Sunday, June 30, 2019

Samsung a new kind of display

This patent references multiple ways of delivering data to a screen -- to projecting imagery -- which is the key part of the Microvision thesis.

There is nearly endless demand to deliver imagery to consumers. They are all hungry for data, information to be delivered to them electronically. 

People also want those devices delivering data to them to be small and portable.

Microvision's tech uses lasers --- the most efficient way to produce light --- to deliver imagery to consumers. It can be small, portable, and if you want to hang it on a wall, or conceal it in plain site, it's the ticket.

Some larger devices that can be plugged in, hardwired and focused at a fixed distance may use other technology -- that's fine, there's a lot of room in the space.

When you want it tiny, portable and energy efficiency is key... MicroVision's tech rules.

Confidence is pretty high with me that at least one Major Player will use Microvision's Interactive Display. (Amazon) and also quite high that the contract that exists to produce the display only projection is Sharp/Foxconn (the world's #1 electronics maker)


Patently Mobile

Thanks Ron


Early last month the US Patent & Trademark Office published a granted patent from Samsung relating to a new kind of portable projector that could sit on a table, like our cover graphic illustrates, or be easily attached to a wall to show slides, pictures, videos or simply watch live TV. The projection system could be controlled by a smartphone or any other kind of computer such as a tablet, laptop, desktop, wearable device like a smartwatch or even a set-top-box.

(DMD / LCOS / DLP)

Furthermore, the laser scheme may include a light source that consists of a red light emitting device, a green light emitting device, and a blue light emitting device, an optical tunnel to which laser light emitted from the light source is incident, and a display device configured to project an image onto a screen using the laser light incident through the optical tunnel. The laser scheme may also include, as a projection module, a structure including a synthesis module for performing synthesis by transmitting or reflecting some colors of the laser light emitted from the light source and a speckle remover for removing speckles by irregularly changing a phase of the laser light synthesized through the synthesis module.


The sensor module may be an array of sensors that measure a physical quantity or sense an operation state of the electronic device and may convert the measured or sensed information into an electric signal. The sensor module may include, for example, a gesture sensor; a gyro sensor; an acceleration sensor;  an ultrasonic sensor; an infrared sensor; a Hall effect sensor; a proximity sensor; 140G; and an illumination sensor.

Chasing Holograms

Thanks Ron!

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Sharp Laser Projectors

Generally this kind of article gets only a cursory scan. They're just keeping things in the news... 

But something on this one caught my eye. The Foxconn nod, and they plan to expand to over 20 models of laser projector.

Looks to me like there's room for a very small portable version.

Digitimes

Sharp's projector products are co-developed with parent company Foxconn Electronics and manufactured by production partner Herng Wei Enterprise using 3LCD technology, Chang noted.
Sharp's most expensive projector model, which comes with a WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200) resolution and a brightness of up to 6,000 lumens, is available at NT$90,000, Chang claimed
Sharp plans to expand its laser projector portfolio to over 20 models by the end of 2019 and aims to become a top-two vendor in the segment in 2020, Chang said.

Airbus and more.

Interesting that the two premier aircraft manufacturing companies in the world are both on board with Hololens. 

This is describing even better results than I thought we'd get.

This tech will take the world by storm -- and very few people know about it yet. (just 7000 views on the Airbus video when I linked it.)

Being an investor in the provider of key components to new technologies that will improve productivity and human connection significantly is a fantastic place to be.  (Like holding CSCO in 1995....SWKS in 2013... )

Listen to the Podcast (thx reddituser flyingmirrors)

This guy is interesting, and he seems to have a mostly balanced view. The podcast is long, but he does say flatly that MVIS is in Hololens. He hasn't seen the display yet. (and seems significantly influenced by a MVIS naysayer who has admitted he was incorrect.)


I anticipate that the display now will have the field of view of Nomad or better -- with better resolution and brightness, which will be a stunning improvement from Hololens 1. Part of what I'm basing that on is the size of the wave guide in pictures of Hololens 2, I don't know yet, I haven't tried it.

In the podcast one of the questions was about whether the Hololens 2 is good enough to start living up to the promises of AR. The answer was clearly yes... and, given the reaction of Airbus, I wouldn't doubt that. (Also the language in the Airbus video seems to indicate that Airbus is ALREADY using Hololens 2.)

Neowin
Technology Record
Computerworld





"Hololens devices in a bid to speed production and improve training for new staff. Airbus is also teaming up with Microsoft to sell MR apps to other businesses in the airline industry."

"Airbus has identified more than 300 potential use cases for MR across its business, such as remote staff training that doesn’t tie up expensive equipment. MR systems can also boost frontline worker productivity at Airbus with hands-free access to information, such as instructions or diagrams overlaid on physical machinery, cutting manufacturing time by a third. "

The company also said design processes are 80% quicker because designs can be tested in 3D before manufacturing.

“Mixed reality can help us to increase quality, safety and security” Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president of engineering at Airbus, said in a blog post Monday. “The level of human error is significantly reduced, and in aerospace, increased quality is increased safety – and needless to say, security goes with that.”



Also, don't forget this.... something weird is going on between these two companies. This is a greeting of Airbus from Boeing. That features the hololens.

Friday, June 14, 2019

Universities Using Hololens....

Thanks Joe for sending this. Great stuff.

You just have to ask yourself if you think MVIS is in this or not? I think it is.



zdnet

"Imagine an EMT at an emergency scene, wearing a HoloLens and communicating with a clinician in a hospital. It allows more in-depth care. The EMT can act as the eyes and the hands of the clinician. They can use the HoloLens to see the patient, put virtual marks on patient that the EMT can act on, all the while talking to the EMT on the scene."

Researchers at the MIT Media Lab created Mathland, an app inspired by Seymour Papert's vision for a "math land" where people would learn mathematics as naturally as they would learn a language in a foreign land. 


I'm glad someone is on to my favorite idea of the way I'd like to use Hololens... 

Another app,
Wordsense, helps users learn a second language by detecting objects in the user's environment and labeling them in the target language, as well as by providing a word's definition, sounding it out, and using it in a sentence.

an app called HoloArt allows users to paint with Holograms in mixed reality. That project would likely appeal to a University of Michigan researcher, who's developing curricula centered on augmented and virtual reality. The classes are actually being offered at UM, and evidently there's a waiting list.


Microsoft is counting it a win.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Apple AR Glasses

Business Insider

2020

Catadioptric?

Basically it's bouncing a projection off something else.... which is what any AR system will have to do.

So, this word doesn't do anything to necessarily include or exclude MVIS's display, but I think Apple will want the best, and I'm quite sure that what Microvision has developed outclasses anything else out there.



catadioptric optical system is one where refraction and reflection are combined in an optical system, usually via lenses (dioptrics) and curved mirrors (catoptrics).

Wikipedia Catadioptric



Sunday, June 9, 2019

Spiderman

Thanks Fuzzie

I have it starting at the interesting part, cut off the first 20 seconds.

People are going to flip out when they realize that this ISN'T science fiction.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Watch Nokia

A couple of dots that are interesting. So Nokia is going crazy with 5G -- under the name "Nokia"

But Nokia is really Microsoft Mobile, but still in this article as "the Finnish" company.

Verizon is all over 5G -- and using Hololens to advertise that. (Check recent post)

During my recent visit to Taqtile, I asked how they got started with Hololens. The answer was they were designing apps for Microsoft phones, but Microsoft phones were getting phased out, and they were invited to work on the NEW project.....


****************


The Finnish telecommunications equipment maker said Tuesday that it has signed 42 commercial 5G deals around the world.
That puts it on par with Huawei, which has invested heavily in developing the next generation of wireless technology that will underpin much of the new digital economy.



NextWeb, Microsoft Bought Nokia

Old Video From Nokia (2012) --- Did they know this was coming that long ago?




Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Mixed Reality Playground

I don't have time yet this morning, but this is on my agenda.


Not too long ago, Microsoft released version 2 of the HoloLens, simply known as HoloLens 2. And I can surely say that most of you didn’t even see it for real. If you’re one of those then it’s pretty much safe to say that you don’t understand the tech behind the HoloLens as much as you understand the PCs and smartphones. Microsoft is here to help you.
Microsoft has released a new app to the Microsoft Store. Microsoft’s MR Playground is a new app that will guide you through the latest technology available for HoloLens 2. Here is how the official described it:
An open source sample app showcasing the latest technology available for HoloLens 2. In this app users can place cubes in their environment that unpack into various interactable mini-experiences.

FEATURES

  • Movable world-locked object palette
  • Spawn a holographic hummingbird that follows your hands.
  • Pop gems with your eyes and voice.

MSPoweruser

Download the APP

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Why does a simple robot need a high-resolution LiDAR?

Exhibit A

A great idea that so far is inefficient and occasionally destructive, that could be much better with a better sensor.


Thanks Tom