The car that sees and thinks along: How In-Cabin Sensing can support safety with OSLON™ Black IR:6 C-Series

Premstaetten, Austria, and Munich, Germany (April 29, 2026) — Cars are becoming increasingly intelligent. However while driver assistance systems and sensors have long focused primarily on what happens outside the vehicle, attention is now shifting inside. In-Cabin Sensing represents a new generation of vehicle technologies designed to detect what is happening inside the car. When vehicles understand what is happening within the cabin, technology becomes a protective factor for drivers, passengers, and everyone on the road. This will be supported by the high power 940 nm OSLON Black™ IR-LEDs for camera based In Cabin applications with reduced red glow for unobtrusive infrared illumination optimized for driver monitoring and occupant monitoring.

Whenever a driver is distracted or fatigued, whether or not all the passengers are on board, or whether a child or a pet is present in the rear seat: interior monitoring systems support drivers at critical moments. They could help prevent accidents. As a result, the vehicle is increasingly serving as an active partner in safety, not only for the driver but for everyone inside the car. 

“In-Cabin Sensing is more than just a technological trend,” says Tobias Hofmeier, Product Marketing Manager at ams OSRAM. “It is about responsibility in road traffic. When vehicles are equipped to better understand what is happening inside the cabin, they can help support occupant safety, often in situations where seconds make all the difference.” 

Infrared light plays a central role in this context. Camera-based In-Cabin systems require reliable, uniform illumination to deliver precise information without disturbing vehicle occupants. This is exactly where ams OSRAM’s high power infrared LED portfolio comes into play. The IR-LEDs in the OSLON™ Black IR:6 C-Series enable reliable the detection of faces, viewing direction, and even in darkness or under changing light conditions. By specifically reducing the so called red glow effect at a wavelength of 940 nanometers, the infrared illumination inside the vehicle remains almost invisible. This is particularly important during nighttime driving, where it significantly contributes to user acceptance and comfort. 

This unobtrusiveness is a decisive factor for the overall user experience. Visible red glowing from infrared light sources can be perceived as irritating inside the cabin. By reducing this effect directly at chip level, ams OSRAM addresses this challenge at its root enabling In-Cabin Sensing solutions that work reliably without distracting drivers or passengers. The IR-LEDs are designed for established applications such as driver monitoring, occupant monitoring and child presence detection but also for future applications like medical emergency detection, cognitive state monitoring and intoxication and impairment detection. In addition, the OSLON™ Black IR:6 C-Series (OSLON™ Black SFH 472XXCS A01) offers a high degree of design freedom through various emission angles and optical options. 

More about the products can be found here on the ams OSRAM website.