sbir phase i: Ultra High Resolution Head Mounted Display

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate three key components necessary to incorporate Dimension Technologies Inc's (DTI's) proprietary ultra high resolution display technology into head mounted systems for virtual reality applications. To be commercially viable, the technology must provide additional resolution without tradeoffs in key areas such as visual performance, size, weight and field of view. The objective of this Phase I will be to assess the feasibility of applying DTI s increased resolution technique to leading edge HMD products. Three main areas will be investigated. The first is the design of an array of compact, bright, rapidly flashing colored light sources. The second is the optical design to efficiently direct light from the light sources to a light valve and then to the user's eye with maximum brightness and even light distribution. The third area will be means of configuring and fabricating flat, precisely formed microlens arrays. . If successful, virtual reality displays will be capable of generating images with near eye limited resolution across a wide, immersive field of view. Products resulting from this research will expand markets for virtual reality systems in many markets. This technology could find initial use in small scale, moderate budget, or tight quarters simulation or public exhibit applications where high end VR systems are now used. In the longer term, as the capabilities of PCs increase, consumer products for games and other recreational activities will incorporate the technology.