2017-08-07
Augmented Reality (AR) is thought by many, including many of the leading CEOs in Silicon Valley, to be the “next big thing,” ultimately displacing our smartphones with stylish, interactive glasses that communicate with the digital world, in part by superimposing virtual images on the wearer’s field of view. Huge investment is pursuing this vision, much of it focused on micro-displays and sophisticated optics for overlaying images onto a wearer’s view. But just as promising is the idea of scanning such images directly into the human eye. Needed are very low power lasers or laser arrays in RGB or more colors that can be packaged in very small, discreet form factors suitable for integration into attractive, fashionable eyewear. Such lasers do not yet exist, but a technology that meets the challenge is in development, which can also lever the existing manufacturing infrastructure for LEDs. It can also address many other applications in emerging bio-tech and even in SSL markets for highly directional lighting.
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