Micro LED projectors, a completely new display technology that differs significantly from the traditional “light source + light valve” structure, are rapidly approaching the market. As a new, integrated structure combining both display and light source, developed entirely within China, Micro LED projectors are poised to revolutionize the projector industry in ways that are both exciting and promising.
The Arrival of Micro LED Projectors in HUD Systems
Recently, Nationstar Optoelectronics announced that the company is actively expanding into display modules and automotive LED fields, building on its core business of LED packaging. Following the successful development of a Micro LED automotive light module with 40,000 pixels, Nationstar plans to release automotive products such as headlights and Head-Up Displays (HUD) by the first half of 2025.
In addition, the company has already developed several automotive-grade LED products in the automotive electronics field, covering automotive lighting, in-car displays, interior backlighting, ambient lighting, and more. Products like exterior interactive screens, taillights, daytime running lights, and interior backlighting have already been adopted by well-known automakers.
Analysts point out that while HUDs do not require the extreme brightness found in automotive pixel headlights, they do demand high resolution. For example, the pixel count of the Micro LED automotive light module may be limited to 40,000, but a resolution of 720P (1280×720) already requires 920,000 pixels. A resolution of 1366×768 would have an even higher pixel count, and 1080P resolution would require over 2 million pixels.
Of course, HUDs do not necessarily require video-level resolution. Early HUD products may only have a resolution of 480×240, with 115,200 pixels. However, modern high-end AR-HUDs have reached a resolution of 1920×730, totaling 1.4 million pixels.
Thus, Nationstar‘s announcement that its HUD products will launch in the first half of 2025 indicates a significant improvement in the pixel integration capabilities of Micro LED microdisplays. Having over 100,000 pixels will be the baseline for a functional product, while 1 million pixels will serve as the foundation for good performance. If the pixel count is too low, the automotive market might focus more on “low cost,” but LCD-HUD solutions already have very low prices. Competing on price alone may not give new technologies an edge. Therefore, improving performance will be essential for Micro LED HUDs to gain a foothold in the market.
On the other hand, the development of Micro LED automotive pixel headlights has been underway for over 3 years. Products with pixel counts ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 are already widely available. This resolution is sufficient for basic graphical indicators. However, compared to DLP projection headlights and other “video-level” systems, the gap in pixel count remains significant. This is one of the main reasons why Micro LED pixel headlights have had limited market penetration. Further increasing the pixel count is a prerequisite for accelerating the development of the Micro LED automotive headlight market.
The demand for high pixel density and high brightness performance will determine that Micro LED in automotive headlights and HUDs must be based on a specific pixel density while also offering high brightness. This is the main technical direction for the direct-view projection application of Micro LED technology.
Changhong’s New Patents in Micro LED Projectors
Recently, Changhong, leading the “14th Five-Year Plan” National Key R&D Program for high-brightness Micro LED projection display products, made significant progress. In the first half of the year, Changhong released several key patents for Micro LED projectors, including “Micro LED Surface Structures and Fabrication Methods,” “A Cooling Structure for Micro LED Projectors,” “A Mini/Micro LED Display Screen,” and “Nano-Barrier Method for Micro-QLED Color Projection Optical Engines.”
In September, October, and November 2024, Changhong’s subsidiary, Sichuan Qiruike Technology Co., Ltd., published three more patents related to Micro LED projection, including:
- “A Three-Piece Micro LED Projector Focus Adjustment System”
- “A Micro LED Projection Light Path and Projection Equipment”
- “A Hybrid Projection Optical Device Based on Micro LED and Micro-QLED”
The “Three-Piece Micro LED Projector Focus Adjustment System” addresses the challenges of precise light merging and miniaturization in three-piece projection systems. The “Micro LED Projection Light Path and Projection Equipment” proposes a hybrid three-piece projection system using laser-LCD to replace the less efficient red Micro LED, combining it with green and blue Micro LEDs. Meanwhile, the “Hybrid Projection Optical Device Based on Micro LED and Micro-QLED” uses green and blue Micro LEDs in combination with red Micro-QLED to solve the problem of low luminous efficiency in red Micro LEDs.
These patents represent targeted development focused on optimizing the performance metrics of complete Micro LED projectors, rather than theoretical feasibility designs. The primary obstacle in Micro LED projection technology is the low efficiency of red Micro LEDs. The solution could involve either developing more efficient red Micro LED products or using alternative solutions for red light.
From a market perspective, the main challenge for Changhong Micro LED projectors lies in achieving the necessary resolution and brightness for large screens, such as 100-inch displays. The entry-level demand for resolution is 1080p with brightness above 500 lumens, while high-quality displays require a 4K resolution with 3000 lumens of brightness. Although these are high requirements, projectors are less sensitive to device size compared to automotive lighting or HUDs.
Industry analysis suggests that after achieving multiple viable patents for three-piece Micro LED projection systems, Changhong may soon release a prototype. A fully functional Micro LED projector product may be expected to debut in 2025.
The Future of Micro LED Projectors: A Unified Light+Display System
In addition to recent developments by Nationstar and Changhong, RICOM in Fujian Province recently revealed in an investor survey that it plans to develop a Micro LED color projection light machine in 2024, following its Monochrome Micro LED Projection Light Engine launched in 2023. This new technology has been selected for the 2024 Fujian Provincial Key Technology Innovation and Industrialization Projects catalog and is primarily targeted at wearable micro-devices.
The Micro LED projector technology is not just a solution for individual companies but a rapidly developing field embraced by numerous enterprises. Micro LED technology offers distinct advantages: it is fully self-sustained domestically, enabling the industry to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. Additionally, Micro LED boasts significantly higher luminous efficiency than traditional 1LCD, DLP, and 3LCD systems. Finally, Micro LED is an integrated light source and imaging solution, simplifying the structure and reducing components, potentially lowering costs.
Currently, the global projector market is dominated by entry-level models, particularly 1LCD and DLP, which occupy 80% of global projector demand within the 300-1000 lumen brightness range. Micro LED technology is poised to capture this market, offering compact size, light weight, simple structure, lower cost, and superior color quality. Micro LED’s goal is not to compete with digital cinema projectors or high-brightness engineering projectors but to upgrade mainstream home-use consumer products.
Furthermore, Micro LED projectors are also candidates for AR displays, automotive headlights, and HUD systems, representing an “unlimited potential market.” Actively developing Micro LED projection technology and its applications will position companies to compete successfully in emerging markets.
Conclusion
In summary, while Micro LED projectors may not yet be mainstream, they are undoubtedly part of the future. With continued research and development, especially in the areas of high pixel density, high brightness, and efficiency, Micro LED projectors are moving closer to reality. 2025 is likely to be the “Year One” for Micro LED projectors in product form.
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