Abstract
This talk will review the emerging applications of optical fibers and photonics in the automotive and transportation industry. We will begin with an overview of the automobile wiring harness which in addition to the traditional electrical power wiring, now includes wiring for data communication, and engine and vehicle controls, with extensive use of micro processors. The familiar aspects of the optical fibers in telecommunications such as immunity to EMI, smaller size, and high transmission rates are also driving forces for their use in the automobile wiring harness. In addition fibers will find application for sensing and lighting. Next we will discuss the emerging application of photonics in dashboard and head-up displays, and collision avoidance. The talk will conclude with a review of traffic information and navigation systems, wherein communications between cars and cars to traffic management systems are established through radio broadcasts, roadside beacons and cellular telephones. Such applications will accelerate the growth of micro cellular technology, which envisages a distributed antenna system connected via microwave subcarrier transmission on optical fibers.