pico projector

A pico projector is a small hardware device designed to project content from a smartphone, camera, tablet, notebook or memory device onto a wall or other flat surface.

Pico projectors are also known as pocket, handheld or mobile projectors and they take a number of formats that work in various ways. What they all have in common is that they are extremely compact and designed to take the place of conventional, bulky projectors for presentations and media viewing.

Types of pico projectors:

• Standalone models connect to another device through a USB, HDMI or other cable to display content.
• USB pico projectors connect to a mobile device, such as a tablet, for both content and power. The lack of a battery means that these are the smallest models.
• Embedded models exist as a hardware module in a mobile device, such as a digital camera or a phone. (A smartphone with an embedded pico projector is known as a projector phone).
• Media player pico projectors include internal memory and/or ports for microSD cards or USB devices so they can access content without connecting to an external system.

For interactive presentations, a pico projector can enable control of a computer, working in conjunction with a laser pointer, a webcam and an image processing application.

Companies that offer pico projectors include 3M, AAXA, Aiptek, Optoma, Philips and Samsung.