We all have seen the innovation Sony puts in its handycam, displaying of images and videos with a projector. So when a smartphone can replace a camera why could it not take this add-on and get even more smarter. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, EpiCrystals Oy and the Aalto University are working over this new idea with the concept of Laser that can be inherited in our Smartphones thereby increasing the image and video experience.
Small sized laser projectors of 1-2 centimeters can be integrated to any electronic item available,these can project an image about the size of an A3 sheet about 11′ x 16′.
The challenge is actually integrating this into our smartphones keeping the energy consumption,cost factor and the side effects of a laser beam in consideration.This would require a luminous three-colour (RGB) light source to produce the expected quality of images and vidio.
Principal Scientist Timo Aalto from VTT said
The project has successfully combined multi-technological know-how from VTT and its partners in the project, from manufacturing materials and the accurate focusing of laser chips all the way to production line design. The project was launched last autumn, and we are now entering the stage where we can move from brainstorming and design to building prototypes. It is our goal to prove by next summer that large quantities of the new laser light sources can be manufactured quickly and economically.
EpiCrystals Inc, laser light sources offers a phenomenal quality of projection and complete satisfaction on investment and the company aims for the Global Market for small laser light production for projection in 2015.
EpiCrystals’ laser modules will be mass-produced in Asia, but the research and development will remain in Finland also in the future. The VTT, EpiCrystals and Aalto University project has received funding from the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes, among others.
We are developing an entirely new technology that is currently not in use anywhere else in the world. At the moment, there are stand-alone projectors on the market that can be connected to electronic appliances and early stage integrated projectors, but their quality and price are not competitive enough. Large electronics manufacturers are extremely interested in integrated projectors, and market research shows that demand for these micro projectors will increase strongly in the coming years. Soon, around two billion mobile phones per year will be sold in the world, and if even a couple of per cent of those contain a projector, we are talking about tens of millions of copies, and the hundred million mark is not far either,
says Vice President of Business Development Tomi Jouhti of EpiCrystals Oy.