TAUNTON – Kopin Corp., a maker of high-tech microdisplays, said its CyberDisplay 300 M LV monochrome active-matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) has been integrated by Wild Planet Toys Inc. into its Spy Video Car.
The remote-controlled toy car comes equipped with an infrared camera, attached to the vehicle’s body, and a monocular eyepiece, to be worn by a user. The camera uses wireless technology to send an image to the eyewear, so the user can drive the car in light or darkness from up to 75 feet away.
The Spy Video Car allows the children to enjoy the “real life” perspective of driving, from inside the car, or to play secret agent with night-vision capabilities. It is available at major retailers, including Target and Toys “R” Us, or online at www.shopwildplanet.com. (A TV ad for the Spy Video Car may be viewed at http://www.shopwildplanet.com/info/svctvad.html.)
“Kopin’s microdisplays are ideal for integrating technology into toys,” said Katie Broughton, design engineer at Wild Planet. “The display we use for our Spy Video Car is small and sharp and, unlike larger remote-mounted monitors, it ensures that no one other than the main viewer sees the secrets the car uncovers.
“As the first toy car with the night-vision capability, the Spy Video Car allows children to navigate secretly in darkness and see clearly without being detected,” she said. “The Spy Video Car was extremely well received at this year’s International Toy Fair, and we expect it to be a demanded toy this holiday season.”
With a 300 x 225 resolution, the CyberDisplay 300M LV is the smallest AMLCD of its kind, Kopin said, measuring only 0.16-inch diagonally. Though it about the size of a grain of rice, the microdisplay, combined with special optics inside the Spy Video Car eyewear, creates a virtual big-screen image comparable to that of a full-size TV.
Kopin’s Alan Richard, director of display marketing, said “The Spy Video Car is a great example of how very sophisticated technologies can be combined with Kopin’s microdisplay to create very imaginative products.
“We continue to see innovative products incorporating Kopin’s microdisplays introduced to the market for consumer, industrial, medical and military applications, which is a testament to the diversity of our technology.”
Spy Video Car is a trademark of Wild Planet Toys Inc. CyberDisplay and The NanoSemiconductor Co. are registered trademarks of Kopin Corp.
Wild Planet Toys Inc., founded in 1993 in San Francisco, creates kid-cool products that garner parent approval. For more information, visit www.wildplanet.com.
Taunton-based Kopin Corp. (NASDAQ: KOPN) is a maker of lightweight, power-efficient, ultra-small liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for a variety of applications, under trademarks including CyberDisplay and The NanoSemiconductor Co. Its technologies are protected by more than 200 global patents and patents pending. For additional information, visit www.kopin.com.
