News Release：Pioneer to Commercialize In-Vehicle HUD (Head-Up Display) through Agreement on Joint Development of Projector Module (*1)

　Pioneer Corporation has entered into an agreement with MicroVision Inc. (Head office: Redmond, WA, USA) to jointly develop, manufacture and distribute projector modules including the RGB semiconductor laser light source (*2) module.

　Through the development and production of DVD and BD drives, Pioneer has over many years built up its knowhow of modularization technologies for laser light sources and their mass production. To develop miniaturized, energy-saving and low-cost light source modules, Pioneer has focused on the RGB semiconductor laser light source, and promoted work on developing modules for RGB semiconductor laser light sources. Paying attention to the special features of high luminance and high contrast for RGB semiconductor laser light sources, we have explored uses for the Head-Up Display (HUD) developed by Pioneer.

　By joining in a partnership with MicroVision Inc. with its advanced technical strength in the development of projector engines using laser scan technology, it will be possible to quickly develop a commercial version of the projector module using the RGB semiconductor laser light source module. As one of its new businesses, Pioneer, utilizing the knowhow nurtured in the development of in-vehicle equipment, is aiming to introduce a commercial in-vehicle HUD using this projector module into the consumer market during 2012.

*1　A module product used in image and video projectors. Consisting of a light source,
　　mirrors, lenses and other control components.
*2　The focus of next-generation light sources, since it is possible to develop
　　miniaturized light source modules with better energy performance than
    conventional laser light sources by using the semiconductor laser for the
　　red, blue and green lasers.