An Ultra High Resolution Head or Helmet-Mounted Display for Virtual Reality Applications

Dimension Technologies Inc. (DTI) proposes to do design analysis on existing optical components and electronic methodologies to support the high frame rate transfer of high resolution, full color stereo images from state-of-the-art image generation equipment to existing Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) and the integration of reflective SLMs into a head mounted displays (HMD). Five aspects of the design will be investigated: 1) a methodology to flash light in synchronization with the rapidly scanning SLM while focusing light efficiently to multiple locations within each pixel to produce very high resolution images and 256 Gray levels within each color; 2) analysis of the illumination and optical system necessary to utilize the fast scan rate of the SLM to generate 3D images with little disparity between focus and fixation; 3) analysis of the designs needed to integrate an existing SLM with collimating lenses into an HMD package; 4) identifying modifications needed to commercially available graphic board controllers (GBC) to effect a near seamless high frame rate transfer of stereo images; and 5) investigation to determine a Phase II partner with an existing hardware platform and military simulation/training application software to provide the most viable image generator.