Gary K. Starkweather

An Electrostatic Zigzag Transmissive Microoptical Switch for MEMS Displays

This paper presents the design and characterization of the zigzag transmissive microoptical switch. It consists of a highly space-efficient zigzag electrostatic actuator and opaque shutter pair, which cover the optical channel in order to modulate a focused incident light beam. The novel zigzag design increases the electrostatic force and extends the stable travel range of the electrostatic actuator. By adjusting the dimensions of the zigzag, it can operate both under digital and analog optical switching. The real-time shutter motions have been tested by a laser-integrated microscope. Experimental data demonstrate that a zigzag electrostatic actuator of 47 mumtimes160 mum size can achieve a maximum static lateral displacement of 10 mum (18 mum total opening by a shutter pair) at 38 V. Depending on their design, zigzag devices have a mechanical resonance frequency of up to 38.6 kHz with response time less than 20 mus and lifetime above 7.6times109 cycles

Future of electronic printing

Since the mid-1970s, electronic printing has been available to businesses. Its growth has been truly amazing. Original predictions of a need for no more than 500 laser printers has now given way to millions of printers of all types from home and personal office to the print shop. This paper is intended to look at what the future of electronic printing might look like. Any prognostication of the future is always risky and the intent here is to look at what has happened and what is happening in the marketplace and thus get some view of the future. Will the printer vendors of today be the printer vendors tomorrow? What will be the market leading characteristics of future electronic printers? Can we measure value to the first order? We shall try to briefly explore these and some other questions in order to pursue some idea of where the business is going.

One telescope per pixel

This paper presents ultra-efficient transmissive display technology based on telescopic pixel design. The backlight transmission efficiency was measured to be 36% compared to 5-10% achieved by LCD.

58.4: DSHARP — A Wide Screen Multi‐Projector Display

This paper describes a projection system using DLP projectors and parabolic mirrors to provide a 90 degree curved screen with a 4 to 1 aspect ratio. This display is intended to provide an “immersive” experience for the user and facilitate a very large canvas on which to utilize multiple applications or single ones requiring a large screen. The resulting display has a 3072 × 768 pixel display area. Furthermore, this display and replicas are being used to better understand how users interact with large, immersive displays. Currently, there are four units in use at Microsoft for various business and scientific purposes.

Some electronic printer metrics

Electronic printing is now 25 years old. A great deal of progress has been made as evidenced by the great number of electronic printers and their associated technologies. This paper illustrates three simple metrics with which to analyze electronic printer technology. The metrics are not necessarily intended to be anything profound or deterministic but appear to illustrate some relative constants as well as significant improvements in printers that indicate a trend whose final outcome is yet to be seen. Since electronic printers are basically information delivery devices, they can be analyzed as to their information delivery capability on a cost-performance basis. The three metrics utilized in this paper involve a number of characteristics such as printer weight, speed, spatial printing density and color. Over 170 printers area used in this analysis dating from the birth of the laser printer in the mid-1970s up to the present time. This metric oriented view of the technology may give us some insight as to where the electronic printing industry is going on a cost/performance basis as well as where new products should be aimed so that they provide the desired market impact.

Metrication for color imaging devices

Color devices have become commonplace to many users including those at home. The color revolution began about 1990 with the ready availability of color displays and affordable color printers.