Welcome 2015 and the World’s First HD Laser Pico Projectors Which Incorporate PicoP® Display Technology

As we enter into a new year, it is usually associated with new beginnings. At MicroVision we are excited at the prospects that 2015 holds, but for us new developments that come forward this year are a continuation of events that have been in motion for some time. Right out of the gate, the world’s first HD laser pico projectors were announced today at the 2015 International CES. We are extremely pleased to say that they incorporate PicoP® display technology. The two projectors, PicoPro and PicoAir, are being launched by Celluon, a company that specializes in consumer products that enhance mobile experiences using lasers. We have been collaborating with Celluon on the design of these products since CES last year and couldn’t be happier with the announcement today that introduces these revolutionary products to the world.

PicoPro and PicoAir have the benefits associated with PicoP display technology that are the right combination for mobility:

• HD, always in focus images

• Compact, slim, and light design

• Long battery life

• High contrast ratio, vivid colors with enhanced perceived brightness of lasers.

We look forward to following Celluon’s story as consumers discover the big screen experience these pico projectors create from a compact, smartphone-sized device with HD, always-in-focus images up to 250 inches. With Facebook users watching nearly 1 billion videos per day via mobile and YouTube reporting that nearly 50% of its views now come from mobile, there is no shortage of content for people to enjoy with a bigger screen than they are getting today on a smartphone or tablet.

We will be busy ourselves at CES with private meetings in our suites right next to the main show floor. We have a packed schedule as we continue our business development activities to evangelize the benefits of PicoP display technology and to connect OEMs with partners who are developing display engines incorporating our technology.

MicroVision and Pioneer

MicroVision has received follow-up questions after our August 8, 2013 earnings conference call regarding our relationship with Pioneer Corporation. So we wanted to expand on the discussion here.

We are very pleased with our relationship with Pioneer and to be part of the CYBER NAVI HUD – a world’s first on many levels. It was the world’s first HUD to project augmented reality and to use direct green lasers. And of course for MicroVision it was the first commercial product with PicoP Gen2 technology and Pioneer was our first customer to go to market under our “Image by PicoP^®” ingredient brand business model.

As the automotive industry continues to evolve the role and integration of information systems in cars, Pioneer is also evolving its business model and focus for car navigation systems to align with the changing market.  They recently launched a 2013 edition of the CYBER NAVI HUD with updated features that are all about information integration and sharing. The display engine for the augmented reality HUD in the latest CYBER NAVI is based on MicroVision’s PicoP display technology and incorporates parts we have supplied to Pioneer. You can read more about the latest features in the CYBER NAVI in Pioneer’s Press Release and a recent Engadget article reviewing the new 2013 edition. And of course, as a visual display company we are all about seeing things in images, so the latest CYBER NAVI video Pioneer has posted to You Tube is worth a look as well. Even if you don’t understand Japanese, you get the idea of the way the product is taking in information and displaying it for the driver. The bright clear images that can be seen in daylight are hallmarks of PicoP display technology in HUD deployment.

 As for our business relationship with Pioneer, we have received orders of $ $5.8 million from Pioneer which we fulfilled from Q2 2012 through Q2 2013. The quality of the components has been extremely high and the display engine based on PicoP display technology has performed well. We have several of the commercial CYBER NAVI systems and they get a “wow” response when we show them off. As we discussed on the conference call, we continue to engage in discussions with Pioneer on future business opportunities, with focus on embedded HUD as that is where we see the highest potential as we believe this is where the automotive industry is also focusing for HUD.  We have been a proud partner of Pioneer’s and look forward to continued opportunities to be part of future innovative products they may bring to market.

 If you are interested in learning more about the business changes Pioneer is making, they have recently issued multiple press releases talking about their restructuring, business model updates, and business alliances.

A Little Disney "Magic" and MicroVision Technology Bring Storybooks to Life

As a company who is grounded in research and development as a means to discover exciting, disruptive products, at MicroVision we’re always encouraging others to explore new possibilities and create innovative applications using MicroVision technology.  So when Disney Research’s latest projection demonstration surfaced, we wanted to share what they have created mixing their “magic” and our technology.

HideOut is a perfect example of how PicoP^® display technology can free your imagination to see outside the box — a prototype system created by Disney Research that uses MicroVision’s patented PicoP display technology in the form of a SHOWWX™ pico projector to enable interactive , augmented reality

applications. The video shows how the handheld device enables users to interact with digital content that seems hidden until the projector brings it out onto everyday objects such as books, walls, game boards, tables, and many others. 

Check out the video: Disney Research Brings Storybooks to Life with HideOut

This is the latest advance by Disney Research using MicroVision technology.  MotionBeam and SideBySide are two other instances where Disney Research demonstrates the type of “beyond projection” applications that can be created using PicoP display technology. The focus-free nature of PicoP display technology is one reason why it is suited to this type of advanced application where other projection technologies are not.

While these projects are only in the research and development phase, we are excited to see PicoP display technology at the heart of solutions that show off some possibilities to change the way we see and interact with information.