Projector

The Xbox Kinect has certainly become a useful tool for innovation, with modders finding applications in medical imaging, robotics, and even aids for the visually impaired, to name just a few. Now it looks like you can add "topography" to that list with the development of the SandyStation. Created by two students in the Czech Republic, the SandyStation projects a realistic ecosystem over an ordinary sandbox, which can be altered in real-time. Read More

Not so long ago, it seemed that a projector might become a standard feature on smartphones, like GPS or a camera. LG and Samsung released projector-equipped devices, but many manufacturers – including Apple – have not followed this path so far. If you need a projector in your iPhone though, it is now possible via a dedicated accessory, such as the Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 from Texas Instruments and Brookstone. Read More

While great strides have been made in the development of humanoid robots, such as Honda's ASIMO, giving robots a human face with natural expressions and movement has proven a difficult task. While some look to create lifelike faces and expressions with motors under artificial skin replicating the function of facial muscles, German and Japanese researchers have joined forces to come up with a different solution called Mask-bot that sees a 3D image of a human face projected onto the back of a plastic mask. Read More

Cameras, camcorders and smartphones have had it, now laptops are getting the in-built projector treatment. Fujitsu is about to release two LIFEBOOK notebooks in Japan which feature a mobile projector where you might expect to find an optical drive – giving those who regularly provide on-site training or pitch business proposals an always-at-hand option for displaying presentations. Read More

Will letting consumers make their own 3D movies be enough to establish 3D TV in the mainstream? Sony is hoping so with the release of its newest Handycam models. Amongst a slew of new additions to its Handycam line of camcorders unveiled by Sony at CES 2011 were a couple of notable standouts. The HDR-TD10 3D camcorder features “Double full HD” recording, plus a 3D LCD touch panel display that lets you view your 3D movies in camera without 3D glasses. On the 2D side, Sony offers three Handycams with video projectors capable of producing a 60-inch (152 cm) diagonal image. Read More

Light Blue Opitcs (LBO) has won the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Awards 2010 prize for Product Design with its Light Touch interactive projector. The device uses an infra-red touch sensing system that transforms a projected image into a virtual 10-inch touch screen. It allows users to interact with multimedia content and applications by touching the image, which can be projected onto any flat surface. Read More

MicroVision Inc. has just released the second generation of its SHOWWX laser pico projector that we caught at CES earlier this year. The new SHOWWX+ is powered by the same PicoP display engine and is the same pocket-friendly size as its predecessor, but packs a 50 percent brighter display to project images of up to 250cm (100 in) from mobile devices to provide a (relatively) big screen experience wherever you may be. Read More

The development of a tiny new video projector has recently been announced by Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) via its spin-off company, Lemoptix. The projector is said to be smaller in area than a credit card, with a projection head measuring one cubic centimeter. Developers of the device foresee it becoming commercially available in smartphones, laptops and digital cameras, with industrial applications including possible use in operating rooms. Read More

So you need to show off your latest holiday snaps or home movie to your friends and family, and don't have a digital photo frame, tablet computer or laptop anywhere nearby. What you need is a camera that can throw images onto a nearby wall. Happily, Nikon has announced that it has upgraded its projector-wielding Coolpix compact. There are more megapixels, high definition movie capabilities and an even brighter projector, as well as a body redesign and new color options. Read More