Types of Laser-Illuminated Projectors – History, Evolution, Trends and Technical Glossary
The following article was written by Bill Beck, co-founder, past chairman and current Communications Consultant for LIPA. It provides the reader with a structured history of the technical and then commercial developments that have brought Laser illumination from the R&D labs to its current position as the dominant new illumination technology.
The article includes the early history of Laser illuminated (LIP) prototyping; the evolution of both RGB Laser and Laser-Phosphor (La-Ph) illumination technologies; the two main application tracks of early commercialization and the current proliferation of optimized Laser and La-Ph technologies and LIP applications of all kinds. It also includes an extensive “LIP Glossary” with in -document links to the definitions of acronyms, technical terms and “buzz words”.
The purpose of the article is to provide LIPA Members – their Representatives and colleagues – with a common historical and technical framework from which to view and discuss the current-status and future trends of LIPs and their applications. The author does not claim that the article is 100% accurate in all details; but rather, conceptually, and usefully descriptive of past developments and current trends. The author and LIPA welcome comments, corrections, additions, and clarifications and where material, will publish them from time to time in future Blog Posts.
The governing board of LIPA has reserved the use of this article for members only for the next 90 days (through the end of November 30, 2022) as a benefit of their paid membership. During this time, LIPA Members and Representatives are encouraged to read, share, and discuss with colleagues, both to develop a consensus historical record and to educate their newer members who may not have personally “lived through” the long and complex development of this important new product category.
The article will be distributed to LIPA Members only on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. We look forward to your comments and their contribution to a more complete and colorful understanding of the story of LIPs.
