UK-based Micro LED technology developer Plessey announced at Photonics West its’ new partnership with WaveOptics, a designer and manufacturer of diffractive waveguides.

(Image: WaveOptics/Plessey)

This two companies aim to create a new optical module for next generation smart glasses incorporating Plessey’s native green Micro LED full HD display with WaveOptics’ Katana waveguide technology and projector design. The full HD Micro LED display from Plessey is the result of its previously announced partnership with Compound Photonics, to combine Plessey’s GaN/Si Micro LED display technology with Compound Photonics’ low latency backplane and high performance NOVA display driver architecture.

To realize AR and MR system on smart glasses, advanced image quality, brightness, resolution, and efficient power consumption are required. The collaboration between Plessey and WaveOptics will leverage their expertise to develop compact and powerful module enabling wireless transceivers for AR applications.

“This partnership will create a new product opportunity for companies building AR wearables,” commented David Hayes, CEO WaveOptics. “For the first time, customers will be able to buy the lightest, ultra-low power module which combines the unique combination of WaveOptics and Plessey technologies. This is a crucial development to enable this technology to reach the consumer market in 2020.”

Since the beginning of 2020, Plessey introduced its new corporate identity focusing on Micro LED technology for AR and MR display applications. With the launch of a new logo and website, the company confirmed its position in GaN-on-Silicon wafer manufacture and it’s strengthening and expanding its strategic partnerships with other industry players to push development of smart glasses incorporating Micro LED display for AR/MR applications.