (ASIL-D) certification standards, ensuring functional safety at the system level for autonomous driving applications.

Fraunhofer IPMS: Expertise in TSN-Based In-Car Networking

Within the project, Fraunhofer IPMS plays a key role in defining system requirements, with a specific focus on in-vehicle networking architectures.

Fraunhofer IPMS contributes:

• In-depth expertise in Ethernet TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) for automotive applications
• Requirements analysis for server system communication
• Design and development of high-speed TSN networking technologies (up to 50 Gbit/s)
• Creation of automotive communication controllers for ASIC and FPGA systems
• Full compliance with ISO 26262 up to ASIL-D for functional safety
• Performance testing and analysis of TSN integration within project demonstrators

By developing a centralized computing infrastructure, CeCaS enables real-time data processing for mission-critical tasks such as sensor fusion, path planning, and vehicle control—laying the groundwork for fully autonomous driving.

With its work in networking and system integration, Fraunhofer IPMS is helping shape the future of safe, intelligent, and high-performance automotive computing.

Augmented reality (AR) data glasses are transforming the automotive manufacturing environment. By displaying real-time data, visual instructions, and process steps directly in the worker's field of view, they eliminate the need to check external screens. Workers can keep both hands free, increasing productivity, efficiency, and accuracy on the factory floor.

To meet the demands of industrial-grade AR applications, these smart glasses require ultra-high-resolution microdisplays, flexible and robust substrates, sunlight readability, high contrast ratios, and intuitive interaction methods such as gesture or eye control. These are exactly the technologies being developed at Fraunhofer IPMS.

Fraunhofer IPMS: Advanced Microdisplay Technology for the Future

At Fraunhofer IPMS, we develop and optimize cutting-edge microdisplay systems specifically designed for wearables and AR/VR headsets in automotive and industrial applications. Our displays offer:

• High resolution for detailed, real-time visuals
• Sunlight-readable screens for outdoor or bright environments
• Low power consumption for energy-efficient wearables
• Durable materials with scratch resistance for rugged use
• Gesture and eye-tracking capabilities for hands-free interaction

We also push the boundaries with bidirectional microdisplays, devices that combine display and imaging functionality on a single chip. These enable interactive applications, such as eye-controlled interfaces or real-time content adjustment based on the user’s gaze.

Microdisplays That Power the Wearables Market

As the market for smart glasses, head-up displays, and wearable devices continues to grow, the demand for miniaturized, intelligent components is increasing. Fraunhofer IPMS offers a platform for customized microdisplay development, enabling next-generation solutions for automotive, logistics, healthcare, and beyond.