“Many of the traffic accidents that occur at nighttime happen when a pedestrian is crossing the road. If only we could provide more people with a high beam that can illuminate dark roads from a greater distance so pedestrians can be detected earlier…” Yamamura in the R&D Department, who functioned like a leader among the four members introduced in this story, had this desire. And this desire marked the beginning of this project. Yamamura recognized the importance of a high beam and began the process of developing it in the R&D Department. Finally in 2012, “Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB)” using a shade-method was commercialized. With this system, when the high beam detects preceding vehicles and oncoming vehicles while driving, it reduces the brightness of light projected toward those vehicles and avoids blinding the drivers. Even though the extra step usually required of drivers to switch to low beam was eliminated, the shaded area could not be controlled with precision, and this technology was expensive. As a result, it was only adapted to luxury vehicles.

We needed to develop a way to control shaded area with more precision while also reducing cost so ADB can be installed in more vehicles and help reduce traffic accidents.

How can we make this possible? Yamamura decided to talk to his staff, Tanaka. Yamamura and Tanaka continued researching ADB, and they discovered one method. That became the world's first “BladeScan®-method.” Yamamura and Tanaka relate, “In this method, LED lights are cast on blade mirrors rotating at high speed. By moving them sideways (scanning), residual image of lights are created, which then can be irradiated. With this method, highly precise light distribution is possible with fewer LEDs.” The shape of the mirror is crucial in making this possible. So when they finally found its perfect shape, they were convinced that it was going to be successful. However, the R&D Department's process of developing this new system had only begun. They had to carry out numerous tests by installing their lamp prototype on an actual vehicle and driving it to make sure that this new method is safe and that it demonstrates high-functioning performance. Looking back, Tanaka says, “The scanning method is a technology that has never been tried before in the world. We theorized various conditions. We tested the lamps to see if they would affect human body, and we confirmed their visibility in rain and snow, among numerous other scenarios. It was a huge responsibility because we had to determine if it was worth being commercialized.”

When we were developing this product, our goal was to create shaded area around each of the preceding vehicles and illuminate the space between oncoming vehicles and preceding vehicles with the high beam. It required precise control of the lights. If we were to make even the smallest of errors on the light distribution control, the light will be cast on the driver of the preceding vehicle, which may lead to an accident. It can be said that the success of BladeScan® ADB depended on the software that controlled light distribution. This task was given to Murakami in Electronics Design Development. The challenge was controlling the lights by controlling LEDs to turn on and off in accordance with mirror rotation. There were six people in the software development team. But, when satisfying solution could not be found among them, they would talk with people in other departments to search for the solution. As a result of such efforts, they succeeded in creating a highly precise light distribution system with only 12 LEDs, which were equivalent of 300 LEDs. With this breakthrough, the project sped up, enabling them to mass produce BladeScan® ADB.

Meantime in the Product Development Department, a development team for mass production of BladeScan® ADB was created with Sakurai functioning as the central figure. This was a field that Sakurai was already interested in, and he was eager to take on this new assignment. However, the function of the product prototype provided by the R&D Department had not reached the level where it could be commercialized. Furthermore, parts specifications needed to be improved, and countless tasks had to be carried out before it could be mass produced. Meeting the specifications requested by the customer was especially difficult. It involved adjusting such things as the brightness and the range of light distribution. Reflecting back on the difficulties, Sakurai says, “We discussed possible solutions as a team. Sometimes, we talked with the R&D Department and the Experiment Department, and we persisted in looking for ways to improve its function. There were even times when I unconsciously muttered “I'm not giving up.” This perseverance and teamwork were likely the key in creating the product that finally met the customer's expectation, paving the road for it to be mass produced.

KOITO's process of product development is characterized by its spirit of collaboration that exists between various departments and teams to produce the final product. To develop BladeScan® ADB, the Mechanical System Design Department played a major role in addition to the Optics Design Team that specializes in optics. Takii belongs to this department that specializes in mechanics, developing such products as drive units. For BladeScan® ADB, a motor that could continuously rotate mirrors at 6,000 revolutions per minute at high speed was necessary. The prototype that the R&D Department created stopped working after a week. As a result, Takii was asked to help. What was required was the creation of a motor that had high heat resistance, high speed rotation, high durability, and low cost. “I didn't want people to say that it was going to be expensive with a motor being added to the conventional ADB,” says Takii. He felt the pressure of having to develop a highly complex product. But he worked along with the cooperating manufacturer himself to complete the motor, and he gradually built the mass production system at the plant.

This is how “BladeScan® ADB” was completed—a product that was borne by KOITO's original technology that integrates motor to control light distribution. This product was presented to automobile manufactures around the world before being introduced to the market. The reaction was phenomenal. Sakurai, who made the presentation, said the reaction that he received convinced him that this product would go well.

BladeScan® ADB contributes to creating nighttime driving safety. It received high reviews from domestic and international audience, was recognized by numerous fields, and won multiple awards including “CES2020 INNOVATION AWARDS,” Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc.'s “Technological Development Award,” and CHO MONOZUKURI Innovative Parts and Components Award “Nippon Brand Award.”

Reflecting back on the days leading up to the completion of the product, project members talk about how much sense of accomplishment they felt from creating something that has never been achieved before in the world. They also talk about the strong bond that existed among team members and the spirit of collaboration that existed between many specialists from KOITO that made this possible. Project members are now creating different products under new themes. Their experience working on this project will no doubt lead to the creation of new products that will take the world by surprise again.