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Small screens are a problem, but I think some other technologies might be more promising. There are a number of miniature projective systems on they way, either designed to project images onto surfaces or into the eye.

e.g.
http://www.lightblueoptics.com/technology.htm

http://www.mvis.com/
Then again, the Virtual Retinal Display has been "on the way" for more than 10 years. Hopefully lightblueoptics will move to market more quickly.

There's also Microvision, who already have head-mounted displays that scan a laser across the retina, as well as bar code scanners; they are developing cell phone projectors as well.

I think the true potential of this is not projecting onto surfaces, but the possibility of projection directly into the eye.

I've been waiting for the VRD (Virtual Retinal Display) for 10 years. I first heard about it on Tomorrow World (UK Science Program) and it has been in development by MVIS (http://www.mvis.com/) ever since. Sadly in all this time, all they seem to have developed is a red monochrome display for car mechanics.

Apart from being a lot more private, projecting directly into the eye cuts down on the power requirements (since the projection area is so small).

The potential uses for direct eye projection are huge. From flip up projectors on mobiles to augmented reality and full immersion Virtual Reality displays.

A number of manufacturers are already moving into the consumer head mounted display market. e.g. check out the Scopo by Mitsubishi. http://global.mitsubishielectric.com/company/r_and _d/innovations/inn_02.html

Whoever can make a low cost full colour HMD is going to make a killing.

Microvision (www.mvis.com) has been doing intra-occular and retinal projection displays for the military and medical applications for atleast a decade... I recall trying out one of their red-beam 800x600 systems at 1996's SIGGRAPH.

It's an impressive system and just needs serious miniaturization, but I look forward to a day when I can see the world "in code" a la The Matrix.... or some of the really bad dreams I've had of late... 8^}

The applications are pretty amazing if they can really keep the size to the sleek design that all their geek-runway prototypes portend.

word,
Levendis47

I'm sorry to spoil poster's joy, but aren't these and
these folks already selling such devices for many months, if not years?

Microvision Retinal Scanning Displays.

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retinal projection (PDF). So there..

The "3D displays to come" that hold the most promise, however, will require that you wear (non-dorky) viewing glasses. These normal looking glasses will use a safe Retinal Scanning laser to directly overlay 3D imagery onto your field of view. Of course, we won't see this tech in BestBuy until the Law of Accelerating Returns has run the course of a few more years.

It's not too hard to think of several killer apps for augmented vision that make all other conventional displays pale in comparison. Even a wall-sized OLED display would take 2nd.

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The only 3D display tech worth working on -- until we figure out how to tap the optic nerve and/or brain itself -- is Retinal Scanning. Yep, "low-energy laser beams shot into the eye!" - the old LCD hud's are crap by comparison.

Once this tech goes mainstream, even the most monsterous of 2D displays won't seem so desirable anymore (except for social viewing).

The the #1 killer app for this kind of display is augmented reality... ah... to be able to have an ad-filter for the realworld...

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A cell phone that hooks up to a virtual retinal display and includes a projection keyboard. In the near future, both memory and processor speed in even a small form factor phone would be more than good enough for things like web surfing, taking notes and even watching movies. What is limiting the size is the need to intrgrate usable input devices and readable displays. With a virtual goggels and virtual keyboard setup, I could have a small phone, but still watch movies and surf the net with, say, a built in trackball. And I could take notes, or work on files on any flat surface when I get stuck in O'Hare again.

"You might have to wait a little while for a HTML to RIPTerm conversion program."

I don't expect it would be too hard, given the right motivation. And BBSes already have some conversions out. Heck, that's how I managed to get back into Trade Wars for a while, cause it has to run as a door.

Anyway. I think what they need to concentrate on, in lieu of PDA browsers, is HUD-based browsers. Maybe they could combine the Nomad with a text browser and wireless internet connection.

Microvision does technology like this.

Check out MVIS. I believe they had a few prototypes in the fashion show, but they are actually shipping wearable products for mechanics... cool!

People ask, "why so I need this?" I say you don't.

Not until Microvision MVIS retina scanning displays are cheep and full color. When your screen is the back of your eye the ultra portable doesn't need a screen and becomes your only computer.

Basically a video iPod that you can watch porn at work with a shit eating grin on your face and have no one know what your doing.

Good buy economy hello hedonism.

I can't wait for the next display tech after retinal projection: optic nerve interface. So c'mon neuro-geeks! get hacking - the brain's childsplay! :-)

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Check out the Nomad system from Microvision. Now *that* is high tech.

If you go take a look at Microvision's website, you'll see that MEMS can be used in everything and are the best thing ever.
Or so they tell you

More than likely they're just trying to get gobs of money from investors... maybe what Cringely's saying is true, but I can't share his enthusiasm

Some better descriptions of how MEMS display work here and here (flash based, but very good)

Okay, the Cyborg thing is cool, and I've been wanting to do that myself.

But $100,000 worth of hardware on your person, out of the research lab?? Please give your grants/donations to someone with an ounce of common sense.

Sure, i can understand where you'd want to have this around the house or even the workplace so you can see how it works IRL, but on an AIRPLANE?!? Dude, pack up your equipment in safe, padded crates, ship them with INSURANCE, and take a $600 laptop with you instead.

There's no way i'd ever have more than a couple thousand bucks worth of anything on my person outside of a controlled environment, EVER. I'm not even comfortable lugging around $3000 projectors for presentations!

The ugly truth is that airport security are little more than the FAA's version of BOUNCERS. Don't bring anything valuable on an airplane. Spend some money and ship it instead.

Microvision (the company responsible) also have a "Nomad", which has more hardware, but less of it's in the way of your eye. That seems more practical, in that you can see more, but the equipment is more bulky.

Microvision (the company responsible) also have a "Nomad", which has more hardware, but less of it's in the way of your eye. That seems more practical, in that you can see more, but the equipment is more bulky.

Me too!! Although I was not impressed with the screen.

I'll wait for retinal projection.

As for input they have a arm mounted half-keyboard similar to this

or you can use a twiddler

When I grow up I want to be just like these folks (see bottom for pic)

Why a cuecat? Microvision plans to soon offer a wireless barcode scanner

On the other hand, this very well might be were all of those 'destoryed' cuecats are going too. :) Chop off the tail, add an RF transmitter and. . . .:)

What a coincidence, those devices seem to make up the rest of Microvision's product line.

Once they figured out how to scan the mirror fast and accurately enough, there are all sorts of uses. Bummer, most of them seem to be out of my price range for at least the next year, probably three.

You can tell it's not ready for primetime, the Spectrum color display system has a two pound piece that mounts on your head, tethered to a 40 pound box. I want one anyway.

What a coincidence, those devices seem to make up the rest of Microvision's product line.

Once they figured out how to scan the mirror fast and accurately enough, there are all sorts of uses. Bummer, most of them seem to be out of my price range for at least the next year, probably three.

You can tell it's not ready for primetime, the Spectrum color display system has a two pound piece that mounts on your head, tethered to a 40 pound box. I want one anyway.

I sure want to be seen wearing one of these around campus. I'll be the coolest guy around.

Women will flock to me and people will pay me thousands of dollars to wire their networks for them. I just feel so bad for the jocks who can't use technology as advanced as a pencil, when the geeks take over the world it will be they who will be scrounging for women.

The geek shall inherit the earth!

Cheers, Joshua

Moreover, you don't have to be an ergonomic engineering genius to figure out that the design they have is not going to stay where you put it. Even one ounce eyeglasses need to have nose braces to keep them from falling off. Besides that, without semi-transparency (like these guys), the device just blinds you -- fine for a desk but it can't help mobility any. (Ever tried working on an old style microscope for several hours?)

Incidentally, according to an old CNN article, Xybernaut cut a deal with microvision to distribute head-mounted laser displays within the year. Since the article is old, maybe its not happening anymore, but it would seem to be a good reason to wait on these devices improving a little.
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Yeah, I can't wait for environment-based RSD overlay myself, but RAM doesn't need to be a major limitation; after all, in 10 years you should be able to wirelessly tap into such a database from anywhere, and you would only need buffer your immediate surroundings- more efficient than a static database of your entire city.

I can imagine a few killer apps:

• The ability to block out annoying ads in real life (woohoo!)
• A helper app for those with trouble mentally undressing people for business (giving speeches) and pleasure. :)
• Never-Forget-A-Name-Again Tags(TM)
• GPS + ObjectRecognition based info overlay (for when there is no map, or preexisting tags)
• Oh yeah... can't forget about full FOV, stereoscopic media & gaming -- like a personal IMAX theater.

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CAVE, while a nice hack, is really a big waste of time, space, and money, when compared to the immersive advantages that RSD displays will bring to the mainstream in a few more years.

I don't mean to knock the guys who work on CAVE... it's awesome considering current limitations...

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CAVE, while a nice hack, is really a big waste of time, space, and money, when compared to the immersive advantages that RSD displays will bring to the mainstream in a few more years.

I don't mean to knock the guys who work on CAVE... it's awesome considering current limitations...

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There may be a perfectly simple solution for this: allow him to see again.

Depending on the type of damage he sustained from the accident, he might be able to see the output from a retinal scanning display perfectly clearly. No focusing is necessary, as it paints the image directly on the retina. If his retinas are not damaged, it will work perfectly. If his retinas have _some_ damage but not total, it will still work to a degree. Beta units are around $8,000 -- well worth it.

If this is not an option, emacspeak is the road down which he should travel. Emacspeak was written entirely from scratch by a totally blind man, T.V. Raman. It works. Get it and set it up for him.

-nukebuddy

I expect these babies to be a must-have when they're ready for the mass market in a few years; especially since the #1 "augmented reality" app is likely to be naked 3D babes "on" your real bed. :)

have your glasses project images directly into your eyes? :oD
Its coming. . . and I want it. . .

Would be small enough to be embedded in my clothing or unobtrusive enough to fit in a pocket. It wouldhave to have a HUD-dsiplay, or laser projected retinal display such as the one Microvision Technologies is building. It woudl also allow me to have both audio and video conversation with anyone in the world. It would have real-time GPS updates, so that I could pull up augmented data onto my retinal overlay. I could for example look at a building and know exactly what businesses are there, phone numbers ,everything. I could be hiking in the wilderness and it would proeject aheda of me tops maps of the area so I could see exactly where I was and where I was going. Of course, I could listen to any of 10,000 of my favorite tunes while doing any of this.

How could they refuse?

can be found at http://www.mvis.com/

The linked news article off of this story scared the hell out of me. This has nothing to do with the "gaming causes violence" argument, or any comment having to do with Asians being more apt to get sucked into this kind of thing because their culture is so restrictive. This article is scary because it's about people trading off their real lives for a fantasy game with crap graphics that they watch on a 2D monitor. Never mind that this is in Korea. This happens in the States too, to people who play EQ, UO, and so on and so forth. And that's only the beginning. There's a whole slew of MMPOG's coming out that promise to be even more immersive.
Let's not forget, everyone, where we were 20 years ago. Whoever remembers Infocom, raise your hand. We've gone from "look at ground" and "open mailbox" to games with realtime 3D environments, professionally composed musical scores, voice acting, budgets approaching movies, and the list goes on. But if you throw the Internet into the mix, you can have a persistent world that's contantly evolving. There is no way to "win", so therefore no reason to stop playing. This revolution has just started, and we've already heard stories of people completely unplugging from reality. They quit their jobs, cut off their friends and family, and all that matters is that they have enough money for their net connect and their game subscription. And the games are not yet even close to mimicking reality. The most insane advances in virtual reality are yet to come. With gear like this being developed, how long to you think it's going to be before you're not just watching through a glowing screen, but are actually in the game? And with computers and graphics cards getting ever more powerful, it won't belong before these games will be able to manipulate literally millions of polygons per second. This is in the near future, and it is peanuts compared to what is going to come. Scientists are starting to be able to understand how to interface sensory devices directly with the brain, already I have heard of advances in bionic eyes and ears. After that, feeding artifical sensory signals back into the brain is only a step away. The number of addicts to this kind of technology will be astronomical, and it's already starting to happen even with current tech.
Why is this? Well, look at our reality, our sad little lives. We live in our little box-houses and sit in traffic for hours every day driving to jobs we hate. We kiss royal ass at work to hopefully get off the list of the people who are going to be fired that week. Then we spend more time in traffic going home, eat, sleep, repeat cycle until we're about 65, and hopefully have made enough coin spending our entire lives in a cubicle so we can take naps for the rest of our lives. Reminds me of that Police song "Synchronicity II". Vacation? Ha. Your life belongs to the company, buddy. You can be replaced in a heartbeat, and you're a number. Or, if you are still in school and are anything like me back when I was about that age, you get picked on a lot an are off in your own little world. An alternative reality doesn't sound so bad now. Some people use drugs or alcohol to get away, but now MMPOGs can and will be used as an escape, more so because they are, after all, just games. They offer the chance for one to become powerful and respected, not just another Borg in the American Collective. Mark my words, virtual reality will become a social problem, just like any addiction you could name today...And I am not kidding around when I say that it will be noticed when people start dying at their terminals.

Microvision just came out with a new full color display . They are using light sources
rather than lasers to achieve full color.

This probably reminds you of the project from UoW's HITL because it *is* the project from UoW's HITL. It'd be nice if Microvision bothered to mention that. Oh well, at least the Dev team's page at UoW mentions that Microvision are the ones developing commercial applications for it. Also has an actual picture of the prototype, which isn't nearly as high-tech as the Microvision site would lead you to believe.

is here

Wouldn't want to try this thing first generation though - anyone seen the screen burn on 80's terminal monitors... Think about that on your eyeball...

a long with a picture of a complete tool prodly wearing it.

-Jon

...manufacturers have discovered that people don't want laptops much below 10"x7"x1" or below about 3.5 pounds.

Three words: Retina Scanning Display. Also (formerly?) known as Virtual Retina Display.

I think you are referring to the Virtual Retinal Displays (VRDs) that were being developed at the Univ of Washington's Human Interface Technology Lab.

A company called Microvision has been making these sorts of displays for military applications, but they are now trying to bring the technology to more "mainstream" applications.

I can see great postential for this when it gets much smaller. Imagine when this could be built into my hat, to provide me with my own personal sound system surrounding my head. Combine this with a system to display to my eyes (check out Microvision) and you've got a personal computer output device. Now all we need are sensors to detect where my hands are and a "virtual keyboard" and a microphone with voice recognition, and now we've got a personal input/output device built into my hat. Add a wireless connection to any computer that happens to be around or even a connection to the net via sattelite, and now we've got something with REAL potential!

Okay, bit of a rant, sorry. ;)

--Joshua

Here are a couple more:

ViA - Wearable Computers
Microvision - Retinal Scanning Displays

Have a look at the Microvision Website for info on Snow Crash type displays.

Well this isn't too far off. Microvision Is developing Virtual Retinal Displays that use a low power laser to directly stimulate the retina. I imagine with some fine tuning you could get it to overlay the real world image. Until then you'll still have to use standard HUD technology.

As far as an input device goes, you're missing the obvious. Impliment the keyboard and/or mouse in software. The whole point to wearables is to take ubiquitous computing with you. You shouldn't have to look like a "freak" to wear a computer. Imagine something similar to the "keyboard" in "Johnny Mnemonic" Use either a head mounted camera or maybe wrist mounted EKG sensors to detect the electrical impulses to the finger muscles. That way you just move your fingers. Even today, you can use a camera to track your finger (if you've got a flourescent thimble on). You can use that for a mouse; and I imagine with some beefed up software (and probably hardware too) you could get a computer to track and interpret the the patterns
of a typing on a keyboard. (of course I'm designing this in a complete vaccuum, so I might as well say that a future wearable computer will have an integrated time travel device.)