Pico Projector news and resources

Praytech Communication Technology (a Shenzhen, China based mobile phone maker) introduced two new DLP devices, a projector phone and a pico projector. We don't have any information about the phone, but it is reported that it will replace Praytech's older model which uses an LCoS light engine, and will be marketed to mobile network providers in India and China.

The pico projector uses an optical engine by iView which features 640x480 resolution and 12 lumens. It will be marketed by China Telecom, bundled with smartphones.

Here's a nice interview with Syndiant's VP sales & marketing - Keith Lewis. The interview is from the "Grow Your Business" channel - by Microsoft ERP, so most of the talk is about Syndiant's supply chain and how they manage it, but it is still interesting:

QD Laser is showing a new frequency-doubled 532 nm compact green laser diode. The device is housed in a module of approximately 0.5 cm³ total volume. The prototype module developed green light output of more than 100 mW under continuous wave conditions and high-speed modulation of above 100 Mhz. The linewidth of the output was less than 0.01 nm, and the 100 mW output power was obtained with power dissipation of about 900 mW, equating to a wall-plug efficiency of more than 10 percent.

QD Laser also revealed that they already started shipping samples of a 5 mW version of this module, and will start sample shipments of a module capable of over 50 mW in 2Q 2012. Mass production of the product is planned for 4Q 2012.

Pacific Media Associates released the findings from their annual manufacturers survey. The manufacturers expect that progress will continue through 2015 - with improved efficiency and larger batteries. This will result in shipments of 58 million pico projectors in 2015 - up from about 3 million in 2011.

PMA says that in 2011 about 36% of stand-alone pico projectors offered 30 lumens or more. This will grow to 62% by 2015, and 16% of the projectors will offer 150 or more lumens. It's more difficult to offer that kind of brightness in embedded projectors, and only 18% of embedded projectors will offer 30 lumens or more by 2015 (this is up from 6% in 2011).

The Way-Go flashlight is a prototype device by Sriranjan Rasakatla that combines a laser pico projector, a GPS and altitude and heading reference system. Way-Go can be a simple flashlight - but the idea is that it can also show you which way to go (you have to input your destination location of course), and also display information about your local area while you walk with it. Rasakatla says this can be used for search and rescue parties, trekking and tour guides.

Oregon Scientific unveiled a new hinged pico projector prototype that features a DLP chipset (854x480), 80 lumens and 1,000:1 contrast. The projector has a hinged design - like WowWee's Cinemin Swivel projector.

The projector can be powered via a USB projector, but the brightness is limited to 50 lumens in that case. OS plans to launch the final product in the second half of 2012 for around $640 - which is very expensive for a pico projector. FAVI's A3 Wi-Fi for example costs just $399.

Asia Optical says that they plan to ship 2 million LCoS pico projector modules in 2012 - half of them embedded in smart phones and half in external pico projectors. Apparently most of these projector phones (if not all) will be launched by China-based vendors, probably to the Chinese market.

Asia Optical managed to decrease the production cost of an LCoS module to below $20.