Light blue samples

Light Blue Optics (LBO), the Cambridge, UK-based developer of miniature projection systems, is to develop a range of display products with aerospace and defense company Thales.

Under the agreement, LBO will provide Thales with engineering samples of its miniature projection system in a collaboration that will result in the production of advanced displays that meet the requirements of cockpit applications.

LBO’s holographic laser projection technology creates large, full colour, high-quality images that remain in focus at all distances. The term “holographic” refers not to the projected image, but to the method of projection. A diffraction pattern of the desired 2D image, calculated using LBO’s patented holographic algorithms, is displayed on a phase-modulating Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) microdisplay. When illuminated by coherent laser light, the desired image is projected.

Rather than blocking light, the phase-modulating LCOS microdisplay steers the light to exactly where it is needed, making the system highly efficient. Unlike conventional projection systems, LBO’s technology does not require a projection lens. Instead, a demagnification lens pair expands the diffracted image from the microdisplay, producing an ultra-wide throw angle greater than 90º. The projected images are in focus at all distances from the projector, eliminating the need for a focus control.