Light Blue Optics

Dr. Edward Buckley, Light-Blue-Optics's Biz-Dev VP and co-founder has decided to leave the company. He's heading for Alces Technology, a new company based in Jackson, WY. Alces is developing a 1D MEMS-based microdisplay technology for high resolution laser-based projection applications.

Here's a short quote we got from Edward today: "I feel very privileged to have founded a company which grew from a demonstration on an optical bench at Cambridge University in 2003, all the way through to a hugely successful product launch at CES 2010. It has been very exciting watching the pico projector industry grow and I look forward to watching it fulfil its potential."

Back in 2009, we posted an interview with Dr. Edward. We wish him luck in his new venture!

Check out this beautiful demo of Light Blue Optics' 10" Light-Touch projector:

Here's how their Holographic Laser Projection (HLP) technology works.

Microsoft Research is showing their new 'Mobile Surface', which is a projected touch display. This is very similar to LBO's light-touch product announced at CES:

Light Blue Optics have created quite a stir with their Light-Touch pico-projector reference design. The small projector (up to 10" image) include an infra-red sensor for the touch-ability, and sports a wide throw angle which allows it to project onto the table it is sitting on:

The projector itself is based on Holographic Laser Projection (HLP). LBO's system uses a coherent laser to illuminate an LCoS that displays a hologram which diffracts the laser to create the original image. A diffraction pattern of the desired 2D image is calculated (using LBO's own algorithms) and displayed on an LCoS microdisplay.

The 'holographic' part refers to the way the image is created. The final projected image is not 'holographic' in any way - it's not a 3D display.

According to LBO, HLP have several advantages compared to other projection technologies (DLP, LCoS and Laser-Beam-Steering):

• Low speckle
• Always in focus
• Efficiency, Brightness and color gamut
• Wide throw angle - creating large images at close proximity to the projector aperture

Here's a nice video from LBO showing how HLP works: 

Light Blue Optics has announced their first product, the Light Touch. This is a small touch-projector (based on HLP) that can project images up to 10", and includes an infra-red sensor for the touch ability. The Light Touch is a reference product and will be made available to OEM customers and other partners.

The Light Touch runs Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 for applications, has 2GB of internal memory and a micro-SD slot. It also includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, so applications that connect to the internet are possible. LBO think that the Light Touch is not just as a consumer device - it also can be used in retail spaces, the workplace and the home.

Light Blue Optics are going to launch their first product, the "Light Touch" at CES (Jan 6th). LBO's pico projector modules are Holographic Laser-based, and allow the user to touch the projected image to provide user input.

Light blue optics concept

Their modules support WVGA-QVGA images at 10 lumens. LBO’s proprietary technology has an ultra-wide throw angle and the ability to correct for optical aberrations using software. The projectors can switch between conventional front projection onto a wall and a novel table-down projection mode where the device is placed on a table and the content is projected down onto the surface in front of it (as shown above). LBO has recently raised $15 million.

For more information on LBO, check out our interview with their VP of BizDev.

Light Blue Optics (LBO) is working towards a touch-enabled holographic laser LOCS projection engine. LBO has just raised 15M$, and plans to release their first module in Q4 2009.

Dr. Edward Buckley, LBO's VP Business Development has agreed to answer a few questions we had. Edward has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, is a senior member of the Society for Information Display (SID), and is one of the founders of LBO. Prior to his position at Light Blue Optics, he worked with a variety of organisations, including a telecommunications consultancy and a multinational aerospace & defence company.

Q: Hello Edward, can you tell us a little bit about LBO?

Light Blue Optics (LBO) is a Cambridge-based company, developing and supplying a radically new display technology: holographic laser projection. This completely unique approach to projection creates bright, high-resolution images that remain in focus at all distances from the projector.  Our technology will enable a new generation of highly efficient, low-cost miniature projection systems with applications across a range of high-volume markets including consumer electronics and automotive. We believe that this projection technology will soon become ubiquitous – seamlessly integrated into our homes, vehicles and personal devices and changing the way we see and interact with the world. LBO is funded by a group of investors including 3i Group plc., Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, Earlybird Venture Capital and Capital-E.

Q: Can you explain your holographic laser projection system?
LBO’s novel approach to projection has a range of differentiating features and benefits. The term “holographic” refers not to the projected image, but to the method of projection. A diffraction pattern of the desired 2D image, calculated using LBO’s patented holographic algorithms, is displayed on a tiny custom-designed Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) microdisplay. When illuminated by coherent laser light, the desired 2D image is projected, remaining in focus at all distances.