Summary:
Researchers in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering have developed a new metasurface material that improves the size and resolution of augmented reality overlays.
Background:
Augmented reality (AR) waveguide displays have revolutionized the way users can interact with virtual content overlaid in the real world. High quality, responsive AR systems have diverse applications that can revolutionize industries ranging from education, healthcare, industrial training, and gaming. AR system development has been focused on the quality and adaptability of the “eyebox” region, where users can observe virtual images with high clarity and brightness. Maxwellian view displays, standard optical platforms for AR systems, are hardware that create AR images that are in focus at all distances. They also have the advantage of being lightweight, making them well-suited for head-mounted AR systems. However, Maxwellian view displays have a limited eyebox, restricting their widespread adoption. There is a clear need to adapt these displays to expand the eyebox to realize the potential of AR platforms in numerous industries.
Innovation: Researchers led by Professor Chee Wei Wong in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering have developed a metasurface glass system that enables precise modulation of the eyebox in a Maxwellian view display. Their system’s metasurface can be easily produced using silicon foundry fabrication technology, enabling scalable manufacturing. Beams of light can be precisely aimed directly at the eyes of users via the metasurface and the size of the eyebox can be dynamically expanded with high resolution. By increasing eyebox size without compromising image quality, this technology has the potential to be transformative in many different AR applications.
Potential Applications:
• Universal AR headset
• Immersive entertainment and reality
• Medical visualization and training
• Industrial training and safety
• Aerospace & defense training
• Architectural design
Advantages:
• Increased eyebox size
• High resolution
• Inexpensive, scalable manufacturing
• Lightweight material
Development-To-Date:
Researchers have fabricated and validated the metasurfaces.
Related Papers:
Boo, H., Lee, Y.S., Yang, H. et al. Metasurface wavefront control for high-performance user-natural augmented reality waveguide glasses. Sci Rep 12, 5832 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09680-1
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2024-163
Lead Inventor:
Professor Chee Wei Wong