As AR glasses emerge as a major focus at CES 2025, a report from Economic Daily News, citing Futubull, states that NVIDIA was recently granted a new patent for AR glasses titled “Backlight-Free Augmented Reality Digital Holographic Technology” prior to the event’s opening.

Futubull highlights that reducing the bulkiness of AR glasses while enhancing display quality has been a critical focus in their development. NVIDIA’s new patent addresses this challenge by moving away from traditional backlight systems. Instead, the patent leverages digital holographic technology combined with ambient light interference technology (self-interference holography) to block incident light. It utilizes phase-adjustable spatial light modulators (SLM) to generate interference with ambient light, enabling selective shading without relying on external light sources.

This approach enables a more natural and clearer presentation of virtual images, offering an immersive experience while significantly reducing power consumption and the overall weight of AR glasses, as highlighted by the report.

The glasses are described as resembling ordinary eyeglasses in appearance, weighing approximately the same as Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, as the report notes. They feature completely transparent lenses that support binocular display and include one camera on the upper left and right sides.

Economic Daily News reports that industry sources believe NVIDIA’s patented technology could serve as a cutting-edge solution for next generation AR glasses. This innovation is expected to pave the way for the development of lighter and more immersive AR devices.

The Economic Daily News report also recalls that Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s CEO, made a surprise appearance at Meta’s product launch event in the past, where he tried Meta’s AR glasses, “Orion.” Huang expressed high praise for the device, particularly its lightweight design of only 100 grams. He described it as a wearable device with the potential to lead future technological advancements.

While AR glasses are seen as a promising product category in the consumer electronics market, Futubull notes that current shipments remain limited. At this stage, as noted by Futubull, NVIDIA has not yet introduced specific AR glasses products and is primarily concentrating on technological research and the development of patents.

According to TrendForce, global AR device shipments are projected to reach 25.5 million units by 2030—with a CAGR of 67% from 2023 to 2030—thanks to product planning by AR brands and the advancement of AI technology and application ecosystems.

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)

TrendForce 2024 Near-Eye Display Market Trend and Technology Analysis
Release Date:2024 / 07 / 31
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