Optical engine boost for AR smart glasses

Lumus in Israel has halved the weight of its optical engine for emerging Augmented Reality (AR) smart glasses.

The binocular, 30-degree field-of-view of the Z-30 optical engine extends battery life with smoother visuals and smaller form factors. The optical engine uses a 2D geometric waveguide architecture and a smaller field-of-view (30 degrees) to fit into standard glasses sizes.

The engine weighs 14.5g with full colour, 720 x 720 pixels resolution and a brightness of >3,000 nits/Watt. With a 50% reduction in weight and volume compared to the previous Z-50, it enables the creation of even smaller form factors for AR glasses. Fewer pixels to render for the same quality of display reduces the compute requirement and extends battery life.

• Europe looks to the end of the mobile phone

“We’re firmly committed to building optical engines for a diverse set of AR glasses designs and use cases, and the announcement of Z-30 specifically addresses what the entry-level consumer market needs,” said Lumus CEO Ari Grobman. “Our solution features the same best-in-class image quality as the Z-50 but with a smaller field-of-view, which makes integration within standard glasses form factors easy. The design also extends device battery life, ultimately paving the way for broader widespread consumer adoption.”

“Offering a mid-range field of view option for consumer glasses grants major aesthetic benefits; manufacturers can build even smaller form factors that appeal to a consumer audience, and wearers will feel like they are wearing standard glasses and not clunky devices,” he added.

The Z-Lens waveguide architecture is also compatible with microLED projectors for even slimmer and more power efficient design options.

“We are expanding our product portfolio to offer solutions for all AR applications and product specifications, from immersive gaming and entertainment to data snacking,” said Grobman. “The introduction of the Z-30 optical engine gives manufacturers the tools they need to appeal to mainstream markets.”

Lumus has partnered with Quanta Computer and SCHOTT for mass production for OEMs making AR glasses. The technology is used in existing AR products, including Thales’ Scorpion full-colour head-mounted display, Augmedics xVision system for guiding surgeons, Lenovo’s ThinkReality A6 as well as MediThinQ’s ScopeEye and MetaScope.