Student Performance Increased by 3D Projectors

Some people think that 3D projectors are simply for entertainment purposes, that they hold no real value outside of watching a movie or playing a video game in the third dimension. However, recent studies have discovered that this is entirely inaccurate. New research is showing that the use of 3D projectors, along with other 3D technology, in the classroom is improving the concentration and test results of students.

This new research is being carried out by the International Research Agency at the bequest of Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments has invested a lot in classroom technology through calculators alone but is also one of the foremost chip technology experts in the world. In addition to that, the company saw the introduction of 3D projectors and 3D glasses to class members that were participating in the research.

The International Research Agency monitored the students and discovered that 86% of them achieved better results in the post-test than they did in the pre-test when using 3D technology. It was also discovered that only 52% improved in the control classes, or the classes that were only given 2D technology for the post-test.

In the 3D in Education White Paper, Professor Anne Bamford, who is heading up the research, stated, "Individuals improved test scores by an average of 17% in the 3D classes, compared to only an 8% improvement in the 2D classes between pre-test and post-test. The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding, increased attention spans, more motivation and higher engagement."

Moreover, the research also studied classes in seven countries across Europe that are adopting the 3D technology. These countries included the United Kingdom, France and Sweden. The studied surveyed 740 students in 15 schools and involved 47 teachers.

3D projecting may still be a primarily entertainment-driven market, but the potential for some serious classroom benefits are evident. I mean, an 86% increase is substantial at any level and it will be interesting to see what other findings the International Research Agency and Texas Instruments uncover.

Source: Projector Point - Classroom 3D projectors improve pupils' performances

DLP Chips for Pico Projectors by Texas Instruments

Pez dispensers. That's what Texas Instruments used to showcase its new digital light processing (DLP) chips at the Consumer Electronics Show. The DLP chips are so tiny they fit right in the little candy dispensers. The actual projectors are a little bit bigger, but still small, and are being fitted into handheld devices ranging from cameras to cellphones. Texas Instruments says they see the pico projector market being a large revenue generator for the DLP chips.

Senior Vice President and General Manager of DLP products at Texas Instruments says that while 2009 was about introduction of the concept, 2010 is going to be about broadening the category. AT&T is already making the LG eXpo, the first phone to use the projector, however, it is not integrated into the phone but instead works as a snap-on device. It allows the phone to beam videos, websites, and other images.

Not all of the projectors will be that small. The company has crated the Brightboxe, which is described by the Dallas Morning News as being "a bit smaller than a lunchbox." The $199 projector is designed to work with video game consoles.

Unfortunately, the chip doesn't have a high-definition resolution (it goes up to 854 x 480) but Novak said he doesn't see much demand for HD in pico projectors. This leaves a lot of room for improvement and competitors are taking notice. Another company, Syndiant (which was coincidentally put together by former Texas Instrument employees) are developing a different type of technology - liquid crystal on silicon - to use in place of DLP. They are concentrating on high definition resolutions. They've recently had their hand in developing a projector with a resolution of 1024 x 600. Another hope for pico projectors is that they will eventually be able to display images in 3-D.

According to analysts, by 2016, hundreds of millions of phones and other handheld devices will have built-in projectors. In addition to Syndiant and Texas Instruments, 3M, Nikon, and Microvision looking to establish their projector products as top-of-the-line technology.

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Pico Projection in the Palm of Your Hand

Texas Instruments has been the big name for calculators ever since I can remember and have been into projectors for quite some time. Now Texas Instruments are making ground breaking technology with mini projectors. These projectors are about the size of a small flip phone and pack some seriously futuristic features. The Texas Instruments‘ DLP Pico Projector Development Kit includes a 7.5 lumen projector unit, combined with a Beagle Board (not included in the kit) embedded Linux developer platform.

Big things come in this little package as this tiny projector is capable of HVGA resolution (640×240 – near-Standard Definition quality movie) Two stacked on top of each other could effectively project 640×480 at true VGA, provided you have the right software and hardware to stitch the two images together. The DLP Pico Projector is perfect for field use and easy to set up and eventually you will be able to bring your presentations with you as easy as bringing your cell phone. The next step in this technology will allow the consumer to load a movie or presentation onto a SD card pop it into a Blackberry, or iPhone and the Pico Projector will be compatible.

The Beagle Board itself features an ARM-derived 600Mhz Texas Instruments OMAP 3530 processor, has an integrated graphics accelerator and digital signal processor, and runs on the Angstrom embedded Linux platform. The device also includes the MSP430 Low-Power micro controller, effectively making the Beagle Board a complete system on a chip which consumes only 2 watts of power and does not require a cooling fan.

The Beagle Board is powered entirely by the USB connection, interfaces with a PC using a DB9 serial connection, and interfaces to the Pico DLP via a miniature HDMI connector cable. The TI DLP Pico Projector Developer Kit is available from TI DLP authorized VARs at a suggested retail price of $349.