Nov 24 2008
Frost + Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, is pleased to present Microvision Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS) with the 2008 North American Technology Innovation of the Year Award for development of its ultra-miniature laser projection display engine, PicoP(TM), for new automotive display applications.
This Award acknowledges Microvision's ability to deliver an ultra-miniature display engine that allows Microvision's vehicle manufacturing customers the ability to design a new class of displays that result in increased driver safety and improved design flexibility for driver instrumentation applications.
There are two vehicle applications that Microvision is pursuing for their PicoP display engine. The first is known as a head-up display (HUD). The second implementation, known as instrument cluster display (ICD).
PicoP-enabled HUD
"Most of the 6 million annual vehicle collisions in the United States can be attributed to driver distraction," explains Frost & Sullivan analyst Sathyanarayana K. "Today, most driver information is presented on the instrument cluster or the center console, resulting in drivers having to take their eyes off the road to read. Conventional head-down displays can divert the driver's attention from the forward scene, delaying the driver's reaction to an unexpected collision threat."
Head-up displays increase eyes-on-the road time, greatly improving response to unanticipated road conditions. However, many implementations of head-up displays are hindered by image quality issues, daytime readability, color range, tolerance to windshield variations, space constraints, and power efficiency -- all of which remain challenges for vehicle manufacturers.
Compared to traditional HUD technologies available today, Microvision's PicoP-enabled HUD would be significantly smaller, brighter, have higher contrast and image quality, and consume less power.
PicoP-enabled ICD
Conventional instrument cluster displays that use reconfigurable information displays (TFT, dot matrix or segmented LED) are limited to flat, two-dimensional surfaces. As such, vehicle designers are restricted in how to shape and deliver critical driver information on the instrument cluster. Many instrument cluster designers favor the ability to provide information to drivers based on tiering in three dimensions, prioritizing data delivery by reshaping the instrument cluster to fit driver information requirements.
"With the Microvision PicoP display engine, however, interior electronic designers can design bright, high-contrast, three-dimensional information-dense displays in virtually any shape and size, maximizing the limited space available in vehicle cockpits," continues Sathyanarayana. "Microvision's proprietary ultra-miniature laser projection display engine addresses many of the limitations of competing technologies."
As a result of Microvision's PicoP display engine addressing critical design improvements for head-up and instrument cluster displays and bringing them in line with the driver's vision and improving overall vehicle safety, Microvision is the deserving recipient of Frost & Sullivan's 2008 North American Technology Innovation of the Year Award.
The Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation is presented to the company that has demonstrated technological superiority within its industry. This Award recognizes the ability of the company to successfully develop and introduce new technology, formulate a well-designed product family, and make significant product performance contributions to the industry.
Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices.