17-08-2021 | Infineon | New Technologies
The new MEMS scanner solution from Infineon Technologies, incorporating a MEMS mirror and MEMS driver, enables entirely new product designs. Its miniature size and low power consumption are the basis for making AR solutions more broadly available for consumer applications including wearables and automotive head-up displays.
“Augmented reality solutions enrich real environments with valuable digital data and help people to move around more conveniently and safely in daily life, for business and leisure activities, but especially on the street,” said Charles Chan, head of Infineon’s automotive MEMS product line. “Maps, infotainment or messages projected on everyday glasses guide people to the nearest supermarket or shared car park around the corner. Overlaying valuable information, from route navigation to driver assistance systems, over the car’s complete windshield, instead of just over a small area in front of the driver, is a major step ahead for improving driving safety and convenience.”
The MEMS scanner chipset provides an innovative tilting mirror that lays the foundation for a new generation of laser beam scanner projectors. Compared to alternative system designs and competitive MEMS scanner solutions, this new chipset stands out in terms of performance, size, energy consumption and competitive system costs.
A significant challenge when developing AR-HUDs is combining the system into the dashboard due to space restrictions. Conventional HUD systems can be more than 30 litres in optical volume yet still provide only a very modest field of view. By contrast, laser beam scanners based on its MEMS scanner chipsets allow HUD systems with minimum optical volume so that they can be combined into even the smallest dashboard. Easy integration and a competitive BOM also bring AR-HUDs with a large field of view to small cars and compact classes.
The MEMS scanner chipset allows the design of an AR micro-projector, which is light in weight and can be aesthetically combined into all-day-wear eyeglasses and sports glasses. Thanks to the chipset’s low power consumption, small batteries can readily be integrated into the frame, enabling the glasses to be worn conveniently through the day with no need to regularly recharge the batteries.
