The Future of AR Glasses: A Look at TriLite’s Technology
Apple Launches Vision Pro: A Game-Changer in the AR Market
March 18, 2024
Augmented reality (AR) is on the brink of a major breakthrough in the consumer market, and Apple is leading the charge with the launch of its flagship product, Vision Pro. With the introduction of Vision Pro, Apple is signaling to the world that AR is no longer just a niche technology but a mainstream innovation that is here to stay.
While VR and AR technologies have been widely adopted in gaming and industrial applications, the consumer market has been slower to embrace them. However, recent developments in the AR glasses market have sparked a new wave of excitement, with big players like Apple, Samsung, and Meta entering the arena alongside a host of innovative start-ups.
One of the key factors driving this surge in interest is the potential for AR glasses to become a mass consumer product. Companies like Meta are envisioning a future where AR glasses replace smartphones, while Snap is exploring AR tourism experiences. Automotive giants like BMW and Audi are also incorporating AR technology into their products, further fueling the momentum behind AR glasses.
But what will it take for AR glasses to truly break through into the mainstream consumer market? The answer lies in the technology that powers these devices. In this article, we take a closer look at the key components and subsystems that are essential for creating AR glasses that are not only appealing to consumers but also practical for mass production.
The Challenges of AR Glasses
AR glasses overlay digital text and images onto the real world, providing users with a unique blend of virtual and physical experiences. Unlike virtual reality (VR), which replaces the user’s view with a completely artificial image, AR aims to enhance the real world with digital information.
For AR glasses to gain widespread acceptance among consumers, they need to be lightweight, comfortable to wear for extended periods, and visually unobtrusive. Aesthetics play a crucial role in the design of AR glasses, as users should be able to make eye contact with others without feeling self-conscious about wearing the device.
Past attempts at creating smart glasses have often resulted in bulky, heavy products with subpar visuals and limited battery life. To address these issues, the next generation of AR glasses must prioritize power efficiency, low latency, and high-quality displays while keeping weight to a minimum.
Meeting Consumer Expectations
AR guru Bernard Kress has identified four key criteria for mass adoption of AR glasses: wearable comfort, visual comfort, social comfort, and cost-effective mass production. These criteria underscore the importance of creating AR glasses that are not only technologically advanced but also practical and appealing to everyday consumers.
Key components of smart glasses include a microprocessor to power the device, wireless connectivity for accessing information and apps, and a light engine to create the display. Motion sensors, cameras, microphones, and speakers may also be included depending on the intended use case.
The display system is a critical component of AR glasses, as it must project high-resolution images onto transparent displays without obstructing the user’s vision. TriLite’s Trixel® 3, the world’s smallest laser beam scanning (LBS) projector, offers a cutting-edge display technology that meets the demands of consumer AR glasses.
Keeping Weight and Size in Check
Weight is a crucial factor in the design of AR glasses, as heavy devices can be uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. To achieve widespread adoption, AR glasses must weigh no more than traditional eyeglasses, including all components such as lenses, battery, electronics, and optics.
Efficient power consumption is essential for maintaining all-day battery life without compromising image brightness. Trixel® 3’s power consumption of less than 320mW for typical AR use cases ensures a balance between performance and energy efficiency.
The optics system also plays a significant role in achieving a compact, lightweight design. Trixel® 3 weighs less than 1.5g and boasts a volume of just 1 cm3, making it an ideal choice for AR glasses that prioritize comfort and portability.
A Clear, Bright Display
Choosing the right display technology is crucial for AR glasses, with scanning-based displays like LBS systems offering advantages in brightness, size, and power consumption. Panel-based displays, while widely used, can be bulky and require external optics.
MicroLED (mLED) displays are another option for AR glasses, but they face challenges in efficiency, yield, and uniformity for small pixel pitches. LBS systems, like Trixel® 3, offer scalability and efficiency, making them a preferred choice for many companies in the AR market.
Bringing It All Together
Mass production is a key challenge for AR glasses, requiring a robust ecosystem of partners and suppliers to ensure scalability and reliability. TriLite has established partnerships with industry leaders like ams OSRAM, Infineon, TDK, and Dispelix to create a system-based design approach that prioritizes compactness, lightweight, and image quality.
As AR glasses edge closer to mass consumer adoption, innovations like Trixel® 3 are poised to revolutionize the market and pave the way for a new era of augmented reality experiences. With Apple’s Vision Pro leading the charge, the future of AR glasses looks brighter than ever.
