********NEW 10 PART ADOT INFORMATION SERIES ......PART 6********
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PART 6......BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES (continued from PART 5)
OPTICAL COMPUTING
The following information is taken from Advanced Optics Electronics, Inc's. (ADOT) Offering Circular of January 21, 1997 (OC):
" Optical computing is being viewed as the best potential source for the next generation of high speed computing performance. Extremely high speeds and massively parallel processes are expected to allow this newly developed technology to support data intensive applications such as optical pattern recognition and artificially intelligent robotics. However, the technical aspects of this discipline have not been able to keep pace with its theoretical potential until now."
" There is a strong demand in the optical computing market for large array (1024 X 1024) SLM. Several optical computing companies have been able to offer devices in small arrays (128 X 128) which will allow a researcher to do rudimentary work. However, for optical computing to be practical, arrays on the order of (1024 X 1024) need to be built. Problems inherent for scaling up current devices are much the same as the flat panel display manufacturers are experiencing. This is largely due to similarities in technologies. Most of the problems lay in manufacturing tolerances inherent with the device. Parameters such as the flatness of the substrate on which the material is deposited, parallelism of flat surfaces, and statistical defects in the material and finished device which are difficult to repair. Typical yields are of devices are in the 3-8% range. In other words, for every 100 devices made, only 3 to 8 are usable."
" The number of potential SLM applications has increased rapidly in the field of optical computing in general, which encompasses the ares of optical signal processing , data processing and computing. High performance optical systems have applications in real-time operation contemporal electronic signals such as: spectrum analysis, convolution, correlation, adaptive filtering and generation of time frequency representation. Other areas include enhanced-matched-filter and non-correlation approaches to pattern recognition and tomographs, transformations, solution of partial differential equations, adaptive wave front estimation and compensation. There has also been considerable interest in optic numeric processing which has resulted in a large number of processing architectures most of which would profit strongly from the advent of a high performance SLM."
" Initially, the ADOT based SLM should be marketed as a high performance SLM to research workers in universities and first line industrial laboratories. The intense interest in the field would support an SLM price on the order of $25,000 and at that price the sales volume could reach 300 to 500 units per year in two to three years of initial production ($10 to $12 million)."
" A major advantage to this approach of marketing is that these users would in fact, define the subsequent markets for the Company due to their developments in the field. Also, their feedback as to desirable modifications and enhancements would be invaluable to the Company in maintaining its dominant position in the market."
MOVIE THEATERS
Electronic Projection Displays:
(OC): " The projection display classification encompasses all those displays which utilize a viewing screen separate from the optical source. As the name implies, the image is projected with appropriate optics onto a screen which serves as the diffusing surface with appropriate screen gain and directionality. The image must be diffused, otherwise it can only be view from the specular reflection angle. The diffusing surface is the apparent image source. The projection can be accomplished either from the front or the rear of the screen. Projection displays can be found in home entertainment centers, management conference rooms, command and control centers, theaters and sports arenas. The digital size can range from approximately three feet using one CTR, to 120 feet using three specialized projectors."
" In projection systems, one of the limiting factors for any technology is the ability to operate at high temperature.
High operating temperatures are critical because of the heat load from the projection lamp. Liquid Crystal Displays, which are the chosen devices for a majority of companies, have a limited high operating temperature. In addition, LCD projectors are limited in the brightness and resolution of the projected image. In addition, LCD's are currently limited in the resolution of the device. These two problems are recognized as the largest research areas for LCD technology. ADOT's advantages are the ability to withstand high operating temperatures and to scale up without being limited by difficult manufacturing tolerances, or the brightness resolution of the projected image."
HIGH BRIGHTNESS PROJECTORS
Modified - CRT:
(OC): " The ADOT based SLM can be employed as the target in a modified Browning tube. In this configuration, the photoconductor island electrodes are excited by the electrons from the electron gun which performs a standard raster scan of the target. By using nonmemory made material and CDs photoconductors with a long lived response ( due to deep traps formed during deposition) it should be possible to fabricate a high brightness projector in a configuration which operates in a manner similar to that proposed in the Browning tube patent"
" Initially, the main customer would be military; specifically, the Army, which has applications as a field commander's briefing unit, and the Navy for command information center applications. The military market should be in the neighborhood of 1,000 to 1,500 units at a price on the order of $100,000 ($100 million) spread out over three years or so. The only competition on the market is the "Talariall" system from G.E. which is priced at $350,000 to $450,000. The G.E. system does not have the intense clarity or daylight brightness that would be exhibited in ADOT's SLM technology. Such a large market would require substantial investment in order to be able to produce the large number of systems, or it would require a joint venture with a manufacturer."
Simulator Projectors:
(OC): "The device would have applications as a projector for existing fight and vehicle simulators. The need for such simulators for large screen projectors with enhanced brightness levels is intense. The customers would all be companies that manufacture such simulators, such as Boeing, Martin-Marietta, Harris, Westinghouse, McDonnell-Douglas, etc. The market price would be in the neighborhood of $80,000 with a total market volume exceeding 2,000 units ($160 million). Again, this is a subjective estimate of the market possibilities."
Commercial Theater Projectors:
(OC): " This is a commercial off-shoot of the field commander's unit and would be priced somewhat lower ($50,000) with less sales probably on the order of 10,000 units ($500 million). This is an attractive market area due to the large installed base of theaters currently using 35mm film. In the U.S. alone, this is a very large market (24,000 theater screens). The technology to implement the "electronic theater" is completely in place except for the display projector.
Conversion and distribution systems exist and are in operation in other technology areas. The projection device is the (only) limiting factor." |
