A tiny colour display projector suitable for use in a mobile phone has been demonstrated by US firm Microvision at the Globalpress Summit Conference in San Francisco this week.

Redmond, Washington-based Microvision has produced a module, which it calls PicoP, suitable for embedding in a mobile phone which is five cubic centimetres in size, draws 1.5W, weighs between 30g and 50g and costs $100.

PicoP-enabled devices can project a widescreen, WVGA (848 X 480 pixels), DVD-quality image, according to the company.

"Using PicoP, devices such as cell phones, PDA’s, laptops, portable DVD players and hand-held gaming devices can project TV, digital photos, movies, presentation slides or content from Internet browsing to social networking," said Microvision CEO Alexander Tokman.

The projected display is always in focus and can range anywhere from eight inches (20cm) to 100 inches (2.5m) in size depending upon the ambient lightning conditions, according Microvision.

The laser-based, MEMS module in which a low-powered RGB light beam is directed by the scanning MEMS mirror to create the display as a series of lines, like a CRT.

Tokman said the company had customers beating a path to his door for the display which is also available as a standalone device and for use in scanners