Makers Friendly Nebra AnyBeam Laser Projector Fits into your Pocket (Crowdfunding)

Nebra Anybeam is a laser pico projector small enough to fit into your pocket. The fanless projector can be powered by a power bank or from the USB port of a computer, and you can play content from your smartphone, laptop or tablet.

Beside a consumer devices, the company – Pi Supply – also offers options for makers and tinkerers with a development kit, as well as Raspberry Pi HAT to add the laser projector on top of the popular SBC, as well as a round model powered by Raspberry Pi W Zero board.

Nebra Anybeam Projector

Nebra AnyBeam key features specifications:

Projector
- Resolution – 720p @ 60 fps
- Contrast – 80,000:1
- Aspect Ratio – 16:9
- Brightness – 30 ANSI equivalent to 150 ANSI lumens in a standard DLP projector
Video Input – HDMI 1.4 female port
Audio – 3.5mm audio jack, 1W speaker
Misc – 1/4-20 UNC tripod mount, multi-way switch for navigation
Power Supply – 5V/1.5A via USB port
Power Consumption – Under 3 Watts typ.
Dimensions – 103 x 50 x 19 mm
Weight – 133 grams
Temperature Range – 5 to 35°C

This type of project is said to always be in focus since the laser beam barely spreads, replaces the bulb with a MEMS scanner which in turns remove the need for a fan, and should deliver 10 times the lifetime of a traditional projector. All you need is a power source, and a content souce with HDMI output and you’re good to go.

Nebra Anybeam Developer Kit

The developer kit has the same guts as the consumer version, except for the 1W speaker, and the different case that makes it easier to dissassemble. It’s also a bit smaller (96 x 65 x 15 mm), a quite lighter (86 grams). It might be more of a “geek kit” than a “developer kit”‘ as it’s unclear which parts can be modified. The kit comes in pieces, and you’d have to assemble it.

Raspberry Pi HAT

If you like the projector and would like to connect it to your Raspberry Pi, you may be interested in getting the Raspberry Pi HAT version which comes with the same projector unit. The main differences are with the dimensions and interfaces:

Input Interface – DSI over 40-pin GPIO header
Navigation – 3 push buttons
Power Supply – Raspberry Pi GPIO header or 5V/2A micro USB port
Dimensions – 65 x 57 x 31 mm
Weight – 79 grams

Nebra Anybeam Monster Ball

Finally, if you’d like something Raspberry Pi based but all neatly enclosed in a case, Raspberry Pi Zero W based monster ball might be worth a try.

Specifications:

SBC – Raspberry Pi Zero W
Misc – Standard 1/4-20 UNC tripod mount, 3-buttons for navigation
Power Supply – Raspberry Pi GPIO header or 5V/2A micro USB port
Dimensions – 10 cm diameter
Weight – 580 grams

You can see the pico projector in action in the promotional video below.

All four hardware versions are now available on Kickstarter with the 40,000 GBP (~$46,300 US) funding having almost been reached. A pledge of ~$247 should get you a developer kit, while $260 is asked for the Raspberry Pi HAT, $286 for the Nebra Anybeam pico-projector, and $326 for the monster ball. Shipping adds 5 GBP ($6.5) to the UK, and 10 GBP ($13) to the rest of the world. Most rewards are expected to ship in August 2019, except for the monster ball whose shipping is scheduled for December 2019.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.