Picture this: an SUV so advanced that it actually removes its own logo to better communicate with pedestrians—sounds futuristic, right? But here’s where things get really interesting. As vehicles increasingly take control from drivers, the challenge isn't just about making cars smarter; it's about how they talk to the people around them. How can a car convey what it’s about to do, especially when there's no driver to make eye contact or use hand signals? Opel might have cracked part of this puzzle with its innovative Grandland prototype, designed explicitly to interact safely and clearly with pedestrians through an animated light system.
The newly developed Grandland goes beyond traditional vehicle design by swapping out the static Opel badge for dynamic LED displays that indicate the vehicle’s intentions. This semi-autonomous SUV operates at Level 3 driver assistance, which means drivers can remove their focus from driving under specific conditions. However, when the car takes over, it must find new ways to communicate effectively with pedestrians on the street.
Let’s talk about how the Grandland actually "speaks" through its lights. Instead of the usual white LEDs, it uses a palette of colors like cyan, magenta, and green—and none of these colors are typically used in standard vehicle indicators, avoiding confusion. For example, when the SUV switches to autonomous mode, its front and rear indicators shine in a calming cyan, a color that’s uniquely associated with this vehicle’s autonomous state.
When the sensors spot a pedestrian in its path, the car begins braking, and the headlights shift to magenta—a color purposefully chosen to grab attention yet remain friendly and non-threatening. But here’s the clever part: where you would normally see Opel’s signature Blitz emblem is now a small display screen. This screen can show warning symbols, a pedestrian figure, or even a hand signaling 'stop' to clearly communicate the vehicle’s status. Once it comes to a complete stop, the lights turn green, and the display switches to a walking figure, reassuring the pedestrian it’s safe to cross.
The SUV is equipped with advanced camera systems and AI algorithms that detect objects and gestures, making it sensitive to real-life situations—like a child unexpectedly running into the street after a ball. In more complex scenarios where the AI isn’t confident about the next move, the system prompts the driver to retake control, ensuring safety remains paramount.
Philipp Röckl, the Global Lead for Lighting at Stellantis, explains the thinking behind this groundbreaking concept: “Headlights have always been crucial for safety, but modern lighting can do so much more than just illuminate the road. They can be animated, serve as a medium for communication, and even replace traditional badges with interactive displays. Using these existing lighting components means we can smoothly integrate these communication features as autonomous driving becomes more widespread.”
This innovative Grandland isn’t an isolated experiment. It’s part of a growing trend among manufacturers testing how vehicles can use light to convey meaning to pedestrians and other road users—like Skoda’s illuminated grille that signals when it’s safe to cross the road. Opel’s prototype, developed in-house at their Russelsheim facility in Germany and in partnership with students from the Technical University of Darmstadt, was recently showcased at the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting (ISAL). This collaboration highlights the importance of combining academic research with real-world automotive innovation.
Since 2022, Stellantis and TU Darmstadt have been working closely on pioneering lighting technologies, supporting multiple doctoral candidates to push the boundaries of what vehicle lighting can achieve. Julisa Le, Stellantis' Lead Innovation Engineer, emphasizes the careful color choices: “We selected cyan and magenta precisely because they aren’t already used for other vehicle signals. For instance, red is commonly understood but is tied to brake lights and stop indicators, so using it could cause confusion. Our colors ensure that the communication between vehicle and pedestrian is clear and unambiguous.”
So, what do you think? Are animated lights and digital badges the future of pedestrian safety and driverless cars? Or does this shift away from traditional logos and signals risk creating confusion on the road? Share your thoughts—does removing a familiar symbol like the Opel badge give way to real-world benefits, or does it take away from brand identity in a way that might not sit well with drivers and pedestrians alike? The conversation is wide open, and it’s exactly the kind of debate the automotive industry needs right now.
