Mezmeriz works to develop new HD TV system

* Key players: Shahyaan Desai and Bradley Treat, cofounders

* What does your company do? Mezmeriz is working to commercialize a type of small projection system that is about the size of a matchbook. The company is based on research started more than three years ago by Shahyaan Desai. Desai - who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in materials science and has done consulting work for companies like Eastman Kodak and Ultratech Stepper - completed the research while at Cornell University.

* What are the applications of this projection system? Ultimately, the technology will allow Mezmeriz to produce a rear-projection, high-definition television that will weigh less than 10 pounds, cost about $500, and run on less than $1 in electricity per year, says Bradley Treat, who co-founded Mezmenz with Desai.

* How does the technology work? Mezmeriz's system allows the company to create a small, movable mirror that can project an image on a surface using a laser. The scientific breakthrough came in the materials used to create that system, Treat says. Small mechanical devices like the company's projector have traditionally been made from silicon. "if we're going to do highdefinition television, we need a mirror that moves really, really fast," Treat explains. "With silicon, if it moves a lot, it can break and also requires a lot of energy." Desai's research involved using carbon fiber to strengthen the silicon at key points. "Carbon fiber, when stressed, doesn't give you a lot of resistance so you can be very energy efficient," Treat says. "It also doesn't break the way silicon does." The end result is a much stronger device that is more energy-efficient and can stand up to the demands of a high-definition signal, he explains.