Kidney, Crest, Seven Slot, Spindle…

These are familiar terms for those interested in automobiles. They refer to the radiator grille designs located between the headlights on the front of vehicles.

The Kidney grille, true to the meaning of the word 'kidney,' features a design reminiscent of kidneys symmetrically placed, and is famously known as a symbol of Germany's BMW.

The Crest grille is used by Genesis in the form of a shield, embodying the brand's emblem, while Jeep uses the Seven Slot grille, a key design element with seven vertical slits arranged in parallel.

The Spindle grille is recognized as the design identity of Toyota's premium brand, Lexus.


● The Necessity of Radiator Grilles Disappears in Electric Vehicles

The radiator grille is a component placed in the air intake path to cool the heated engine and coolant in internal combustion engine vehicles.

Functionally simple, it is considered a crucial design element as it determines the car's impression.

The issue is that in electric vehicles, where the engine is absent, the role of this grille becomes ambiguous.

In this trend, the automotive industry continues to ponder how to utilize the space previously occupied by the radiator grille.

● MOPLAT Aims to Implement 'Lighting Solution' with Quantum Dot LED

Amidst this, the most representative idea currently is 'lighting.'

This concept involves configuring the vehicle's front with a kind of lighting system that integrates existing headlamps, daytime running lights (DRL), and turn signals.

A leading domestic company materializing this idea is the Busan-based startup 'MOPLAT.'

Founded in June 2021, the company recently secured KRW 15 billion in Series A investment.

MOPLAT envisions a future where the design of automobiles is transformed by implementing 'Quantum Dot LED, a self-emitting quantum dot material,' in lighting for the first time globally.

Using QD, known first in display fields like QLED TVs, as a self-emitting material that emits light of specific wavelengths in pure colors when stimulated by electricity or light, MOPLAT attempts to apply this lighting to the mobility sector.

Vehicle lighting, directly linked to vehicle safety, requires high reliability to perform consistently in high-speed environments and durability to withstand extreme temperature changes.

Recently, as an important design element, it also demands high brightness, flexible design modifications, and high-definition implementation capabilities, making it a highly challenging technical area.

In this context, QD is gaining significant attention as a light source material that can meet these stringent conditions, according to MOPLAT.

QD, a nanocrystal-based self-emitting material, offers advantages such as vivid color, excellent energy efficiency, flexible design, and high durability, based on a narrow spectral bandwidth, precise wavelength control, and high quantum efficiency.

Especially due to its surface-emitting characteristic that spreads light uniformly with low heat generation, it reduces dependency on additional components like plastic optical parts, diffusers, and heat sinks.

Its slim and lightweight design capability allows it to flexibly respond to various forms of mobility emerging in the electric vehicle era.

MOPLAT has announced its smart lighting solution 'LiTQ' and plans to apply vehicle QD-LED technology globally for the first time in collaboration with global automakers and parts manufacturers.

Kim Tae-woong, CEO of MOPLAT (41), stated, "QD-LED will surpass the limitations of existing LED and OLED as a high-performance light source for vehicles and become the core of integrated lighting solutions," adding, "In-depth collaboration discussions with U.S. and European car companies are progressing rapidly."

● Plans to Establish a QD-LED Panel Production Plant

Additionally, MOPLAT is proposing a 'lighting-centered integrated HMI (Human-Machine Interface) system.'

This concept involves implementing 'LiTQ' to integratively control lighting across all areas, including the front and rear of the vehicle as well as the interior, from a single platform, with OTA (Over The Air) functionality.

This strategy aims to maximize user experience by providing a 'one-stop' solution encompassing the entire vehicle lighting process to automakers.

With numerous PhD-level R&D personnel and having developed vehicle QD-LED for the first time globally, MOPLAT holds patents for self-emitting light sources and devices, focusing on implementing vehicle 'QD lighting' with a target for mass production by 2028.

Next year, they plan to begin constructing a QD-LED panel production plant of approximately 10,000 square meters in Gijang-gun, Busan, capable of supporting over 300,000 mass-produced vehicles annually.

This marks the first step towards applying QD-LED, still in the research and development stage unlike commercialized OLED, to actually mass-produced vehicles.

CEO Kim explained, "By adjusting the size and properties of quantum dot particles, we create the characteristics of the light source, developing not only materials for automotive lighting but also near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) emission-absorption semiconductors," adding, "It is expected to change the landscape of the high-performance infrared sensor market for autonomous driving cameras and defense components."

● The Face of Future Cars Likely to Transform

Of course, utilizing 'lighting' in this way is not the only alternative to the traditional radiator grille.

Various brands have already showcased their approaches with the release of different electric vehicle models.

Some block the front with panels to reduce air resistance, leaving a design device similar to a radiator grille, while others replace it with a panel integrating sensors for autonomous driving assistance functions along with lighting.

Leading the spread of electric vehicles, Tesla has shown a strategy to minimize air resistance with a simple design that seals the front without any devices, hiding a small storage space known as a 'frunk.'

Nevertheless, considering the trend of enhanced autonomous driving and communication functions amid electrification, the vehicle's front is likely to transform into an integrated lighting-sensor-display device.

With the front of the car, often referred to as its face, featuring dazzling lighting or display devices instead of fixed components with classic designs, it might be worth anticipating a future where different scenes are presented from time to time.

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