Fraunhofer develops OLED-based projector

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF (Jena, Germany) has developed a mini projector based on an OLED light source. The mini projector was developed by research scientists in a European Union project called Hypoled.

Unlike conventional projectors, it does not need an additional illumination system. The prototype is 2.5 centimetres long, has a diameter of 1.8 centimetres, and could be integrated in a cell phone or PDA. The key component of the projector is an organic display (OLED) developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden.

Currently the OLED display produces a monochrome image with a brightness of 10,000 candelas per square meter, or approximately half this level with colour images. For comparison, a computer monitor generates about 150 to 300 candelas per square meter. A lens system projects the image produced by the OLED onto a wall or other flat surface. The lenses are made from glass, but the research scientists are already developing an optical system using lower-cost, lighter plastic lenses.