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How to make a projector at home. DIY projector: simple and affordable ways to create projectors at home. For home theater you will need

It was a breakthrough in “handicrafts”. An article published in Russian that described in detail the process of building a projector at home based on an overhead unit. Although I had previously come across the French site AllInBox.com, I completely underestimated the information I found.

After reading the article in Russian and “entering” the essence of the process, several more resources on the topic were found.

The iXBT.com conference “Do it yourself home theater projector”, at that time one of the most theoretically savvy forums on the topic. The theory was discussed there, there were only a few practitioners, but theorists zealously built their virtual projectors. This is a good school for beginners. True, today there are already more than 130 pages and it is very difficult to re-read them in one gulp. I advise you to take a notebook and pen to take notes, because... there is a lot of material, the ideas are very interesting.

The already mentioned French site AllInBox. An excellent site completely dedicated to design engineering. A huge gallery of finished projects, theory, links, daily updates, in general, class.

One of the Russian-language resources dedicated to projector construction is the site “Homemade LCD projector for home cinema.” An excellent Russian-language resource, the theory is well described, a gallery of finished projects, a forum, everything on the topic. Respect and respect to the authors of the resource.

The theory was studied thoroughly, as it seemed then, but the manufacturing process itself was constantly postponed, then the topic was abandoned, first due to lack of funds, then time, then because of other projects.

At the beginning of the winter of 2006, after another fall of the Axis and a global reinstallation and cleaning of the machine, I came across the “Cinema” folder in my bookmarks, and again I became interested in the topic. The theory was repeated in just a few days, and the harsh practice of project construction began.

First a little theory

Our projector is no different from the usual “projection apparatus” that we all studied at school in physics lessons. A projection device is an optical device that forms optical images of objects on a scattering surface that serves as a screen. Based on the method of illuminating an object, diascopic, episcopic and epidiascopic projection devices are distinguished. In our case (in a diascopic) projection device (overhead projector), the image on the screen is created by light rays passing through a transparent object (in our case, through an LCD matrix).

Diascopic projection apparatus: 1 - light source, 2 - condenser, 3 - object (LCD panel), 4 - lens, 5 - screen.

In our case, the “light source” is a lighting system consisting of a metal halide lamp, a spherical reflector and a capacitor. A metal halide lamp, with its low power, produces a very powerful luminous flux, plus it provides a color temperature that halogen lamps cannot provide. Plus, the operating time is about 10,000 hours, and it does not burn out like a halogen, but simply loses its brightness. A spherical reflector that stands behind the lamp and reflects light coming in the opposite direction from the LCD matrix.
Today, some enthusiasts use LEDs as a light source, and get good results. http://www.allinbox.com/DARTG_BOX/DARTG_BOX.htm very worthy LED project.

The “condenser” in our case is two Fresnel lenses. It’s like a regular lens, only flat, due to the fact that its spherical surface is in the same plane in the form of grooves.

The “object” in our case is a matrix from a regular LCD monitor or TV. She works for the light.

“Lens” is a triplet. A lens consisting of two convex and one concave lenses to correct aberrations (such distortions).

“Screen” is a homemade screen made of banner fabric.

In general, light from a metal halide lamp through a condenser lens, passes through the first Fresnel, passes through the matrix, thereby receiving information about the color of each pixel. Then it passes through the second Fresnel, collecting into the lens. It passes through the lens and forms an image on the screen. In my case, there is a mirror between the second Fresnel and the lens to rotate the light 90 degrees.

There are also such issues as the body, cooling, focusing mechanism, cooling shutdown delay timer, we will consider these and other issues as we work on the project.

In general, there is a huge amount of room for fantasy, and the most important thing is to understand the principle of its operation, and the rest is a matter of technology. In the above sources you can find a lot of information on the theory of design engineering, as well as many practical implementations of the project, you can see how certain components of the system are made (installed, which ones are used).
A huge gallery of finished projects on the AllInBox website http://www.allinbox.com/allinbox2007.htm - and this is just for this year.

Decision-making

First you need to decide on the choice of components, that is, matrix diagonal, lamp power, lens type, etc. After weighing all the pros and cons, the decision was made: Matrix - 15”, Lamp 250W, Lens from Lumienlab for a 15” matrix, everything else along the way.

To make a positive decision on the construction of the projector, an estimate was drawn up, which was adjusted during implementation. Before construction began, it was just under $400. Really decreased due to the purchase of a used monitor. So we’ll say that the projector cost $350.

Construction costs:

TOTAL:	1665,525
the name of detail	Price, UAH.	Comment
Reflector		polished stainless steel bowl



Lamp holder (socket)		Cartridge E40
Capacitor		28 µF 250 V
Power cable		From monitor 15 XEROX
Capacitor (optical)		Conder Ф120mm+70mm
		1 grill for 80 mm valve
Light block housing		Aluminum
UV-IR filter
		S15 kit + delivery
Matrix LCD
Controller+Inverter+PSU
Keystone mechanism		2 studs + 48 nuts
Lens		S15 kit + delivery
focusing mechanism		Furniture slide + PVC pipe + motor
		PVC 4 mm 1000x3000

Fans		4 valves D 80 mm
PSU for fans		BP12V + parts for timer
Frames for fastening fresnels and matrix		Aluminum
		regular from glass cutter + wash
Mirror frame		Aluminum
		Banner fabric EcoBaner
Screen folding mechanism		Printer motor and gearbox D219
Electrical accessories		Buttons+Terminals+Wires
6A fuse		Holder+fuse
		Bolts+nuts+rivets
VGA cable 6m.		VGAtoVGA connector

After drawing up an estimate, a 3D model was developed, which prompted the use of studs and the principle of lens mounting.

To build the model, we also used a calculator written by the French and designed to calculate the distances between the components of the system. http://allinbox.free.fr/Programmes/calculeimagev3.rar

The result of the calculations is shown in the figure:

Practical implementation

So, after mentally preparing for the implementation of the project and making the final decision, which happened spontaneously, the time has come to purchase components.

The first thing that needed to be purchased were Fresnel lenses, an LCD monitor and a lens component that was impossible to make yourself, and constituted the most expensive item in the project.

There are very few Fresnel sellers, I would even say mega-few. The most important is Lumenlab.com - Americans, Asians - this is the site 3Dlens.com, the French Izzotek.com, Domestic piskovatsky.narod.ru - the site of Oleg Piskovatsky aka Paramon5. Of course, you can also cite the Germans as an example - exclusiv-online.com, they have a lot of equipment for projectors with small matrices.

Since it was initially decided to build a projector on a 15” matrix and use a sharpened lens, it was decided to order Fresnels and the lens from Lumienlab. There were no problems with placing the order; an S15 kit was purchased, which included 2 Fresnels and a Triplet. Payment by Visa card, delivery by USPS (American Post). Delivery is two weeks, and now the box is received, we open it, everything is in place, packed perfectly, nothing is broken.

Next purchase is an LCD monitor. I didn’t want to buy a new monitor in order to destroy it (remove the matrix), so the choice fell on Second Hand equipment, which can be found in abundance at eBay.com. Purchasing a monitor took a very long time, firstly, due to the lack of experience in this auction, and secondly, due to the fact that I chose a budget of $80 for purchasing the monitor. After a month of communicating with the auction, understanding the principles of its operation, it became clear that it was impossible to buy a normal 15” LCD monitor for that price (I had the sad experience of purchasing for $30 with delivery, supposedly a matrix with a controller from the monitor, but the matrix arrived broken into pieces).

The budget was set at $100 +/-$10 and everything started to improve. For $67+$40 (shipping) I purchased an excellent Xerox monitor. In good condition, fully working. Delivery took 9 days.

While moving towards Ukraine, Fresnel and Monitor, a lamp, a socket, and ballasts (ballasts) for the lamp were purchased. A metal halide lamp is a gas-discharge lamp; it does not have an incandescent filament; in it, the gas pumped into the burner glows when an electric discharge arc passes through it. Therefore, the lamp needs a choke as well as an IZU (ignition unit). Everything is sold in a store that sells lamps and fixtures. A Chinese Deluxe lamp of 250 W, 5800Lm, 4800K was purchased, as well as a choke and an IZUshka.

The lamp was initially chosen to be inexpensive for carrying out experiments and starting work; today it needs to be replaced with a metal halide lamp with a ceramic burner. These lamps have a higher luminous flux.

M6 threaded rods were chosen as the frame fastening mechanism to allow for their adjustment. They needed 2 m. or 4 of 0.5 m each.

Next, the light block is assembled on an aluminum plate. The bracket for mounting the socket has the ability to adjust the position of the lamp. The spherical reflector was purchased at a flea market, most likely from some overhead unit. It is secured using an M3 stud and aluminum plates.

A capacitor (condenser lens) is a completely different story. There were many different ones, all of them burst due to the high temperature, since they are very close to the lamp. Now there is a 120mm capacitor from a film projector, but it also burst. This has virtually no effect on the image.

All this miracle of lighting technology is naturally centered and is located in a stainless steel bowl. At first, only the bowl acted as a reflector, as many foreigners do. But a bowl as a reflector, to put it mildly, is like a sieve as a bucket. Therefore, a normal spherical reflector was installed, and the bowl began to perform a different function, evolving into a heat shield. It prevents heat from heating the walls of the case.

Above the light block there is a heat filter made of K-glass. It allows light to pass through and prevents heat from damaging the matrix. The matrix is a very gentle creature; it works at temperatures below 60 degrees. At higher temperatures it shows nothing, turns brown and dies. The glass is secured using corners made of the same aluminum.

The frames for the Fresnels and the matrix were made of 1.5mm thick aluminum sheet. Everything was cut into strips with a jigsaw and assembled with rivets.

Matrix

The matrix from the LCD monitor will form the image of our projector. To do this, you need to remove the working glass of the matrix, without damaging the flexible cables glued to it, otherwise it will be covered. Of the entire monitor, we need “glass” with a controller, a monitor controller and a power supply. We do not need matrix backlight lamps and an inverter to power them.
It is better to disassemble the monitor in a quiet environment, but on a clean table without foreign objects. All screws that will be unscrewed during disassembly should be placed in some kind of box so that they do not fall on the working surface of the table and you do not damage the working surface of the monitor.

So, we take our monitor, turn it over, and unscrew all the screws that can be unscrewed. Naturally, after this the monitor case will not open, since it has locks around the perimeter. In our case, you can act roughly, but it is still better if the opening of the case occurs in a more civilized manner.

Under the back cover there is a control board or monitor controller and a power inverter for the matrix backlight lamps. Some monitor models also have a power supply, and in some it is combined with an inverter. In my case, the power supply is external.

Carefully disconnect all the wires connecting the boards to each other. It’s better to write down or photograph the connections in advance so that you don’t have to search for what connects where.

The boards are attached to the monitor chassis; we don’t need the chassis either, so we remove the monitor controller board and the board with the buttons. Although some creators use the entire chassis with circuit boards, securing it inside the case.

We unscrew all the bolts that are possible. At the top of the matrix, where the cable is connected, there is a matrix controller covered with a lid. Let's remove this cover. The controller itself is screwed to the aluminum matrix body, unscrew it. Some matrices have another board located on the side of the matrix, connected by a cable to the main one. If it is there, unscrew it too. Naturally we disconnect the cable. Then we carefully bend the controller on the cables outside the matrix body. It is with these cables that you need to be extremely careful, because... they are glued to the glass and the controller board, if they break, that’s ALL, the end.

But all this wealth can be used in modding - a cold cathode lamp, a piece of light-diffusing acrylic, a lamp power inverter. You can make some kind of glowing stand, or simply use a lamp to illuminate the inside of the case.

After removing the backlight, there should be one frame in which the working glass of the matrix is located. This glass with attached controllers will add information about the color of each pixel to the light flux (form an image).

The matrix is mounted on the frame and attached to it using furniture glass guides. They have a small gap, which prevents it from breaking when screwed on. First, the guides were installed, and then the matrix was inserted into it.

The matrix controller is mounted on a perpendicular acrylic stand, which is attached to studs. It might be better if it is attached to the frame, but in my case it was easier.

The matrix is located between two Fresnels. Although sometimes two Fresnels are connected together, and the matrix is placed above the Fresnels. The first, the so-called lamp Fresnel, with a shorter focal length (220mm.). The lamp is practically in focus and, according to theory, the light, after passing through it, travels in a parallel beam the size of a Fresnel.

It is screwed to the frame using homemade holders. Although it was possible to buy a mirror holder, which are used in furniture production.

The second Fresnel, located behind the matrix, has a focal length of 310 mm. It is attached to the frame in the same way as the first one. It is located at an angle, this is a mechanical correction of the trapezius. The fact is that if you install the projector not exactly perpendicular to the screen, but lower, then the geometry of the image will be disrupted, a so-called “trapezoid” will appear, the top side is wider than the bottom. Installing the second Fresnel at an angle compensates for the trapezoid.

The next component of the system in the selected layout is the mirror. The frame for the mirror is made of aluminum, the elements that allow you to adjust the position and tilt of the mirror are made of 3mm acrylic. It is easier to mill grooves in it. Acrylic is attached to aluminum using the same rivets.

The mirror was purchased from a regular glass cutter, but for such things you need to use mirrors with an outer reflective layer. After the first tests, it was decided to convert the existing, ordinary mirror into a “correct” one with an external reflective layer. For this purpose, a remover for old paint “Washing VL-1” was purchased on the market. With its help, the protective layer on the back of the glass was washed off, then the whole thing was washed with soap and water. The result was a mirror that reflected on both sides.

In a regular mirror, light passes through the glass, is reflected from the reflective layer, passes through the glass a second time, and is also reflected from the surface of the glass, so the image is doubled. There is no ghosting when using an external reflective layer.

The last component (in description, not in importance) of the projector's optical system is the lens. The lens was purchased from LumienLab, but many people use domestic lenses made in the USSR.

The lens is mounted on a PVC ring, which is glued into a section of 100mm sewer pipe. Telescopic guides (from furniture fittings) are attached to both sides of the pipe, which I shortened because... no big move needed.

The guides are screwed to the supports that hold the lens against the center of the mirror.

The lens moves along guides, thereby focusing the image on the screen. For this, a motor with a gearbox is used. The gearbox is homemade, assembled from various gears, the rotary bar is made of acrylic.

The mirror is at an angle of 45 degrees. to the flow of light so that the light rotates 90 degrees.

In some places, the mirror frame and lens support are reinforced by creating a T-shaped profile. All connections are angles and rivets.
There are spacers installed diagonally on 3 sides, which give the chassis rigidity.

All optical components, lamps, fresnels, mirrors, and lenses were centered using a laser pointer. At the bottom, near the lamp, threads were stretched diagonally between the studs, and at the top above the upper Fresnel. The lamp was placed in the center at the intersection of the threads. Then the mirror was positioned so that when looking through the lens at the lamp, the upper and lower threads merged. Then they shined the light into the center of the lens with a pointer and finally aligned all the components so that the beam passed through the intersections of the threads into the center of the lamp.

Electrical part

The electrical part of the projector consists of a circuit for switching on the lamp, in our case metal halide, and a circuit for switching on the matrix and lamp cooling system, in our case fans.
The lamp switching circuit is shown on the IZU:

And the rest is a matter of fantasy. You can simply connect the fans to the monitor's power supply, or you can make a separate power supply. I decided to make a separate power supply with a timer, which would allow the lamps and matrix to continue to blow for some time when the lamps and matrix are turned off. There is no point in accurately measuring time, 10 min +/- 50% is enough, that’s why I chose simplest scheme timing chain.

It’s difficult to recreate the complete projector circuit, it’s something like this:

The unit has its own transformer (standby power supply). And only a transformer and a diode assembly. Power button (ON) with fixation. When it is turned on, voltage is supplied to the relay, which turns on the lamp and matrix, and also supplies +12 to the fan start timer. When the “ON” button is turned off, the fan relay remains on, since it is held by the charging voltage of the capacitor in the base of the transistor, the capacitor slowly discharges and after about 10 minutes, the fans turn off.

A power connector is installed on the monitor chassis and there is a 5A fuse and a switch in the input circuit

In addition to the power button, there is also an extension button for 10 minutes. fan operation, lens (focus) control buttons, and light indication of lamp, fan, and standby mode operation.

All control buttons and lamps are displayed on a separate control panel.

The monitor controller is mounted behind the mirror on an acrylic plate and connected to the matrix controller.

It is powered by the monitor's power supply, which must also be secured in the case. He couldn't find a better place.

Also on the projector chassis, there is a VGA connector, which is connected to the controller via a homemade cable.

The ballast for the lamp is located at the bottom, because the throttle weighs a good 3 kilos.

Therefore, the lower aluminum plate was screwed to the chipboard plate.

Frame

After assembling the chassis, the whole thing was tested several times. As I already said, the mirror was redone, the condenser lens was replaced several times, because... It was constantly bursting, and then it had a body. Housing made of PVC foam, 4mm thick. Many people make them from chipboard, I have nothing against chipboard, but PVC is a very easy-to-work material. It is cut with a stationery knife, glued with diffuse glue, very easy to drill, bend, in general, a miracle material. A whole sheet was purchased from advertisers. The cutting of the sheet proceeded without any drawings; the configuration and implementation of the building in need was invented on the fly.

The body was made of 2 parts. The first: this is the right side, front and top, and the second: the left side and back.

4 fans were installed in the right wall, which create air movement inside the case. Since the lamp generates a lot of heat, it needs to be cooled effectively.
the following scheme was chosen, two 80mm. The fans stand opposite the matrix and draw air inside the case, while blowing the matrix and the Fresnels. The air reaches the opposite wall of the case, in which a slot is cut, through which it enters the lower part of the case, into the lamp compartment where there are two similar fans that draw air out of the case. Thus, rapid air exchange occurs and the matrix does not overheat.

There you can also see the stiffening ribs glued to the back of the case.

The body is attached to the bottom chipboard board with screws.

The parts of the housing are also connected to each other using screws.

A control panel is installed on the left side. It is secured with a PVC clamp.

Screen

You can buy a ready-made screen, but you can also make it yourself. You will need banner fabric, only matte and not glossy, and black self-adhesive. Instead of banner fabric, it is better to use awning fabric, the material is the same but thicker, there are fewer folds on it. It would be better to stretch the fabric over a wooden frame. But if there is not enough space, you can make a collapsible screen.

The white banner fabric is edged with black self-adhesive, also matte. Black edging gives a subjective increase in contrast and makes the black color stand out.

I was making a retractable screen. The banner and border were attached to a wooden block with rounded corners. Fastening - small shoe nails at a distance of 5 cm.

Screen width 2300 mm. Sections of M6 studs are inserted into the ends. The screen is nailed to the ceiling using aluminum corners. For fastening, anchors dia. 8mm.

On one side there is a gearbox from the D219-P1 engine. And a 12V motor was chosen as the motor. direct current from the printer. It is secured using an acrylic ring and M3 studs.

There is enough power to lower and raise the screen without any problems.

Well, in general, that’s it. And finally, a few photos with the results.

In the dark:

With a 60W lamp on.

Good luck and happy modding.

Each part of the projection apparatus is a separate story with many questions.

Creating a projector with your own hands at home is not difficult: often all you need is a phone or tablet and a small amount of office supplies. A homemade device will allow you to view photos, movies or videos on a larger screen. When choosing how to build a projector, be guided by your goals: different options are suitable for different situations.

Mobile device based

A homemade projector can be made from a smartphone. You should collect the materials necessary to create an overhead projector in advance. You will need a cardboard shoe box, a lens or magnifying glass that magnifies the image 10 times, adhesive tape or blue tape, a pencil, a paper clip and a mobile phone.

This option is suitable for people who want to entertain children with cartoons. A picture shown on the wall is less harmful to children's vision than watching cartoons on a TV, laptop or tablet. In addition, this option allows parents to control what their children watch and exclude programs not intended for children.

You need to cut a window in the box for the lens. It should be installed exactly in the center of the box. Calculating the required distance is simple: you need to connect the corners with diagonal lines, at the intersection of which the desired point will be located. Once the center is found, make a hole of the desired size.

After this, you should attach the magnifying glass. Scotch tape or electrical tape is suitable for this. You can use other methods: glue gun, silicone.

Next, you need to install a stand in the cardboard smartphone projector so that the phone is fixed in one position. A specially curved paper clip will do. You can also make a stand from pieces of cardboard.

You should first test the operation of the resulting device and select a suitable location for the smartphone in the box. It's worth trying different positions of the gadget to find the best angle. It is also important to fix the picture on the phone in the desired position: the lens flips the image, so the picture (video) on the device must be upside down.

To make a projector out of a phone, you also need to make a small hole in the box for charger. This will allow you to watch a movie without interrupting to recharge your gadget.

Tablet or laptop based

There are several ways to make a projector with your own hands. You can use laptops or tablets for this purpose. They have a higher screen resolution, and the picture quality will be better than when watching movies from a phone.

You'll have to make a projector out of a larger box. Its length should be at least 0.5 m. The back wall should be slightly larger in size than the tablet so that the gadget fits inside. A projector made from a monitor will require an even larger box.

The tablet should be secured inside the box. Remember that the lens will reverse the image. If the gadget automatically rotates the picture, you should download a special application in which you can fix the screen in the desired position.

If you use a laptop to create the projector, you should make 2 cuts in the box. The device is folded onto the top half with the keyboard down. In this case, the inverted screen should be located at the site of the cut. It is important to choose a box that will support the weight of the device placed on top of it.

How to improve image quality?

When you make a projector from your phone yourself, the image projected from the magnifying glass can be improved for more comfortable viewing. On the screen from which the picture will be projected, you should set maximum settings. You can adjust the quality by moving the smartphone in the box. The closer the phone is to the magnifying glass, the clearer the image, but its dimensions will be smaller.

The lens should also be prepared: cleaned of dust and dirt. If there are scratches on the lens, it is recommended to replace it with another one - this will improve the image quality.

There should be no light in the room in which the home theater projection room is located. Thick curtains should be used and all extraneous sources should be eliminated. Painting the inside surface of the box with black paint will also help: this will eliminate the “leakage” of light rays through the cracks and make the picture clearer.

The quality of the surface on which the film is projected is also important. There should be no defects, seams or dirt on the canvas. It is recommended to use a special screen or white surface.

Original solutions

You can also make a 3D projector with your own hands at home. It is more difficult to create such a device; it will also require financial costs.

It is necessary to create a truncated plastic pyramid. Exist different sizes. An option is suitable, the larger base of which is 60x60 mm, the smaller - 10x10 mm, and the height - 45 mm. To show holograms from a tablet, you will need a larger pyramid, since the device's screen is larger than that of a phone.

It should be placed on the phone screen in the center. After this you can turn on the movie. This type of projector is well suited for entertaining children: holograms will strain the eyes less. In addition, this option looks unusual and attracts attention.

Why go to the cinema and pay a lot of money if we can make a projector at home and enjoy our favorite films as well. Making a projector with your own hands is not difficult, anyone can do it. And yet, it should be remembered that a projector using a phone or laptop is most likely an entertaining moment rather than a serous approach to business.

How to make a projector with your own hands?

To build your own projector at home, we will need the following materials:

Cardboard box.

Fresnel lens.

No easier way making a projector is a pleasure, but there are also disadvantages - image quality, brightness and focus. When using a phone or tablet, all three parameters will be simply terrible; when using a laptop, it will be a little better, since we can set the screen brightness to the highest.

Let's get started!

1. First of all, we choose a box that suits us, and on one of its sides, we take measurements for the lens. The hole should be slightly smaller than the lens so that it can be conveniently mounted in the box.

We made these sketches:

2. We cut out a rectangular part according to the dimensions, but not along the outer line, but along the inner one. If you do it like we did, you can use the projector for your phone too.

3. On the inside of the box, we need to attach the Fresnel lens where we cut the hole. We do this moment using tape. Don't forget that the corrugated side of the lens should be directed towards the inside of the box.

4. To make our projector more realistic, we can spray paint it black.

The projector is ready! Now let's figure out how to watch movies with it. This design is ideal for watching movies on a tablet; for a laptop it is better to take a larger box.

To secure the tablet well in a vertical position, we can take two large rubber bands and attach several books or a box to it.

30.05.2017 11:41:00

Cellular telephone It has long ceased to be solely a means of communication. With the development of high technologies, a mobile gadget absorbs more and more possibilities, becoming a device with a truly limitless number of functions. One of the latest examples is the implementation NFC technology, thanks to which you can pay for purchases in the store using your smartphone.

Naturally, the improvement of telephones is not complete without some very daring experiments. Designers of mobile gadgets often try to combine several functions from different technological areas in one device. For example, about 10 years ago attempts began to combine a telephone with a projector.

The goal of such an experiment is quite obvious - to create a compact and mobile device with which one could project an image on the wall to view photos, videos or presentations. In our article we will talk about how this idea was implemented and how successful it became. In addition, we will tell you how to turn your phone into a projector with your own hands.

Phone with a projector: the beginning

History of combination mobile device and projector started in 2009. Then Korean designer Min-Sun Kim created a concept phone with a projection lens.

In his concept, the designer had to face two serious problems. Firstly, operating the projection module put a lot of strain on the battery. Secondly, while the phone was operating in projector mode, the device became very hot.

To solve the first problem, Min-Sun Kim proposed using a battery based on polycarbonates, which would provide greater capacity compared to the lithium and sodium batteries common at that time.

Polycarbonate was supposed to solve the second problem. It was from this that the phone body was supposed to be made. And to remove excess heat, aluminum inserts were installed along the edges of the gadget, which served as a kind of radiator.

The first mass-produced projection phones

Min-Sung Kim's concept was embodied in the W7900 from Samsung, which became the first serial phone with a projector. The model was presented at the international exhibition CES 2009. The phone was equipped with a 3.2-inch OLED display with a resolution of 240 by 400 pixels and a 5-megapixel camera. The built-in projection module displayed an image with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels. The lamp power of 10 lumens was enough to watch home videos.

The most famous models

After a fairly successful announcement, Korean developers decided not to stop there and within a few years released two phone models with a projector: Samsung Galaxy Beam and Samsung Galaxy Beam 2. The first Galaxy Beam of 2012 was an updated model W7900. The device ran on the Android 2.3 operating system, was equipped with a 4-inch TFT display with 16 million colors and a 5 megapixel camera.

Two years later, the company released the second model in the series, the projector of which displayed an image with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. It is worth noting that in this model the lamp power has increased significantly - up to 15 lumens, which gave a fairly bright and clear projection.

In 2011, the Japanese company Sharp joined the development of projector phones with the SH-06C model. The phone had a 4.5-inch screen, an 8-megapixel camera and a battery with a capacity of 1520 mAh. The 9-lumen projector produced an image of 640x360 pixels. A distinctive feature of this model was a fairly high moisture protection index: IPX5 or IPX7, depending on the modification.

The same year, the MFU P790 projector phone was released in China. The device contained a rather simple and not the most powerful filling: a 3.2-inch display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and the built-in memory was designed for only 73 megabytes. The main feature of the phone was the combination of a TV tuner with automatic channel search and a projector. Despite the fact that the model was released in a rather limited edition in China, it can still be bought in online stores for approximately 4.5 thousand rubles.

In 2015, Lenovo decided to go a little further than its competitors in producing phones with a projector. The announced Lenovo Smart Cast model was equipped with a special projection module that turned a flat horizontal surface into a touch panel. An infrared sensor on the front panel sensed movements on the projection. That is, it was possible to display, for example, a numeric keyboard or piano keys from a music application on the table surface.

The module rotated 270 degrees, so the Smart Cast system automatically adjusted the projected image depending on the surface. You can watch the presentation of the miracle smartphone in this video:

One of the latest quite interesting solutions is the Motorola Moto Z smartphone, which was released in 2016. The design feature of the device was compatibility with various Moto Mods. You can connect a stereo speaker, a Hasselblad photo module or an additional battery to your smartphone.

With the help of the $300 Insta-Share module, the phone became a projector that displayed an image in a resolution of 854x480 pixels.

It is worth recognizing that the idea of combining a phone and a projector has not become widespread. Such models were distinguished by decent dimensions and weight and were quite expensive at the time of their appearance. In addition, phones with projectors clearly did not match the quality of the projected image. After all, phones are operating system Android is much more convenient to connect to a regular TV to achieve better image clarity.

Relatively good demand for phones with a projector has been observed in recent years only in Southeast Asia. Such models are almost never imported to Russia. The only reliable way to purchase a branded projection phone is to order it through an online store and reflash it for greater convenience.

How to make a projector from a phone

However, if you want to watch a projection image from your phone, you don’t have to spend money on rare equipment. You can make a projector from your phone yourself, without leaving your home.

To do this you will need:

Telephone
shoe box
10x magnifying glass
Sharp knife
Pencil
Insulating tape
Paperclip or piece of foam

The clarity and brightness of the picture, first of all, depends on the source of the image, that is, on the smartphone screen. It is desirable that the device be equipped with a large and high-quality screen, at least 5 inches. We recommend using a new product from the British company Fly as a basis for the projector - model Cirrus 13.

The 5-inch IPS display of the smartphone produces a bright, rich and contrasting picture thanks to Full Lamination technology, which eliminates the air gap between the layers of the screen. The image becomes as realistic and rich as possible. It is also important that the screen transmits images in FullHD resolution.

Thanks to a 2400 mAh lithium-polymer battery, the Fly Cirrus 13 can work up to 4 hours as a projector for watching movies. This is quite enough for a couple of excellent blockbusters for the whole family.

So, if you have stocked up on everything you need, you can start creating a home theater:

Step 1.

On the box you need to cut a round hole the diameter of the magnifying glass lens. It is important that the hole is located exactly in the middle. To do this, connect the corners of the box with diagonals. The point at the intersection of the lines will be the center for the lens.

Step 2.

Insert the lens into the hole or secure the glass with electrical tape.

Step 3.

Make a phone stand from a paper clip or cut a frame out of foam to fit the size of the device.

Step 4.

Place the phone in the box. It is necessary to find the optimal distance between the screen and the lens. It is best to do this in a dark room, moving the gadget back and forth from the lens.