Amazon is reportedly working on an XR projector to turn regular surfaces into screens. The company acquired projection mapping hardware startup Lightform to kickstart this project. Lightform had previously built an AR projector and an all-in-one projector but faced challenges in the market. Amazon’s upcoming projector is expected to require spatial awareness and may offer interactive mixed-reality experiences in homes. This move follows Amazon’s previous exploration of projection mapping with devices like the Amazon Glow. Projection mapping technology has potential but also poses challenges in everyday environments.
Why do we care?
This was tucked into their announcements last week, and frankly, I think it’s the biggest deal in there. This is super long-term – but making surfaces into screens is obvious and game-changing. I didn’t want to let this one slip by without noting it.