BUYING: Laser projector(s) for game event

[echelon]

Hi everyone,

I've currently got a 30Kpps RGB projector (it's having some diode issues--also need advice on that), but I want to add one or two more projectors so that I can do multi-projection. My goal is to write a complex videogame (such as Tetris or an NES emulator).

My previous work:

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x034jVB1avs
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTi-jf-ans

There's a 48-hour game programming marathon coming up September 20th, and I'd like to be ready to go by then. I developed a pseudo "Asteroids" clone for last year's event. As it happens, these events have a ton of energy and provide great encouragement... so I'm excited for this one.

I have a small budget (~$2500), and this has to include the DACs. I only have experience programming for the EtherDream, so two of those runs ~$600...

I might only get one projector if it has fast enough galvos. I'd be building my own unit, but I don't have enough EE/hardware experience, and I don't think there's adequate time to learn. That said, I might be able to go this route if the components are much cheaper than a fully assembled unit.

As an aside, all of the code I'm writing is open source (MIT/BSD) on Github. Not that it deserves/commands any charity, but I'll be writing a multi-projection game framework with coplanar rectification, topographic sort draw dispatcher, clipping, transformation, etc.

Thanks!

Edit: I want to have a projector or projectors ordered and on the way by Friday, September 6th. That'll give me adequate lead-in time to develop the libraries for the 20th.

[Picasso]

Lightspace, LEO Series. http://www.eightonlight.cn/, You are going to want to bolt both of them together to keep things lined up using them both as a "display" as you wish. You will still get alignment problems to deal with each time you start up because the scanners from china are not known to be precise. But even with $$$ CTI you will still need to do some alignment each time.

Drlava was working on tiled display......

[mixedgas]

Pangolin Beyond demoed the required geometric correction precursors of Tiled track display at SELEM.
I think you could say, "Coming Soon".

Steve

[Picasso]

I think I'd go after it by doing output to a software based etherdream master and having that spit out the sections of the screen to hardware etherdream. you can do correction on each hardware etherdream.

[echelon]

Thanks for the info so far guys! I just emailed about the LEO series, so we'll see what they say about pricing. That said, I'm still looking. I've also been sent a few offers via PM that I'm checking into as well.

Update: There's a particularly amazing PL member that offered to send sent me two Etherdreams free of charge for my work. I won't mention who it is unless they give their permission, but this was an incredible gesture and will definitely cut my costs as it comes to getting the two additional projectors to explore multi-projection.

Alignment won't be too much of an issue as I foresee it--I can probably do a lot in software. As far as adjusting the mirrors on the individual projectors, I guess that will still take time. But aligning all of the projectors together onto a unified surface won't be a problem.

Are there any videos on the "Tiled Track" system? I have my thoughts on an algorithm (straight out of OpenCV and epipolar geometry), but I'd like to see Pangolin's thinking and direction. Also, I know that Pangolin is commercial software, so their work comes at a cost. My work will be open source, but it may not be very accessible to non-programmers. Initially, I just won't have the time to develop much more than an API for hacking around with. I do want to combine efforts where possible, though.