MicroVision, Inc. is an American company that develops

laser scanning Laser scanning is the controlled deflection of laser beams, visible or invisible. Scanned laser beams are used in some 3-D printers, in rapid prototyping, in machines for material processing, in laser engraving machines, in ophthalmological la ...

technology for projection, 3D sensing, and image capture. MicroVision's display technology uses a micro-electrical mechanical systems (

MEMS Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also written as micro-electro-mechanical systems (or microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems) and the related micromechatronics and microsystems constitute the technology of microscopic devices, ...

) scanning mirror with red, green, blue, and infrared lasers, optics and electronics to project and/or capture images.

Business

The company sells and licenses its products primarily to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

Pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

Sharp Sharp or SHARP may refer to: Acronyms * SHARP (helmet ratings) (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), a British motorcycle helmet safety rating scheme * Self Help Addiction Recovery Program, a charitable organisation founded in 19 ...

, and

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

in the

projector A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer types ...

and

Augmented reality Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...

market. The same is also the goal in the automotive sector for

lidar Lidar (, also LIDAR, or LiDAR; sometimes LADAR) is a method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It can also be ...

devices. The company also has the US military as a customer. Directly about an order at the beginning of the millennium. Further, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is based on the Microsoft

HoloLens 2 Microsoft HoloLens 2 is an augmented reality (AR) headset developed and manufactured by Microsoft. It is the successor to the original Microsoft HoloLens. The first variant of the device, The HoloLens 2 enterprise edition, debuted on February 24 ...

, which in turn uses Microvision projectors. Microvision is bound by non-disclosure agreements, so Microvision has never confirmed that Microsoft is using the projectors in IVAS but said that Microsoft addressed with HoloLens 2 the military market among other markets. At the same time, the company has also refused to deny their military use. With their first quarter 2020 financial results, MicroVision announced the potential sale of the company.

Production

Production partner for components is

STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics N.V. commonly referred as ST or STMicro is a Dutch multinational corporation and technology company of French-Italian origin headquartered in Plan-les-Ouates near Geneva, Switzerland and listed on the French stock market. ST ...

Technology

The MEMS scanning micro-mirror is the basis of MicroVision’s technology platform. The MEMS design consists of a silicon device with a millimeter-scale mirror at the center. The mirror is connected to flexures that allow it to swing vertically and horizontally to display (or capture) an image. In projection-mode the MEMS laser beam scanning display method can be compared to raster scanning in a

cathode ray tube A cathode-ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns, which emit electron beams that are manipulated to display images on a phosphorescent screen. The images may represent electrical waveforms ( oscilloscope), pictu ...

(CRT) display.

Product applications

Product applications include interactive laser projection module, mobile projection,

virtual retinal display A virtual retinal display (VRD), also known as a retinal scan display (RSD) or retinal projector (RP), is a display technology that draws a raster display (like a television) directly onto the retina of the eye. History In the past similar sy ...

head-mounted display A head-mounted display (HMD) is a display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet (see Helmet-mounted display for aviation applications), that has a small display optic in front of one (monocular HMD) or each eye ( binocular HMD). An H ...

augmented reality Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...

and

smartglasses Smartglasses or smart glasses are eye or head-worn wearable computers that offer useful capabilities to the user. Many smartglasses include displays that add information alongside or to what the wearer sees. Alternatively, smartglasses are some ...

micro-display modules,

automotive head-up display An automotive head-up display or automotive heads-up display —also known as a auto-HUD— is any transparent display that presents data in the automobile without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name st ...

, consumer

, and automotive

modules. The technology has also been used in a

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

by the manufacturer Blackview. In April 2017, Microvision entered into a license agreement with

to use company's display technology to manufacture and sell display-only engines for

Automotive Lidar

Microvision develops an automotive lidar for release in 2022.

Compatibility

It is supported on

NVIDIA Drive Nvidia Drive is a computer platform by Nvidia, aimed at providing autonomous car and driver assistance functionality powered by deep learning. The platform was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2015. An enha ...

Autonomous Vehicle Platform.

Laser safety

MicroVision's MAVIN DR Dynamic Range Lidar is a Class 1 laser compliant product according specifications by the

International Electrotechnical Commission The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC; in French: ''Commission électrotechnique internationale'') is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and r ...

(IEC).

Specifications

Preliminary specifications are:

Supported speed

Microvision states that the lidar system is suitable for

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

speeds up to

Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...

speeds ( 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph)) due to low latency while maintaining high resolution.

Development focus

In particular, the focus of the development is to address critical user scenarios: * Changing Lighting Conditions * Changing Lighting Conditions and Tunnels * Hidden Vehicle * On-Ramp Merge * Moving Vehicles

Test Vehicles

Microvision has in 2022 two test vehicles, one in the US, one in Germany.

A-Sample

Products

MAVIN is the first automotive

product. It should be available in 2022.

Augmented reality projectors

Microsoft HoloLens 2

Microsoft Integrated Visual Augmentation System

The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is based on the Microsoft

, which in turn uses Microvision projectors. File:IVAS CS4 Testing Alaska 1.jpg, Integrated Visual Augmentation System is based on HoloLens 2 that uses Microvision projectors

Microvision Nomad

Automotive head-up display

CYBER NAVI with integrated Microvision HUD

Projectors

All projectors have the unique feature that the projected image is always in focus.

Microvision

= ShowWX

= This was the first projector sold by Microvision to end customers. File:Pico Proyector Showwx de Microvision.jpg

= ShowWX+

= This was an updated version of the ShowWX+.

Celluon

= PicoAir

= The Celluon PicoAir uses the Sony projector module that uses licensed Microvision technology. File:Celluon PicoAir Gold.jpg, Celluon PicoAir Gold

= PicoPro

= The Celluon PicoPro uses the Sony projector module that uses licensed Microvision technology.

= PicoBit

= The Celluon PicoBit uses the Sony projector module that uses licensed Microvision technology.

Sony

Sony projector modules are based on licensed Microvision technology. These are the best projectors with the highest resolutions using Microvision technologies. Only the Microvision modules for the HoloLens 2 have a higher resolution.

= MP-CL1

= Sony PM-CL1 was the first real laser projector from Sony. File:Sony MC-CL1.jpg, Sony MC-CL1 File:Sony MP-CL1 (left side).jpg, Sony MP-CL1 (left side) File:Sony MP-CL1 (underside).jpg, Sony MP-CL1 (underside)

= MP-CL1A

= The MP-CL1A has the same specifications as the MP-CL1 but an updated case and stand.

Smartphones

All projectors have the unique feature that the projected image is always in focus.

= Ragenthek Voga V

= Ragentek, a Chinese-based smartphone manufacturer and solution company placed a $6.7 million order with MicroVision in March 2017 for a customized display engine, PSE-0403-103. Ragenthek released later in 2017 the smartphone with a Microvision projector inside. This engine, PSE-0403-103, uses the same MEMS and ASICS components as the standard MicroVision PSE-0403-101 engine and has the same performance characteristics, including an always-in-focus, high definition image from a small, low power engine. The smartphone has a weight of 203 g and a high (including projector) of 10 mm.

= Allview X4 Soul Vision

= Poland-based Allview released 2017 the Ragenhek smartphone in Europe as X4 Soul Vision for a price of 499 Euro. It has also a high of only 10 mm.

= Blackview Max

Sharp Robohon

Barcode scanner

File:Microvision Flic Wireless Barcode Scanner.jpg, Wireless barcode scanner developed by MicroVision uses

Microelectromechanical systems Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also written as micro-electro-mechanical systems (or microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems) and the related micromechatronics and microsystems constitute the technology of microscopic devices, ...

(

)

Operations

Microvision has operations in Redmond and

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

Competitors

MicroVision's competitors are MEMS companies like

and Bosch Sensortec GmbH as well as lidar companies like Aeva Inc., AEye Inc.,

Luminar Technologies Luminar Technologies Inc. is an American technology company that develops vision-based lidar and machine perception technologies, primarily for self-driving cars. The company's headquarters and main research and development facilities are in ...

, Ouster, or Velodyne Lidar. Competitor Innoviz Technologies Ltd. from Israel won in 2022 a lidar design with CARIAD SE for cars of the

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

Stock

In April 2021, the company's stock price surged after being discussed on the

subreddit Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, images ...

WallStreetBets r/wallstreetbets, also known as WallStreetBets or WSB, is a subreddit where participants discuss stock and Option (finance), option trading. It has become notable for its colorful and profane jargon, aggressive trading strategies, and for playin ...

, and was up more than 7,600% over the past year. IVAS CS4 Testing Alaska 1

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
Companies based in Redmond, Washington Information technology companies of the United States