Miniaturized color MEMS scanning mirror-based Laser Projector

The collective intelligence of the world’s technologists seems destined to give us the miniature projectors we’ve been promised for so long that will likely revolutionise personal infotainment in mobile devices, the automotive industry (driver assistance, Head-Up Display, etc), medical electronics (acquisition of biometrical data, positioning aid for X-Ray diagnosis and treatment etc), production technology (projection of reference points for drilling, pattern generator for tailoring of steel plates), and Metrology (structured lighting). Earlier this week we reported on the XXXX and now comes the news that a full color laser projection system based on a two dimensional micro scanning mirror technology will be shown at at the LASER 2007 show in Germany next month. The system contains an ultra compact projection head and a separate laser and signal processing unit. It allows the projection of arbitrary images and video sequences with a geometrical resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, 256 brightness levels per pixel and elementary color, and 50 hertz frame rate.

The projection modules are developed by Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer IOF and overcome limitations of conventional projection systems – like rather large components for light deflection and high power light sources that consume lots of electrical power and radiate most of it thermally – by deploying the micro scanning mirror as key element for image generation and lasers as light sources.

The patented micro scanning mirror of Fraunhofer IPMS is an ideal base for the development of compact projection heads. It distinguishes itself by high mechanical robustness and ease of both electrical control and optical coupling of the laser beam. Besides the expertise of Fraunhofer IPMS in design and manufacturing of this mirror, the competence of the institute for development of all necessary hardware and software for the projection system was used to build the overall projection system.