Ground illumination 

Compact high-brightness LED and laser solutions for clear, uniform ground illumination 

Ground illumination for safety, comfort and enhanced user experience 

Ground illumination enhances comfort, safety, and brand perception by lighting the immediate area around the vehicle and projecting welcome, status, or informational symbols onto the ground. As vehicles adopt richer lighting animations and new interaction concepts for drivers and pedestrians, ground projection becomes a key part of the overall user experience. ams OSRAM supports this evolution with compact, high‑brightness LEDs and laser‑based projection solutions that provide clear, uniform and reliable illumination in even the tightest installation spaces. 

What is automotive ground illumination?

Automotive ground illumination refers to lighting functions that illuminate the area on or around the ground near the vehicle, independent of forward lighting or signaling functions. These applications can be static or dynamic. Static ground illumination includes features such as branded logo projections, welcome carpets, or entry‑area lighting that improves comfort and visibility when approaching or unlocking the vehicle. Ground illumination can also support safety‑related use cases, such as projecting a bright pattern behind the vehicle to assist with reversing. For dynamic projection requirements - such as animated welcome sequences or contextual symbols - additional details are provided on the projection application page. 

Technology overview: LEDs and Laser 

Ground illumination is typically implemented with high‑brightness white LEDs for welcome lights, static logo projections, or courtesy lighting. For simple dynamic projections with a few elements, LEDs combined with compact optics—such as micro‑lens arrays—offer an efficient and cost‑effective solution. 

For richer, more complex patterns or animated projections, projection LEDs or laser diodes are used. These light sources can support higher image quality, more freedom in symbol design, and dynamic sequences. Laser‑based approaches, including systems with MEMS mirrors, enable extremely compact projection modules with high visual clarity. 

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Design aspects for Ground illumination? 

Because installation space for ground‑lighting modules is often extremely limited — for example in doors, mirrors, rocker panels or underbody areas — the design must balance brightness, compact module size and thermal efficiency. LEDs or single‑color light sources combined with small optical elements are typically preferred for static illumination. For advanced lighting concepts such as animated symbols or personalized UX effects, laser projectors and MEMS‑based imaging systems offer high resolution and distinctive styling within very compact footprints. More information on LED and laser solutions can be found on the dedicated projection application page. 

FAQ: Below are some of the most common questions about ground illumination 

What is the difference between Ground illumination and projection?

Ground illumination typically refers to fixed or static lighting functions, such as welcome carpets or logo projections. Projection—especially dynamic projection—uses LEDs or lasers to display animations or changing symbols on the ground and is covered on the projection application page

What is the difference between Ground illumination and forward lighting applications such as Headlamps or ADB?

Ground illumination lights the area around the vehicle and does not serve forward lighting or road illumination functions. Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) belongs to the headlamp system and shapes the forward illumination pattern dynamically. High-definition ADB systems can technically project symbols at low resolution but are designed primarily for driving illumination, not ground projection.

Featured Products

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KR DMLQ31.FR

This compact LED device is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. The KR DMLQ31.FR product is meant to provide superior light quality in ½ mm² chip size class.
Details and Datasheet

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KW DMLS33.SG

KW DMLS33.SG is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. With its improved homogeneity it is meant to provide superior light quality for most application conditions.
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OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KR DMLQ32.23

This compact LED device is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. The KR DMLQ32.23 product is meant to provide superior light quality in ½ mm² chip size class.The next generation SYNIOS™ P2720 Kx DMLQ32.23 delivers higher performance, while remaining fully footprint- and solder pad-compatible to the previous version.
Details and Datasheet

OSRAM OSLON™ Compact PL, KY CELNM2.FY

Compact light source with an isolated thermal pad for improved heat dissipation and providing small z-tolerance (+/-35 µm). The OSLON Compact PL product family meets both excellent brightness in combination with outstanding luminance.
Details and Datasheet

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KW DMLQ33.SG

KW DMLQ33.SG is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. With its improved homogeneity it is meant to provide superior light quality for most application conditions.
Details and Datasheet
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