January 9, 2007 One of the big breakthrough technology announcements for the CES show which begins next week has landed - Microvision will show the world's smallest and thinnest full-color projection display prototype. Using the company's Integrated Photonics Module (IPM), the miniaturized projector engine promises new capabilities for mobile devices as it can be embedded in a mobile phone or PDA, or used as a standalone accessory display with a variety of mobile devices. “Small, two inch displays that are common to mobile devices such as cell phones are barriers to growth of exciting mobility markets, because they limit the user viewing experience,” said Alexander Tokman, President and CEO of Microvision. “Our projection display solution is expected to eliminate this bottleneck, benefiting consumers, mobile operators, content providers, and consumer electronics OEMs.” The commercilisation of this potentially disruptive technology will enable a range of cheaper and more readily available heads up displays and wearable displays. Microvision expects a commercial launch in 2008.
The miniature projection display prototype has been developed in collaboration with one of the Company’s high volume manufacturing partners to position Microvision to deliver mobile users worldwide a large screen viewing experience inside a thin and sleek portable package.
“As our display is further optimized for high volume manufacturing, OEMs are expected to create a new generation of mobile devices with powerful projection display capabilities. Content providers should benefit by expanding their portfolio of visually rich content and application services. Mobile operators should benefit from an enhanced user experience by increased adoption of mobile data services such as mobile TV. Consumers should be able to obtain a radically new viewing experience by projecting photos, videos, movies, and TV from personal mobile devices onto virtually any surface for entertaining and sharing with friends and family -- whenever, wherever.”
The image produced by Microvision’s display is extremely sharp and vivid whether being projected to view an image the size of a laptop screen or further away to view an image the size of a big screen plasma TV. Currently measuring a slim 8 mm this extremely small display package, about the size of a “thin mint” chocolate candy or the generation two iPod® shuffle, has been dramatically miniaturized to 1/10 the size of the company’s original prototype shown in June 2006 at the Society for Information Display. The Company and its high volume manufacturing partners will continue to develop this exciting technology into products that are expected to meet very aggressive market requirements for size, power, cost, and performance.
Microvision plans to demonstrate the projection display prototype at private showings for prospective global OEM customers, members of the media and institutional investors during the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 7 – 11. The company is showcasing how its display could be embedded directly into a device like a mobile phone, as well as be used as a standalone accessory display with a variety of mobile devices.
“This development represents a major milestone in the company’s turnaround and growth strategy set in place in 2006,” – concluded Tokman. “Our product development team has done an outstanding job and we believe that our customers and partners will be delighted by what we have to show during CES.”
