Development of Optical Components for HMD

Y.C. Enterprises proposes to develop a new light weight and impact-resistant inorganic-organic transparent composite beamsplitter for helmet-mounted display (HMD) by the sol gel process to optimize human-machine integration, particularly in visual/auditory displays and crew communication. The inorganic-organic hybrid optical components have the advantages of the rigidity of glass substrate and the light weight and impact strength of plastic substrate, while avoiding the shortcomings of each substrate. The main goal of the Phase I effort will be to demonstrate the feasibility of producing large crack-free and transparent monolith hybrid composites by the sol gel process. The process involves the hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in water-ethanol mixture in the presence of an acidic or a basic catalyst, condensation, drying and densification. The densified silica is impregnated with a methacrylate monomer, followed by polymerization to obtain the hybrid composite. The information generated in Phase I work will be of critical value for the subsequent phases of the project in the development of a functional inorganic-organic hybrid beamsplitter for HMD.