LG, Saint-Gobain Sekurit to unveil transparent antennas at CES 2024

LG Electronics Inc., the leading global home appliance maker, is set to showcase its transparent antennas for vehicles developed with French glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain Sekurit at CES 2024 next month as the South Korean tech giant is expanding its business in the automotive sector, its future growth engine.

LG said on Monday that the transparent film-type antennas, which is applied directly to vehicle glass, will be available as an on-glass or in-glass solution as it was designed for compatibility with various glass and vehicle types.

The transparent antennas can be integrated into car windshields or glass sunroofs, allowing automakers not to make any design concessions when developing new models as the product does not require any housing for conventional antennas, according to the company.

The broad surface application of the film-type antenna guarantees reliable telecommunications performance and provides scalability to handle increased network traffic, offering improved connectivity with support for 5G, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and Wi-Fi, the company said in a statement.

The film-type antenna features more than 80 of LG’s patents, including the design capability to make transparent antenna patterns and electrode technology.

CUTTING-EDGE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENTS

The technology came as the global automotive industry is set to roll out more advanced autonomous and software-defined vehicles, which require cutting-edge telecommunications environments capable of real-time data exchange within high-tech personal spaces.

“Created through our close partnership with Saint-Gobain Sekurit, the transparent antenna is a next-generation product that has proven its exceptional communications performance for automotive applications via vehicle tests,” said Eun Seok-hyun, head of LG’s vehicle solutions division.

“As a global leader in telematics and automotive solutions, LG is committed to advancing its technological capabilities and will continue to introduce solutions that drive the evolution of the mobility experience.”

LG, a unit of South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate, has been fostering its automotive electronics business, especially infotainment systems, electric vehicle powertrains and automotive lighting systems, to become a game-changer in the future mobility market.

Its automotive division reported record-high quarterly profit in the third quarter, indicating that the company’s future growth engine is gathering pace to grow a core business.

Write to Ye-Rin Choi at rambutan@hankyung.com
 

Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.