Brainstorming for a collimated mirror display

[Pochflyboy]

The only problem, is you need a very special kind of film, that will Reflect light coming form 45 degrees up, and lets light through that is coming from 45 degrees down. This does not come cheap!

[AndyT]

If you can wait a few months, this company has created a holographic projector the size of a matchbox that will solve the problem. They are still working the bugs out but when they finish it... Look out!

http://www.lightblueoptics.com/features.htm

[Matt Olieman]

I've heard of this technology a few years ago. First time I've seen this.. It's my undestanding this is definately the way in the near future of projection.

But... it will not replace collimated mirror display... still a challange for us hobiest

[Jackpilot]

Hi,
My first post on this wonderful site , even if I *"know" most names here, of FDS fame...

What about those stain glass mirrors used everywhere to see and not be seen...would they do the job or are they too dark?..

[Matt Olieman]

Jack, I think you're right, they may be to dark.

BTW, welcome

[Bob Reed]

Has anyone looked at PM's collimated boxes?

[Trevor Hale]

Bob,

I did. The non Pro Version of Collimated Display is Much more expensive then you would think,. and worst off.... They require a minimum purchase of 2. So... If you have just shy of 4,000 Euro's your good to go...

Needless to say too rich for my blood. Maybe a retiree like Matt can afford this setup......

LOL

[Matt Olieman]

Maybe a retiree like Matt can afford this setup......

LMAO

If I had the money, I would go for the 160 degree collimating Mirror display. I heard, around $150K USD.

I seriously considered the Collimating Display form PM. They are made by a Professional company, with two grade options.

What I did not like about that type of display is, CPT can't see out of F/O display and CPT can't see out of CPT side.

The positive side of this, is the Collimating Mirror effect of the visual being centered to where you move your head.

BTW, I know at United Flight Training Center (the largest in the world) still have sims with this type of display in use.

Even with a projected 160 degree screen, you give up some of the features the PM Collimating Display has to offer... Decisions, Decisions and Decisions

[Trevor Hale]

Matt,

I have been playing with your idea of the curved mirror. What I am having troubles with is by the time the image gets from my projector to the mirror the image is to big, and when I make the image small enough to fit on the mirror it still isn't big enough to fill the screen.

How are you dealing with this issue?

[Mike.Powell]

I've been doing some research on this topic as well. Here are a few sources you may not have seen.

"Collimated Displays for Flight Simulation" by A. Michael Spooner was published in the May-June 1976 issue of Optical Engineering. It mostly describes Redifon Flight Simulation's decision process for developing their "Duoview" wide field of view display system. It nonetheless give basic descriptions of the small spherical mirror and beamsplitter display and the larger off-axis panoramic collimated display.

Patents have proven to be excellent sources of information. The patent search capability of Google makes fast browsing easy. When collimated displays were first being developed they were referred to as "infinity displays", so you'll want to include that in your list of search terms.

A particularly interesting patent is #3,549,803 - "Virtual Image System for Training Simulator" as it includes a description of making a low cost spherical mirror using reflective Mylar film, urethane foam and fiberglass.

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland have worked with very large concave mylar mirrors as part of 3D CAD systems. The construction details of those mirrors are disclosed in US patents #4,822,155 and #5,109,300.