In April 2008, Microvision delivered an SD3000 helmet mounted display to our customer. This see-through, full-color system is clearly readable in broad daylight offering high-resolution images displaying real-time battlefield information including maps, navigation and target related data.
In order to offer customers a see-through display with a smaller form factor, improved ergonomics, and a broader field of view, Microvision is developing a thin, lightweight eyewear lens system with images focused at infinity. This means that images appear at a distance even though the display is very close to the user's eye.
I'm pleased to share with you that we have designed and made a new bench top demonstrator of this lens system, that, when combined with the tiny PicoP® display engine, displays see-through, full-color images. Ultimately, we expect that this lens system can be embedded along with the PicoP display engine inside of lightweight eyewear.
Embedded eyewear products have always been a planned extension of our PicoP display engine technology, and this new lens system represents an important milestone on our path to deliver personal eyewear display products.
This combination of the PicoP display engine and our new lens system is expected to enable personal head-up displays that give the user visual information anytime, anywhere, while maintaining an unobstructed view of the physical environment. Potential uses include fashionable eyewear displays for mobile users, as well as military, medical and industrial applications.
In order to offer customers a see-through display with a smaller form factor, improved ergonomics, and a broader field of view, Microvision is developing a thin, lightweight eyewear lens system with images focused at infinity. This means that images appear at a distance even though the display is very close to the user's eye.
I'm pleased to share with you that we have designed and made a new bench top demonstrator of this lens system, that, when combined with the tiny PicoP® display engine, displays see-through, full-color images. Ultimately, we expect that this lens system can be embedded along with the PicoP display engine inside of lightweight eyewear.
Embedded eyewear products have always been a planned extension of our PicoP display engine technology, and this new lens system represents an important milestone on our path to deliver personal eyewear display products.
This combination of the PicoP display engine and our new lens system is expected to enable personal head-up displays that give the user visual information anytime, anywhere, while maintaining an unobstructed view of the physical environment. Potential uses include fashionable eyewear displays for mobile users, as well as military, medical and industrial applications.
Oh, Ben, you tease! It can't come soon enough. It's funny, cause I was just looking at SID's vision of the mobile future and they all look like flat, bulky devices. Just goes to show how forward-thinking MVIS really is =)
ReplyDelete"lens system with images focused at infinity. This means that images appear at a distance even though the display is very close to the user’s eye."
ReplyDeleteHey Ben,
Can you share with us at what distance the image would appear? Is this adjustable? Would this be good for viewing videos?
thanks,:)
Len
Hey Ben,
ReplyDeleteJust how big an image are we talking about here? One that would fill 30% of your field of view? 50%? 70%? Also, would it be like looking at something small up close, or something huge at a distance, like a movie screen?
What about 3D capabilities? Also, how're those occluded shades coming along?
*Sigh*, so many questions that we won't get aswers to for at least a couple of years, probably... still, keep up the good work, I'll be there day one!
-Jack
Speaking of occluded shades, there's this interesting bit:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.physorg.com/news159732927.html
"Researchers in Japan are reporting development of a new so-called 'photochromic' material that changes color thousands of times faster than conventional materials when exposed to light."
Applications include "...improved sunglasses".
I'd think it wouldn't be as desirable to have photochromic optics as smart glass. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_glass , especially SPDs. Those buggers are nearly instantaneous and require very little energy to operate. Here's a recent example of what it looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBt-3LXVJLI
ReplyDelete