Do laser pico projectors have similar technology as laser pointers?

[LaSirs12]

I am a complete noob when it comes to lasers. I'm slowly starting to get the resources together thanks to this forum!

I read about this laser pico projector on engadget, and it got me thinking.


Laser pico projectors have infinite focus and can project on curved surfaces. If those features are due to the laser technology, do both laser pointers and laser projects possess essentially the same technology or is it different?


Thanks for the info.

 

[Ash]

do both laser pointers and laser projectors possess essentially the same technology or is it different?

Yes. Exactly the same technology: laser diodes emitting coherent monochromatic light :beer:

 

[anselm]

Well both pointers and projectors use laser diodes as the source of light.
I think the similarities end here.

 

[enigmahack]

I thing the difference here is simply that classic projectors use white light with a colored LCD in front to show the image, where here you have a similar idea except the LCD acts more as a filter that simply blocks a certain wavelength per pixel.

That's how I might approach it anyway if I were to make one, but that is totally speculation on my part

 

[Gryphon]

I believe the pico laser projector actually scans the laser across the wall and builds the image much like the old crts used to do.

 

[Pontiacg5]

I believe one scans, and one uses an LCD.

 

[HIMNL9]

If you get an LCD fast enough (say, at least 120Hz), you can also use 3 different monochromatic sources (R, G and B), and switch between them with the 3 components, at that speed each image overimpose for the eyes (retinal persistence time) and looks as a single continuous image ..... so, no need to scan the beam and compose the image as "raster pic" .....

 

[LaSirs12]

Whoa!! I wonder if anyone has tried that out... unless you, HIMNL9, my friend are speaking from experience?

but essentially the diode is the same, but different filters.

Im actually curious to get one of those laser projectors to see how they work.. Maybe some x-mas gifts will do the trick

 

[HIMNL9]

^ Not for personal experience, if you mean if i've built one , but if you look at existing DLP projectors (ones that uses DLP mirror chips, instead LCD, like the *COUGH*casio*COUGH* one ), you see that they already use the same principle ..... it alternate the 3 components at around 140Hz, IIRC, and the DLP image device form the images from red, gren and blue cyclically, overimposing them, instead that mixing 3 different sources as normal units do, and is the retinal persistence that make you see a single continuous image

DLPs are high cost and big sizes, for microprojectors, but if they reach to build one small and cheap enough, or to build an LCD quick enough, i think those multiplexed systems can become the more cheap solutions for the future, in the microprojectors field (also for the energy saving, cause in this way each LD is on for 1/3 of the time, instead that all the 3 together ).....

 

[LaSirs12]

whoa! I am learning so much about laser! Thanks HIMNL9 :bowdown:

I was reading that with these micro projector they are starting to go toward lcos because it is cheaper to produce and alleviates many of the troubles of dlp and lcd, i.e screen door effect. I think it still uses a cyclical rotation of RGB. Also, by employing Led bulbs it allows for up to 10-15k hours of viewing.

I am thinking about getting one of these laser projectors to use for business trips as well as general laser investigation

I don't think $399 is too steep... laser projector

 

[Ash]

I am thinking about getting one of these laser projectors to use for business trips as well as general laser investigation

I don't think $399 is too steep... laser projector

I think that's way too steep for something that only puts out 20 lumens. :yabbem: