Micro Projectors Coming to Cell Phones and PDAs

[Clint DeBoer]

Light Blue Optics Ltd (LBO) has developed a revolutionary technology for miniature laser projectors dubbed PVPro™. Today they announced their latest demonstrator unit, which is only 3.78 cubic inches in volume, and is similar in size and shape to a typical matchbox. Understand that there is no glass, no prisms, and no need for fans to provide heat dissipation. In addition, it runs on less than 1.5W at full power and less than 350mW while displaying typical video images (50% average pixel amplitude. There is also an infinite focus, meaning that no matter how close or far away, there are no optics to adjust for a clear picture. Cell phones and PDAs are going to be all over this...

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[furrycute]

A truly revolutionary technology. If this gets incorporated into laptop computers, imagine having a 100inch computer screen for your laptop. That must be real sweet.


And since it does not require lenses, moving parts, the cost of manufacturing should be significantly lower than conventional projectors. This low cost should really give a boost to the front projection hometheater market.

[howie85]

they stole it from R2D2.....help me obi wan....

[Clint DeBoer]

I don't really think this technology will be for home theater so much as for convenience and presentation purposes.

[joe.lombardo]

They will need to make a bigger and brighter display before this will be used for business presentations or home theater. If I read the specs right, the biggest picture they currently advertise is 15 inches diagonal with a 16x9 ratio. Might as well just use the laptop screen.

It might be cool for sharing video from an ipod or psp like device though. I'd love one for my next camping trip with the kids :-)

This could be really cool for subway marketing stunts though!

[CCJr14]

Love the projector but would I be able to appreciate the price? I would like to know roughly how much would this cost me?

[LKY]

Actually, guys, if you look at this company's progress, you'll realize that you probably won't have to wait too long before the projector display is larger and brighter (a color version is coming out later this year, and has already been demonstrated) and the technology becomes less expensive.

It's amazing to me (of course, the technology and business world is pretty foreign to me) how quickly LBO has transformed the technology into a usable product. Two of the four guys who started the company are old university friends of mine, and they were just getting their business plan together in the Spring of 2004. Unbelievable. Now that they have some real funding, it'll be interesting to see what they can do with it. Plus, they're all completely brilliant! Go boys!

[ZTV]

infnite focus is here, legally it is now for lease. Company to be named later

[mecheng]

This is wonderful technology.

Imagine this with a the digitizing technology in the laser keyboards(http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/). This will allow your phone or PDA to have a full sized desktop instead of a 3" screen.

Take a look at the link to the virtual keyboard and then imagine replacing the projected keyboard with an image like a lined piece of paper or your PC's desktop. Use your finger like a mouse to navigate the desktop or write in your own handwriting on a virtual piece of paper with sketches, etc. The data is digitized in the little projector/computer. If the projector is also your phone (or can connect to it) you can then email the note right away. Hey if you had a digital camera in the thing you could take a picture of a something you needed to change, mark it up on the virtul desktop and email it or print it (in black and white) via the nearest fax machine thru the phone.

Don't say that you might as well just have a laptop, instead imagine if your laptop fit in your shirt pocket!!!.

They always said I think outside of the box.