The biggest challenge for designers of mobile communication devices is presenting large amounts of information on very small displays. As the form factor of these devices continues to get smaller and our demand for mobile information continues to grow, the task only gets more difficult.
The solution to this dilemma can not simply consist of adapting design principles, like the desktop metaphor, to fit the limited real estate. Adding projection capabilities to the mobile device itself might pose a possible solution to this problem.
The basic idea of TinyProjector is to create the smallest possible character projector which can be either integrated into mobile device, or linked dynamically with wireless RF connections like serial low range transceivers.
The current prototype uses eight laser diodes and a servo-controlled mirror that "paints" characters onto any surface like a matrix printer. Due to the lasers, the projection is highly visible even in daylight and on dark backgrounds.