MicroVision, Inc. is a pioneer in laser beam scanning (LBS) technology that
we market under our brand name PicoP®. We have developed our proprietary
PicoP scanning technology that can be adopted by our customers to create high-resolution
miniature projection and three-dimensional sensing and image capture solutions
that use laser diodes as the light source. Our PicoP scanning technology incorporates
our patented expertise in two-dimensional Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems
(MEMS), lasers, optics, and electronics to create a small form factor scanning
engine with lower power needs than many other technologies that projects high-quality
video and still image and/or uses depth sensing to capture three-dimensional
data.
We have licensed our patented PicoP scanning technology to other companies
for incorporation into their scanning engines for projection. We sell our licensees
key components needed to produce the laser scanning engines and/or license our
technology to collect a royalty for each scanning engine they sell. Companies
to whom we license our PicoP scanning technology are typically original design
manufacturers (ODMs) or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who are in the
business of making component parts or products ready for sale to end users.
To date, we have primarily focused on the consumer electronics market, however,
we believe that our technology creates a platform that can support multiple
applications and markets including enterprise, medical, industrial and automotive.
MicroVision, Inc. was founded in 1993 as a Washington corporation and reincorporated
in 2003 under the laws of the State of Delaware. Our headquarters is located
at 6244 185th Avenue NE, Suite 100, Redmond, Washington 98052, and our telephone
number is (425) 936-6847.
Our patented PicoP® scanning technology combines a MEMS scanning mirror,
laser diode light sources, electronics, and optics that are controlled using
our proprietary system control expertise. The bi-directional MEMS scanning mirror
is a key component of our technology platform and is one of our core competencies.
Our MEMS design is a silicon device with a one millimeter mirror at the center.
This mirror is connected to small flexures that allow it to oscillate vertically
and horizontally to capture (imaging) or reproduce (display) an image pixel-by-pixel.
Our PicoP scanning technology creates a brilliant, full color, high-contrast,
uniform display over the entire field-of-view, from a small and thin package.
We believe that our proprietary technology offers significant advantages over
traditional display and image capture systems. Depending on the specific product
application, these advantages may include:
Ability to perform projection and three-dimensional sensing and image capture
from a single device;
Focus-free operation;
HD resolution;
Low power requirements to enable battery operated devices and applications;
Large screen size up to 200 inches from short distances;
Small and thin package size;
High-brightness, high-dynamic range, and brightness uniformity; and
Rich, saturated color reproduction.
Our approach is to create a platform centered on the core capabilities and
features of PicoP® scanning technology that can support multiple applications
and markets. We see pico projection and automotive head up display (HUD) as
the most promising applications for our technology, and we have concentrated
in these areas over the past several years. We believe augmented reality (AR)
and virtual reality (VR) eyewear displays and three-dimensional sensing and
image capture applications can also benefit from our technology, and we are
actively exploring these opportunities.
Our primary objective for the pico projection market is to enable a large screen
viewing experience produced by a small projector for mobile devices such as
smartphones, tablets and other consumer electronics products. The scanning engine
can either be embedded in the mobile device directly or in a small standalone
companion product that is paired with the mobile device wirelessly or via a
protocol such as HDMI. These potential products would allow users to watch digital
videos, play games, and display images and other data onto a variety of surfaces,
freeing users from the limitations of a small screen. Products that incorporate
our PicoP scanning technology have been announced by our licensees and their
customers in 2015.
For the automotive market, an engine using our PicoP scanning technology could
be combined with other components and systems to form a HUD system to be embedded
into a vehicle or integrated into a portable, standalone aftermarket HUD. We
have produced prototypes that demonstrate the ability of PicoP scanning technology
to project high-resolution virtual images in the drivers field-of-view, providing
the driver with a variety of information related to the vehicles operation.
We have also begun to investigate opportunities to apply our technology to emerging
applications for in-car connectivity and infotainment systems.
Another possible application area for our PicoP scanning technology that we
have refocused on in the past year is eyewear displays, also known as AR and
VR. We have a long history with this application, and the eyewear ecosystem
has progressed to a point where we see future growth opportunities. We are in
the exploratory phases with prospective customers in identifying which AR and
VR applications offer the most promise for our technology inside their future
products.
In addition to the display and projection applications, our PicoP scanning
technology has the ability to capture three-dimensional information. We believe
there are market opportunities to use our technology to capture images and sense
objects. We are in the early stages of identifying these opportunities and developing
plans with prospective customers to leverage our competitive advantages in these
areas.
