Microvision Unveils Pocket-Sized Projector

The SHOW pico projector prototype to be display at this year's CES can throw a 100-inch image from a package that fits in your pocket.

Washington-based Microvision believes it has a solution to the tiny displays that are currently commonplace on media players, cell phones, and PDAs: Project them instead. On Wednesday, the company unveiled plans for its SHOW pico projector, a battery-operated projector that can fit in a pocket and throw an image up to 100 inches across. First glimpses of the prototype will be shown at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Pico uses a new laser-based projection system dubbed the PicoP display engine. It can project full-color 848 x 480 pixel images anywhere from 12 to 100 inches, without the need for focusing. The device is also expected to deliver 2.5 hours of battery life, enough for a full movie.

“With Microvision’s SHOW you could view and share everything ranging from YouTube videos, MSN newscasts, and Google search results to PowerPoint presentations, feature-length films, and family photos in a large, full-color, hi-resolution format instead of a 2-inch, QVGA display,” said Microvision CEO Alexander Tokman, in a statement.

The SHOW is intended to pair with other mobile devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, portable media players, and digital cameras. Eventually, Microvision envisions the projection package, which is as small as a thin mint chocolate candy, to be built directly into devices.