A scanned projector and illumination system includes an energy-emitting source that is disposed in a projector and that emits energy beams out of the projector through an aperture. A scanning mirror is disposed in the projector and redirects energy beams therein. The scanning mirror moves such that the redirected energy beams form a scanning pattern with a scanning rate. A safety feature is disposed in the projector. The safety feature includes a fuse material. The energy beams move along the fuse material at the scanning rate. The safety feature modulates emission of the energy beams out of the projector through the aperture such that the energy beams are only emitted out of the projector through the aperture when the scanning rate of the energy beams is high enough to prevent the fuse material from reaching a threshold energy level at any location along the fuse material.