Microvision and BMW Showcase Revolutionary In-Vehicle Entertainment Display at Auto Shows
BOTHELL, Wash.--Oct. 15, 2002--Microvision , the leader in light scanning technologies for displays and imaging, announced today that it has been working in close cooperation with German automaker BMW to create a revolutionary projection display system for rear-seat entertainment.
The display has been integrated into a BMW 7 Series sedan research car and is being showcased at the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Chicago October 14-17 and at Convergence 2002 in Detroit October 21-23.
The BMW/Microvision rear seat entertainment display system makes use of a highly innovative laser projection system developed by Microvision, and a screen -- about half the size of a piece of notebook paper -- mounted to the back of the front seat, enabling rear seat passengers to view high-resolution, full-motion video images in vivid color. The viewer can also adjust the position of the viewing surface by means of a convenient electronic actuator.
The compact microprojector module is unobtrusively integrated between the headliner and the roof of the car so that the projected image passes through a small window in the car's headliner, and then is reflected off the viewing surface.
The unique scanning projection system combines individual red, green and blue laser light sources to form a single spot, which is then reflected off of a tiny vibrating mirror on a silicon chip and scanned through an optical system. The result is a bright display -- essential for daylight viewing -- with resolution comparable to a desktop monitor and superior color saturation and range of color.
Unlike a desktop monitor, the scanned beam display engine has the potential to be tiny: about the size of a thimble, excluding viewing optics. The combination of small package size, daylight readability, and accurate color reproduction makes the display a unique enabler for a variety of automotive applications.
Andrew Lee, Microvision VP Sales said, "This demonstrator is the first step toward developing a commercially available, rear seat entertainment system. Nothing like this has been attempted before because, until now, no other projection technology was capable of meeting the demanding requirements of the automotive environment. It has been a pleasure working closely with an innovative and forward-thinking company like BMW on this ground-breaking project."
Microvision's unique scanned beam display technology platform can be configured to create a wide range of automotive display solutions including:
| -- | Daylight readable, see-through head-up displays for instrumentation |
| -- | Night vision head-up display |
| -- | Re-configurable, rear-projection instrument cluster and center console displays |
| -- | Augmented rear-view mirror displays |
| -- | Entertainment and "infotainment" rear seat, front projection displays |
To date, Microvision has built six different types of prototype displays for a variety of automotive partners, including BMW. According to Lee, "this exploration phase acts as our spring-board from which we intend to pursue commercialization of our technology with BMW and other potential customers."
About Microvision
The company, located on the web at www.microvision.com is headquartered in Bothell, Washington. Microvision Inc. is the developer of the patented retinal scanning display technology and a world leader in micro miniature optical scanning technology for display and imaging applications. The company's technology has applications in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer information products. Nomad is a trademark of Microvision, Inc.
Forward Looking Statement Disclaimer
Certain statements contained in this release, including those relating to product demonstration, developing display solutions and commercializing display technology, and product applications are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the company's forward-looking statements include the following: market acceptance of our technologies and products; our financial and technical resources relative to those of our competitors; our ability to keep up with rapid technological change; government regulation of our technologies; our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary technologies; the ability to obtain additional contract awards and to develop partnership opportunities; the timing of commercial product launches; the ability to achieve key technical milestones in key products; and other risk factors identified from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including in its Annual Report on 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
