Display News
Report from Infocomm exhibition, June 2001
Projection Screens
Though not quite as advanced as it sounds, a holographic projection screen is a semitransparent, hanging, glass projection screen with a special coating, designed for projection in daylight. Nearly-clear glass with no image, you can see through it when an image is projected, and view the image from both sides. They run about $5,000 for about a 40" one. Best one I saw was the AirSho --> by Hitachi and ProScreen. HoloPro is another manufacturer.
Also cool, though for a very specialized market, is the Airscreen -- a giant, inflatable projection screen made by Harkness Hall. And this one --> that rises from the floor.
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LED Displays
Like the Las Vegas marquees surrounding the Infocomm show and the ones in Times Square, large video displays are created using matrices of LED lights, controlled by computer as if they were pixels. Red, green and blue LEDs are grouped tightly together and particular colors are turned on and off. SACO Smartvision has built many of these, including the Nasdaq display in Times Square and countless stadium signs. Act One, Daktronics and Opto Tech are other manufacturers (Opto also sells a variety of LED lights, including traffic lights). At the opposite end of the spectrum, EDI makes text-based LED signs, with wireless remote control.
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LCD Displays
continue to improve. This --> is the Samsung SyncMaster 240T, a 24-inch, widescreen LCD, with resolution of 1920x1200. This newspaper image was very crisp and readable.
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Projectors & Videowalls
These --> are color wheel assemblies from Ocean Optics. They spin at high speed, but could be controlled by a stepper motor to show individual colors.
I won't bore you with the details of Infocomm's much-touted "projection shootout" except to say that IMAX has a new digital division, and it's impressive. At the opposite end of the spectrum, saw many small projectors, such as the Luxeon Z5 and the Plus U3 series. Christie Digital makes some fantastic, high-brightness projectors, and displayed a spectacular 3x3 videowall made up of 50" XGA cubes. A single PC-fed image, at 3072x2304 resolution, looked stunning, and the seams between the monitors were barely visible. High End Systems makes a system to convert a projector into a motorized, computer (G4) controlled lighting and video system. That is, you can project video or flat color in a circular projection, and move it around in real time.
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Wireless Presentation Mice
Designed for presentations but potentially useful in exhibits or experiments, these are small, handheld devices which control cursor movement. Best one I saw was the Gyration GyroMouse, which uses RF for a 100-foot range and doesn't require unimpeded line of sight to the screen. Wireless Computing makes a nice wireless touchpad, the SurfMouse.
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Small Cameras
The VideoLabs FlexCam is just that -- a small camera containing a 1/3" CMOS (not CCD) video chip, on a flexible gooseneck. Designed for overhead-type presentations, it focuses down to 1/4". The Lumens DC80A is an XGA resolution digital document camera, on a stand with small light -- a glorified overhead projector, with RGB connector instead of integrated projector. More advanced is the Samsung SVP-6000, which includes control of a computer as well, for presentation. Ken-a-Vision has some nice video microscopes. AEI Components has teeny video cameras and wireless transmitters.
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Audio
There is a new technology developed by an MIT grad, in which a flat speaker transmits audio on ultrasound carrier waves. Did not see that at Infocomm, but did see something similar: a picture frame speaker. It is literally that -- a frame in which you can put a photo, with a flat speaker behind it. The frequency response is not superior, but it's an interesting idea. 5x7" ones are being sold for under $30 from Anima Products. Continuing the theme of invisible components, check out the Armstrong "i-ceiling," in which speakers and wireless antennas are embedded into ceiling tiles. Paranoid yet? These are SoundTube speakers, with a wide dispersion. They also make good domed, directional speakers.
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Olympus 3D ScanTop
is a tabletop bluescreen turntable device for 3D scanning of small (up to 25cm) objects. Works with any digital still camera. Comes with two small lights and software (PC only). Info here.
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Kevin Walker
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