OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones using a series of lenses developed

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute -- partnered with project HYPOLED -- have created an OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones. Unlike many previous iterations of similar technologies, this new prototype doesn't need an additional illumination system, instead relying on a lens system to project images produced by an OLED onto a screen or wall -- making it both smaller and more energy efficient. The prototype currently displays a monochrome image with a brightness of 10,000 candelas per square meter, and color images with a brightness of about half of that. The lenses are also made of glass at this point, though cheaper and simpler plastic ones are in the works. No word on when we might see these prototypes hitting the streets in actual projector phones, though.

[Via Gizmag]

[Josh Bradshaw @ Jun 29th 2009 7:28PM]

Plastic lenses would also be lighter for mobile phones!

[Rebajas @ Jun 29th 2009 8:43PM]

Yeah - because at the size we're talking about, weight is a real issue...

[Ian @ Jun 29th 2009 9:17PM]

Josh, grow some muscles you bitch.

[Monkey with glasses @ Jun 29th 2009 7:30PM]

Will these have better graphics than the mini projectors that are out already or to come?

[bifikus @ Jun 29th 2009 7:30PM]

Gonna be a long week...

[m@ @ Jun 29th 2009 7:32PM]

A series of tubes would be better.

[Mr. Oos @ Jun 29th 2009 7:48PM]

we already tried that, and it spun out of control

[JrA 2I9 pSu @ Jun 29th 2009 9:07PM]

you beat me to it!

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 29th 2009 7:52PM]

"10,000 candelas per square meter"

And how the hell does that compare to the existing pico projectors?

[Tim @ Jun 29th 2009 8:04PM]

It doesn't. This measurement is useless without knowing how far it was projecting.

[tom @ Jun 29th 2009 8:07PM]

Plugging 10,000 and 90 into this converter wizard gets you 18 lumens: http://led.linear1.org/lumen.wiz.

[Zachary Thompson @ Jun 29th 2009 8:08PM]

It actually doesn't tell you anything at all. If that 10,000 candelas/m^2 were over a 0.01m^2 surface, it would not be that fantastic (100 candela). If it was over a full square-meter that would be something else.

Ahh, the joys of marketing speak.

[Rotaryfan @ Jun 29th 2009 11:25PM]

isn't brightness output of the projector and brightness of the reflected image different? maybe this is supposed to be a perceived brightness of a given size image, and as the image shrinks when you bring the projector closer, the perceived brightness of the image increases, so you would divide by the square meters of the image.

before you call me an idiot, I know that this is a ridiculous proposal, but I'm trying really hard to be optomistic about OLED projection. it just isn't turning out well.

[CtrlBurn @ Jun 29th 2009 8:05PM]

Awkwardly phrased headline about cool new technology using too many clauses posted on website.

Cool story, though.

[ace @ Jun 29th 2009 8:07PM]

agreed. Tht title is a bit confusing....

[demonicman93 @ Jun 29th 2009 8:20PM]

i would like it much more if they just made a connector for me to connect my phone to a proper projector instead of this rly weak projectors that are only effective at ridiculously small distances.

[RLBurkes @ Jun 29th 2009 8:45PM]

I cant picture myself needing to project anything so badly that it couldn't wait for a computer/tv or be seen on the local screen.

[Danneh @ Jun 30th 2009 12:26PM]

I can. I can project "kick me" and pictures of genitalia onto people's backs. Oh joy.

[Information Central @ Jun 29th 2009 11:25PM]

So, let's take a display technology that already suffers from short lifespan, and overdrive it to make it project.

Sounds great.

[Adeptus @ Jun 30th 2009 1:21AM]

I can see the possible uses...
Combine this with a projector keyboard, and have a complete laptop in a mobile phone.
20-30 inches is big in comparison to any laptop screen.

[Amerist @ Jun 30th 2009 4:25AM]

OLED is the wrong technology for projectors.

LED & LCD technology is already here, it's cheaper, it lasts longer, and has been proven viable already for smaller display sizes. Companies that try to develop the third generation of a product while the second generation is still in its infancy are taking a huge risk.