The various Fraunhofer institutes had a big stand that represented all of them. First we looked at an unusual MEMs-based scanning projection system that uses biaxial mirrors with Lissajous scanning rather than rows or columns and could be used for a range of applications. However, the researchers told us, that a problem with this kind of novel approach is trying to get support for the drive electronics, which can be expensive to develop and produce. Contact ulrich.hofmann@[email protected]
The next display we looked at from the Fraunhofer was an ultra low power OLED microdisplay for near to eye applications that has a 0.19″ diagonal and resolution of 304 x 256 with 4 bit greyscale. The resolution means a 12 μm pixel pitch. The group can also make pixels down to 4 microns. The low power is claimed to be in the range of 1-3 mW with monochrome brightness (green) of more than 1,000 cd/m² (compared, said the Fraunhofer FEP, to 200 mW for other technologies). Contrast ratio is more than 10,000:1. The FEP has evaluation kits for developers and also has partners lined up for commercial volume manufacturing.
The Fraunhofer OLED microdisplays are very small Image:Meko
This shows the Fraunhofer microdisplay in an NTE application. Image:Meko
Finally, we looked at the bidirectional microdisplay that we have been reporting for some time and which is now getting ready for commercialisation. The 800 x 600 RGBW OLED (or 1600 x 1200 in monochrome) display has photodiodes between the pixels to allow the capture of light which can be used for many applications, such as gaze recognition. Staff on the booth said that one of the features of the photodiodes is that they are sensitive also to infrared and ultraviolet light, which can enable a number of applications. The Fraunhofer has development kits available for those working on applications. The active area is 12.8mm x 9.6mm (0.6″ diagonal) and the pixel pitch is 16μm x 16μm, with 24 bit colour depth and 250 cd/m² of brightness.
Contact [email protected]
