Revolutionizing AR Glasses with Ultracompact LCoS Display Module
Researchers have developed a novel ultracompact and high-efficiency liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) light engine for augmented reality (AR) glasses, promising to revolutionize the AR experience. The new system addresses the challenges faced by conventional LCoS displays with bulky illumination systems, offering a slim formfactor and high optical efficiency.
The compact illumination system utilizes a light guide plate (LGP) to efficiently direct light from the source to the LCoS panel, minimizing the overall formfactor of the AR glasses. By optimizing the system structure and component sizes, the researchers were able to achieve excellent illuminance uniformity and a high ANSI contrast ratio, equal to or better than the contrast ratio of the LCoS panel.
Additionally, the researchers considered the refractive index dispersion of the glass material to demonstrate outstanding color performance. They also explored the use of plastic materials with lower refractive indices to potentially reduce costs without compromising optical performance.
The new LCoS light engine is expected to have a significant impact on next-generation lightweight and low-power AR glasses, offering users a more immersive and comfortable AR experience. The study detailing the development of this innovative system has been published in Opto-Electronic Advances.
For more information, you can refer to the original research article titled “Ultracompact and high-efficiency liquid-crystal-on-silicon light engines for augmented reality glasses” in Opto-Electronic Advances (2024).
