A Projector with no Lights? Projectiondesign Separates Lamp from Projector

You’ve heard of lamp-free projectors, but what about projectors with no light source at all? That’s what projectiondesign has created with the new Remote Light Source (RLS) projector line.

The light is remoted to the projector from a processing unit that includes the ballast, color wheel and cooling systems.

“That’s all the heat,” says Gary Plavin, president of projectiondesign Americas.

That’s also virtually all of the noise, space and maintenance associated with projectors. Putting all of the problem pieces into a remote rack-mountable machine means installers can put the RLS projectors almost anywhere, in any orientation, without having to worry about noise and maintenance.

The projector contains only the circuit board, light engine, “and obviously a very complicated coupling for the light pipe,” says Plavin.

The light pipe – or Liquid Light Guide (LLG) – has the look and feel of a plumbing snake. It is filled with a water-based liquid that has the consistency of gel.


Light pipe can run up to 30 meters

“It’s a very specialized cable,” Plavin says. “Everyone’s tried to do it with fiber, but you can’t run enough volume of light. We need horsepower.”

Via the LLG, the RLS enclosure can be positioned up to 30 meters away from the projector head.

The first projector to utilize the technology is projectiondesign’s FR12 RLS, which builds on the company’s popular F12 series projectors.

Will projectiondesign offer its RLS technology to other vendors?

“It could be done,” says projectiondesign CEO Jorn Eriksen. “The question is, do we want to do it?”

He adds, by the way, that the LLG is perfectly safe: “If it breaks, the gel stays inside. It is absolutely clean.”

Endless Applications for RLS

The use for an RLS-enabled projector for the home theater is obvious: A noiseless, low-maintenance projector can eliminate the need for costly noise-dampening solutions.

But there are “huge implications for commercial,” says Plavin.

“Think of a flight simulator, where you need to be surrounded,” Plavin says. “You can’t have all heat, noise and downtime” of traditional projectors.

In fact, during Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), projectiondesign used three RLS projectors to build a flight-simulation room. Plavin asked all of the visitors to be quiet for a moment, just to show how silent the projectors were. And naturally the projectors gave off no heat.

When asked if RLS technology would enable manufacturers to build "teeny tiny" projectors, Plavin said nothing but a huge grin spread across his face.

The product will ship “definitely this year,” says Plavin.” The question is when this year.

Pricing for the FR12 has not been established, but the premium for RLS-enabled projectors is “not that much,” Plavin states.


Remote Light Source (RLS) with lamp shown

http://www.projectiondesign.com