Researchers have unveiled a novel augmented reality (AR) glasses design that significantly reduces weight and bulk by employing a “beaming displays” approach. This innovative system shifts the image generation burden from the glasses to an external projector.
Traditional AR glasses struggle with weight and power limitations due to onboard batteries and electronic components. This new design addresses these issues by having the glasses act as receivers of projected light, eliminating the need for these heavy components.
The core beaming displays innovation lies in the optical receiving system, which leverages diffractive waveguides and gratings. Instead of generating images, the glasses receive projected light from a dedicated projector. This light is directed through a diffuser and lens onto waveguides within the glasses. A diffractive waveguide then guides the light to gratings on the eye-facing surface, which extract the light and project it into the user’s eyes, creating an AR image.
A key advancement is the increased field of view. Previous beaming display systems were limited to a narrow reception angle, making them impractical. By incorporating diffractive optical waveguides, the researchers expanded the acceptable reception angle from approximately five degrees to 20-30 degrees, allowing for greater head movement and a more stable AR experience.
A prototype demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, projecting a 7-millimeter image onto the glasses from 1.5 meters away. The use of gratings as waveguides proved crucial in expanding the reception angle.
While this beaming displays technology offers significant advantages, further development is needed. Future research will focus on improving wearability, integrating head-tracking functionalities, and enhancing image quality. This includes addressing limitations such as ghost images, limited field of view, monochromatic displays, and the inability to accommodate prescription lenses.
Ultimately, this research paves the way for lighter, more comfortable AR glasses, potentially accelerating the adoption of AR technology in various applications. The “beaming displays” approach represents a promising direction for overcoming the current limitations of wearable AR devices.
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