PFI-TT: Kits for Developing Aerial 3D Display Technology

The broader impact of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to create a commercialized version of an optical trap display (OTD) kit. The OTD is an emerging display technology with the ability to create full-color images in air. This PFI project will produce aerial 3D displays from scratch. This technology will also create an open database allowing students and entrepreneurs to collaborate globally to access a free flow of ideas, practices, and data related to building aerial 3D displays. This research will inform the second- and third-generation prototypes, provide customer validation, and drive the demonstration to potential investors and licensing partners; all critical steps toward a future in which the sci-fi displays are commonly available. The proposed project will result in a set of novel, scalable, market-ready optical trap display (OTD) kit prototypes. Research will be conducted to overcome the challenges of optimizing the trapping process for introductory particle collection to achieve a Knudsen number close to 1 and a trap rate greater than 99% at the lowest achievable laser power. Scalable materials and construction techniques will be incorporated for lab-to-kit translation and an associated student curriculum will be developed in partnership with Utah STEM Action Center. The prototypes will expand the understanding of three OTD parameters: optical power, particle dimension (and its relation to the Knudsen number), and critical lens alignment by back-reflection. The kits will enable an automated, networked exploration of these parameters by new citizen-scientists as they share their experimental data. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.