A handheld projector (also known as a pocket projector, mobile projector, pico projector or mini beamer) is technology that applies the use of an image projector in a handheld device. It is a response to the emergence/development of compact portable devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and digital cameras, which have sufficient storage capacity to handle presentation materials but little space to accommodate an attached display screen. Handheld projectors involve miniaturized hardware and software that can project digital images onto any nearby viewing surface.
History[]
As early as January 1989, Epson released the first compact, full-color LCD projector, the VPJ-700.[1] Since then, major advances in imaging technology have allowed the introduction of hand-held (pico) type video projectors.
Applications[]
Handheld projectors can be used for different applications from small conventional projectors. Since 2008[2] researchers are studying applications that are specifically designed for handheld projectors often using prototypes of mobile phones with an integrated projector.Template:Citation needed
Mobile[]
Recent mobile phones have the ability to store thousands of photos and can be used to take photos with resolutions up to several megapixels. Viewing the photos is restricted by the phones' small displays. Projector phones allow photographs to be shared with a larger audience.[3] One study found that people preferred to view and share photos with projector phones, compared to using conventional mobile phones.[4]
Gaming[]
Handheld projectors, in particular projector phones, could offer new possibilities for mobile gaming, as demonstrated by the adaptation of the PlayStation 3 game LittleBigPlanet. Players can sketch a world on a sheet of paper or use an existing physical configuration of objects and let the physics engine simulate physical procedures in this world to achieve game goals.[5]
Hand gesture recognition[]
Size reduction of mobile devices is often limited by the size of the used display. Apart from the display a complete phone can be, for example, integrated in a headset. It has been demonstrated that pico projectors integrated in headsets could be used as interaction devices, e.g., using additional hand and finger tracking.[6][7][8] The MIT Media Lab proposed a wearable gestural interface device named SixthSense. Chris Harrison developed a working system called Omnitouch.[9] Finally, the Light Blue Optics Light Touch is yet another similar device.[10] Lisa Cowan from UCSD showed a proof of concept of gesture recognition using shadow-occluding of the projector, called ShadowPuppets.[11] A modified laser projector has been used to perform gesture recognition and finger tracking using laser-based active tracking techniques at the University of Tokyo (Smart Laser Scanner and Laser Sensing Display).
Pointer-based computer control[]
Combining a pico projector with a webcam, a laser pointer, and image processing software enables full control of any computing system via the laser pointer. Pointer on/off actions, motion patterns (e.g., dwell, repetitive visit, circles, etc.) and more can all be mapped to events which generate standard mouse or keyboard events, or user-programmable actions.[12][13][14]
References[]
- ↑ Michael R. Peres, The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, page 306, Taylor & Francis
- ↑ A. Hang, E. Rukzio, and A. Greaves "Projector Phone: A Study of Using Mobile Phones with Integrated Projector for Interaction with Maps" Proceedings of the Conference on Human–Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI), 2008.
- ↑ A. Greaves and E. Rukzio, "View & Share: A Collaborative Media Viewing and Sharing Framework using a Projector Phone", Proceedings of the Workshop on Mobile Interaction with the Real World (MIRW), 2008.
- ↑ A. Greaves and E. Rukzio, "View & Share: Exploring Co-Present Viewing and Sharing of Pictures using Personal Projection" Proceedings of the Workshop on Mobile Interaction with the Real World (MIRW), 2009.
- ↑ M. Löchtefeld, J. Schöning, M. Rohs, and A. Krüger, "LittleProjectedPlanet: An Augmented Reality Game for Camera Projector Phones", Proceedings of the Workshop on Mobile Interaction with the Real World (MIRW), 2009.
- ↑ C. Harrison, H. Benko, and A. Wilson. "OmniTouch: Wearable Multitouch Interaction Everywhere", In Proceedings of the 24th Annual ACM Symposium on User interface Software and Technology (ACM UIST), 2011.
- ↑ P. Mistry, P. Maes, and L. Chang, "WUW — wear Ur world: a wearable gestural interface", Extended Abstracts Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2009.
- ↑ M. Baldauf and P. Fröhlich, "Supporting Hand Gesture Manipulation of Projected Content with Mobile Phones", Proceedings of the Workshop on Mobile Interaction with the Real World (MIRW), 2009.
- ↑ OmniTouch
- ↑ Light Blue Optics Light Touch
- ↑ Cowan, L., Li, K. "ShadowPuppets: Supporting Collocated Interaction with Mobile Projector Phones Using Hand Shadows", In Proceedings of ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2011.
- ↑ US Patent #6,275,214, "[1]" Computer presentation system and method with optical tracking of wireless pointer
- ↑ US Patent #6,952,198, "[2]" System and method for communication with enhanced optical pointer
- ↑ US Patent #7,091,949, "[3] Computer presentation system and method with optical tracking of wireless pointer"
Bibliography[]
- Brennesholtz, M (2008). "Market Segment Analysis: Pico-Projectors", Insight Media