Lightweight, Wide Field-Of-View Wave-guided Head-mounted Display

The ideal head-mounted display (HMD) would be one that preserves situational awareness by offering a panoramic view of the surroundings with high see-through and provides high-resolution, wide-field-of-view color imagery. For soldier applications, such a system should also be unobtrusive; that is, compact, light-weight, and comfortable, where comfort comes from having an adequate exit pupil, generous eye relief, ergonomic center of mass, and focus at infinity. Conventional refractive optics cannot satisfy this suite of demanding requirements. Even after years of highly competitive development, HMDs exhibit limited field of view and are anything but compact, light-weight, and comfortable. SBG Labs is pleased to announce that it has developed a game-changing solution to waveguide HMDs. Proof of feasibility was recently established with the demonstration of a 60-deg x 10-deg field-of-view device. The design is such that it can be readily extended larger fields of view. Moreover, the design is inherently high resolution and compatible with color, should the latter eventually become a requirement. Currently, the technology is glass based. The goal of this Phase-I proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of transitioning this disruptive technology to plastic, making it lighter weight, more robust and, therefore, more suitable for soldiers in the field.