Viewbox Enhanced Wave-Guided Helmet Mounted Display Visor Optics

In this Phase II project, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Viewbox Enhanced Waveguided (VIEW) HMD technology based on a waveguide holographic optical element (HOE) for off-axis image projection of a high-resolution microdisplay through a thin curved plastic visor as a waveguide. This VIEW-HMD will display color imagery over a field-of-view of more than 40 degrees with a large eye motion (>10 mm), and see-through capability. The unique narrowband illumination light source and the red-green-blue multiplexed reflection HOE prevent the chromatic and geometric aberration that would be introduced by conventional HOEs and refractive optics. In Phase I POC demonstrated the feasibility of VIEW-HMD by producing a test plate containing a visor waveguide and two three-color holograms that together direct visual information from the miniature SVGA display into the eye. In Phase II POC will optimize the design, fabricate components, then package and deliver an SXGA display system on a curved visor that has a low profile (<38 mm) and an eye relief of not less than about 25 mm, and conveys images with a brightness of 100 foot-lamberts and the capability to dim it to 1 foot-lambert or less.