With a potential addressable market measured in the billions of units, In-Stat is forecasting the market for picoprojectors to exceed $1.1 billion within five years. Cellphones and accessory projectors will lead the picoprojector market, with computing devices and consumer products following.

"As mobile devices add more multimedia capabilities, embedded picoprojectors can add a big-screen experience to a very small device," says David Chamberlain, In-Stat analyst. "Technological advances in miniaturization, signal processing, and light sources-including green laser-are making picoprojectors a realistic feature for small battery powered devices like cellphones, media players, computing devices, and other consumer electronics."

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• Illumination technologies continue to develop with vendors offering both LED and laser. Green laser is a critical development area.
• Projector module economies of scale will expand the market for embedded picoprojectors to lower-priced cellphones and media players in the near future.
• Among companies offering picoprojectors include 3M, Displaytech, Foxxcon, Light Blue Optics, Oculon, Optoma, Microvision, Toshiba, and TI.
• The research, "Embedded Picoprojectors Ready To Break Out Worldwide" (#IN0904435WH), covers the worldwide market for picoprojectors. It includes:
• Market shipments, attach rates and five-year forecasts for products using picoprojector modules: cellphones, computing devices, personal media players, digital cameras, digital camcorders, and accessory projectors.
• Worldwide picoprojector module shipments and revenue forecasts.
• Analysis of competing illumination technologies (LED, laser) as well as MEMS and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) displays.
• Profiles of key technology vendors.