Microsoft demonstrates its Surface on a spherical display. Sphere, which is the name of the new concept, allows viewing pictures, videos and the like in a 360-degree angle.
The images are produced by a projector, which is placed inside the translucent sphere. Certain algorithms fit the picture to the round display shape. The interaction with the user is done via infrared sensors.
The head of the Sphere project at Microsoft, Hrvoje Benko, is sure that there will be many interactive displays of this type in future. Today the researchers focus to observe how people interact with the Sphere.
The project will be presented at the Microsoft Research Faculty Summit 2008 in Redmond.
read more at seattlepi.com
Showing posts with label display. Show all posts
Showing posts with label display. Show all posts
Mirosoft Surface gets spheric
First notebook with integrated pico projector
Asus showed at Computex Taipei the first proof-of-concept of a notebook with integrated pico projector. At the upper part of the notebook display a rotating pico projector unit is placed. Under the bright lights of the show floor the image brightness of this prototype was not particularly impressive. But the concept itself is very promising.
Asus notebook with pico projector (source: slashgear.com)
read more...OLED display for laptops soon?
At the moment it is very likely, that Samsung will get laptops with OLED display on the market in 2009. The first design study looks very promising.
Samsung OLED laptop concept (source: engadget.com)
For 2009 Samsung SDI announced the first 14 and 15.4 inch laptop with OLED display.
read more...
Holography - state of the art
Screens with the ability to display three-dimensional images are already quite common. Real holography, with volumetric displays, which enable the observer to go around the displayed subject and look at it from all sides, exist so far only in experimental research set-ups.To generate a stereo image pair you just need a simple sheet of paper with two images - one for each eye - our brain creates the spatial overall impression. Today it is mostly the illusion of a 3D image, generated with the help of projectors, mirrors and transparent displays. So we believe that holography is already easily achievable. Apparently holographic images, as in the Heliodisplay (as reported in November 2007), are only an illusion of depth appeal.
The crucial for a real holographic image is that in a three-dimensional space all "space pixel" have to be part of the display. The display may not be a plate, but a volumetric body. Different approaches try to solve this task.
The rotating mirror
The rotating mirror
A rotating mirror, which rotates so fast that it seems to be invisible, is one approach to get a volumetric display. Coupled with a high-speed projector and the right software a moving hologram can be produced.
Research set-up at the University of Southern California (youtube video)
Holodust - the 3D dust-display
In another approach researchers try to produce the hologram in a artificially generated dust cloud. The exact position of each dust particle is identified by using an infrared laser. If a dust particle gets randomly in the correct position, a second laser gets it to shine. Is the distribution of the dust particles well enough a static or moving 3D image can be generated.
The Holodust concept from New York University (video)
News from the pico projector
Now even leading companies in mobile communications industry rely on the pico projector technology. The market launch of a pico projector from Samsung is likely to be imminent. Sony Ericsson on the other hand patented a special technique for the pico projector.
In recent months we reported several from developments at the pico projector. Since our last report, there was more news from the industry. Here is an update.
Samsung micro projector MBP-100
The micro projector can be connected to each of Samsung’s mobile phones. He delivers a picture diagonal of up to 20 inches.
micro projector MBP-100 by Samsung (youtube video)
Still there are no further technical details and information on the price available. The launch of the product will be in March 2008 in Korea.
Auto focus for pico projector
Even at Sony Ericsson they are already thinking about the future with pico projectors in their mobile phones. They presented no device with pico projector yet, but filed a patent for the technology.
Image from the patent specification from Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson wants to use the built-in camera in the mobile phone analyse the image, produced by the pico projector. With this technology focus, brightness and contrast of the projector should automatically adapt to the particular circumstances.
read more...3M and TI present pico projector at CES
In early November last year we reported on the pico projector from Microvosion. At the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas 3M and Texas Instruments presented their tiny projectors. Enormous market potential of the devices is in prospect.
3M pico projector
According to the manufacturer, the projector provides a brilliant image in VGA resolution up to a diagonal of 40 inch. 3M uses the LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicone) technology. While LCD projectors use transmissive LCD chips, allowing light to pass through the liquid crystal, in LCoS, liquid crystals are applied directly to the surface of a silicon chip coated with a highly reflective aluminized layer.
3M pico projector
At 3M they are particularly proud for the fact that the technology is available now. With existing partner companies 3M expects the first projector-equipped mobile phones in early 2008.
TI pico projectorTexas Instruments showed at CES an improved version of its pico projector prototype. Based on the TI developed DLP technology the device fits into a mobile phone dummy in the size of an iPhone. TI sees first applications in mobile devices in the course of this year.
TI pico projector
Microvision pico projector
Technical facts of the Microvision projector were posted by us in November.
Microvision showed at CES the first prototype of an independent pico projector unit in the size of an iPod Classic with WVGA resolution. Under the code name "show" the unit was presented to the public. The internal battery allows an operation time of up to 2.5 hours. The projector should hit the consumer market by the end of 2008.
Microvision pico projector (youtube video)
read more...
Displays getting thinner and thinner
At CES all major display manufacturers showed new LC displays in the range of 20 to 40mm thickness. Both the weight and power consumption should therefore also be reduced. The integration into a wall should get much easier in future. More pictures at gizmodo.com
A major trend is visible at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas - all renowned Plasma- and LCD-screen manufacturers are presenting very thin devices. New lighting method of LCD screensAccording to JVC, technical innovations in back lighting of the LC display brought this remarkable reduction in depth. With the help of new light-diffusion layers, the fluorescent tubes move closer to the LCD screen. Detailed information at gizmodo.com
Conventional LCD compared to the new, slim version
Also Plasma-screens getting thinner
Pioneer presented a just 9mm thick plasma screen at CES. In the middle section the concept device is a bit thicker with 18mm. There is no launch date for this device till now. 
The 9mm plasma-screen study by Pioneer
360° display - digital advertising pillar
A digital advertising pillar comes from the German company KinotonPotential applications of the display should be found in the digital signage field in public areas.
Technology
The Litefast display consists of a glass cylinder and four aluminium bars with 3 LED strips in the colours red, green and blue. The aluminium bars with the LEDs on them rotate in this inner cylinder with a speed that allows them to be not seen by the human eye. The LEDs are controlled to light up at the same point all the time. This allows a display with about 16 million colours.
Construction of a Litefast displays
Advantages compared to flat displays are energy savings, as only twelve LED strips are used. 189 inch screens at small stand space are possible. With the transparency interesting visual effects are possible.
Critical issues
The viewer watches the cylinder with a frontal view. He sees a rectangle on which sides the horizontal pixels accumulate and so the image is distorted. Because of this more than a half of the screen is useless to the spectator. Consistently high luminosity with low power consumption because of the few LEDs is an argument, but I suspect that for the rotation a lot of energy is needed.
Litefast in use (youtube video)
Application scenarios
The display could be used in railway stations, airports, service companies, adventure and theme parks, museums and exhibitions, retail, cinema and theatre, and in the hospitality industry. In my opinion, the main application will take part at trade fairs and exhibitions. Here the unusual shape of the display will bring a lot of attention.
Tactile touch screen by Nokia
Nokia presented the so-called Haptikos system, the first tactile touch screen. The haptic feedback on this touch screen supposed to be quite similar to a normal keyboard.
The technology behind the system is quite simple. There are two piezoelectric sensor plates arranged behind the display. The display itself is additionally equipped with a free movement of 0.1 mm. The fine-tuning of the system proved to be the largest challenge, as it was the feeling of a real key stroke to be exactly reconstructed.
the Haptikos system on a Nokia N770 internet tablet
A journalist from the Red Ferret Journal was able to get the hand on the system installed on a Nokia N770 internet tablet. He was very impressed by the effect. The feeling on the touch screen is indeed like on a real keyboard.
Nokia plans to introduce the tactile touch screens with its new S60 series in the year 2008.
Flexible plasma display
Early in October on the Japanese electronics fair Ceatec the idea of a novel plasma displays was presented. It is just one millimeter thick and pliable. With this technology any display size should be possible in the near future.
The plasma tube array display of Japan's leading plasma display researcher Tsutae Shinoda is unlike a conventional plasma display consisting of many individual gas cells. It is made of gas-filled thin tubes, arranged between two electrode plates.
At the fair a 50 by 100cm prototype display was demonstrated with just 800g in weight. Shinoda promises that basic panels of 1 by 2 meters are “glued” together frameless to any larger size displays in future. According to the displayblog the mass production should beginn in the second half of 2008.
Innovations in keyboard design
The evolution of traditional input devices continues. The Russian design studio Art Lebedev is going to launch the first keyboard with variable OLED displays by the end of the year. Another approach focuses on the flexible arrangement of the keys.Optimus Maximus, the russian interface
Every single button of Optimus Maximus is replaceable, has its own OLED display and can be used with different functions, such as letters, symbols or icons for special function buttons. The OLED with a resolution of 48 by 48 pixels displays the actual key function.
Optimus Maximus by Art Lebedev (youtube Video)A great advantage is, that the key adapts to the respective program, which runs on the computer, and so work should be done faster and easier. Each user can adjust the keys to their individual needs and working patterns. But there are also some critical aspects of this product. First, compared with normal keyboards, despite the use of OLED technology, there is higher energy consumption (it requires a separate power supply). Form an ergonomic view the keyboard could act as a disturbing light source in the visual area of the user.
Ergodex DX1, even the position gets individually
A slightly different keyboard system offers the Ergodex DX1 keyboard. The keys don’t have displays, but the function of up to 50 keys could be defined individually. For each key you could choose the position on a special plate.
A slightly different keyboard system offers the Ergodex DX1 keyboard. The keys don’t have displays, but the function of up to 50 keys could be defined individually. For each key you could choose the position on a special plate.
In the delivery contents are predefined or writable stickers for each key. With the free distribution of the keys a maximum ergonomic arrangement should be possible. Initial tests of this keyboard came to a conclusion, that the Ergodex DX1 is more a complement to existing keyboard, not a replacement.
Ergodex DX1 keyboardPico projector
A projector made for flexible applications. The projector is smaller than 4 centimetres and could be integrated into future mobile phones. Future versions will be able to project images in the size of a TV screen. Construction of a pico projector
Microvisions pico projector is made of four parts: the MEMS (Micro-Electronic-Mechanic-System) scanner, a red, green and blue laser beam, a special optical system and electronics. The electronics receives the signal, processes it, controls the colour mixture and the position of each pixel and controls the MEMS-Scanner. Each pixel is made up by combining the three laser beams. The intensity of each beam can be adjusted to create a big variety of colours and grey scales. The scanning MEMS scanner controls these multicolour radiation and successions and sends them line by line to their position to creating a complete picture.
MEMS-mirror,laserbeam,optic, electronics.
A very similar technique is used in the Texas Instruments DLP-projectors.
Scope
The big advantage is the mobility of this projector. You can present photos of a camera or a mobile phone to friends or work colleagues via projection onto a white wall, or you can watch a movie during a train ride.
Challenge
Challenge
Red lasers are used in any CD drive, the blue laser in the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD drives, so the procurement of this two is not very difficult. But green laser yet has not been produced for industrial use and was therefore difficult in matching the size and producing the number of units to have a sensible price. This problem has now been solved. The actual challange is to replace the still expensive laser trough cheaper LEDs.
read more...
Heliodisplay
Heliodisplay is a development of IO2Technology from California. In this interactive display the picture is projected into the air. The projected image seems to float and looks like a hologram because a reference to the depth is missing. Conventional television, computers and DVD players can be used as image sources.
Furthermore the control doesn’t only work by mouse but also intuitive with your fingers. Heliodisplay is a projection technology that works with suspended particles of moisture that can create an interactive display experience literally out of thin air.
Video at youtube.
More information at cbc.ca
OLED - the future display technology
A very promising technology on the display market seems to be the one of the OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). Extremely flat, flexible, luminous, true in colour and rich in contrast – these are the main advantages of the OLED technology.History
The effect of electroluminescence in organic materials is known since the year of 1953. Pioneers in the research of the use of electroluminescence in displays are Kodak and Pioneer, who started to invest money into this new technology in 1987. In 1990 they found out that there are certain polymers which could be used as organic LEDs and research was intensified. More information about the history at oled-display.net
Function
The technique is based on the effect of electroluminescence. This effect is known from nature e.g. the lightening bug. A tin film of the right polymers is put between two electrodes. When there is a voltage of a couple of volts the organic semiconductor starts to emit light. More information to how it works at wikipedia.
How OLED works (picture source)
Advantages of the OLED-technology
OLED displays offer a big viewing angle and a short reaction time as well as a good colour truth and a good contrast. Moreover they don’t need backlight what means that very thin displays can be produced and compared to today’s LCD displays they save up to 40% of energy.
Possible applications
The main field of the OLED technology should be the display market. Because of the materials OLED displays are made of, flexible displays are possible and likely. Another possibility is to use big, laminar OLED elements for room lighting. The applications for transparent OLEDs are even bigger. They could for example be put onto every kind of glass element like a glass dividing wall in offices.
Products with OLED
The number of products with integrated OLED-displays is increasing. The main application area is confined to small sized displays like in cell phones or MP3 players. Sony plans to sell the first TV with an 11` OLED display by the end of 2007.
SONY XEL-1 - 11' OLED TV (youtube video)
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