26 July 2007

Motorola signs on with Microvision to develop prototype projector phone

For years we've been promised micro-projectors the size of a remote control, a matchbox and even a sugar cube that will liberate visual content from the tiny screens of our mobile devices - but none have materialised onto the market.

Projector technology has improved considerably in the last few years, but although brightness, contrast, and color are better than ever, size still remains an issue for those looking for a truly portable device.

Small, ~2 or ~3 inch displays that are common to smartphones nowadays are huge barrier for enjoying in multimedia contents because they limit the user viewing experience.

With this revolutionary nano-projector engine small enough to fit inside our pockets, we are not limited on the small phone screen anymore and we can share captured moments, images and videos with our friends or family and truly enjoy the big picture wherever we are.

Few months ago, during the CES Las Vegas we wrote a bit about the innovative micro projector from Microvision and how cool it would be to see this exciting technology in practice and today Microvision announced that it has signed an agreement with Motorola to develop pico projector display solutions for mobile applications leveraging Microvision's ultra-miniature laser based display engine, called PicoP(TM).

Tiny laser-based projectors are expected to enable a "big screen" viewing experience from mobile devices. By projecting content displayed on the device screen onto a wall, object or even a curved surface, mobile users could easily share Websites or multimedia applications such as movies, personal videos, mobile TV, photographs and presentations with friends or business colleagues.

"Motorola is committed to driving technology innovation that will enable the next generation of great consumer experiences," said Rob Shaddock, CTO, Motorola Mobile Devices business. "Working together with Microvision, we are pursuing ways that projection technology can redefine how mobile consumers view and interact with the media they take with them."

"With its slim form factor and low power requirements, Microvision's PicoP projector is optimized for the mobile environment," stated Alexander Tokman, President and CEO of Microvision. "We believe that our unique display technology, combined with Motorola's focus on delivering cool experiences, would allow mobile users to enhance their viewing of information and entertainment."

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, however the companies revealed they will work together initially to integrate Microvision's latest PicoP projector inside a functioning mobile device for demonstration purposes. This prototype handset will utilize Microvision's new, WVGA (854 x 480 color pixels) wide angle scanner, first demonstrated in May 2007 at the Society of Information Display annual conference.