Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today an innovative directional-indicator system that illuminates road surfaces at night to inform pedestrians and other drivers of a vehicle’s intended path forward/backward, or when turning, opening doors or making emergency stops.

Selected features of the new system will be exhibited with Mitsubishi Electric’s EMIRAI3 xDAS concept car during the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition complex in Tokyo, Japan from October 29 to November 8.

The system projects large, easy-to-understand animated illuminations onto road surfaces to help pedestrians quickly comprehend the driver’s intentions. The technology is expected to help avoid road accidents while lowering the potential frustration or confusion of nearby drivers and pedestrians.

Innovative automotive lighting systems are drawing attention with their capability to effectively reduce accidents. According to the research by Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis, 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities on roads happen at night. Market initiatives to use lighting sources for safer roadway environments are expected to increase from US$6.3 billion in 2013 to US$10 billion by 2022, according to the Fuji Chimera Research Institute, Inc.
In particular, small, affordable LEDs are expected to be used in increasingly sophisticated lighting systems.

Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric will continue to develop practical lighting concepts and technologies to further enhance automotive safety and accident prevention.

Patents and Design Registrations
Pending patents for the technology announced in this news release number three in Japan and three abroad.
Pending design registrations number nine in Japan and four abroad.

About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
With over 90 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. Embracing the spirit of its corporate statement, Changes for the Better, and its environmental statement, Eco Changes, Mitsubishi Electric endeavors to be a global, leading green company, enriching society with technology. The company recorded consolidated group sales of 4,323.0 billion yen (US$ 36.0 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. For more information visit:
http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com
*At an exchange rate of 120 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2015