Many fundamental discoveries and inventions originated in research labs that have long since closed their operations. The invention might have happened by accident, under unexpected circumstances, or where its connection to the future was as yet uncharted. So it was for the humble optical waveguide, currently under frenetic development to make Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality (AR/MR) applications a…um… reality.

In the 1980s and 1990s, a groundbreaking concept emerged that used internal reflections on the front and rear surfaces, and pushed the boundaries of the plausible dimensions of a waveguide. But since there wasn’t a financially attractive application, nor it has been figured out how to build it, the invention didn’t see the light of day at the time. Until now. The race is now on to be one of the leaders in AR/VR/MR devices. The competition is red-hot, and the optical waveguide is crucial to the success of any AV/MR device.

The waveguide in itself is not a new invention. They are key in all electromagnetic equipment where the directing of electromagnetic waves is called for. The waveguide was first developed in the early 20th century for use in radio broadcasting. In the 1930s, scientists at Bell Laboratories developed a waveguide to direct microwaves, which enabled them to develop radar and other microwave systems. In 1948, researchers at Raytheon Corporation developed the rectangular waveguide for use in microwave ovens. Since then, waveguides have been used extensively in various fields such as telecommunications and high-speed data transmission. Waveguides are now an integral part of many types of modern technology, including cellular phones and satellite communications.

In an AR optical waveguide, light is directed and controlled within the waveguide structure to merge the computer-generated content with the view of the real world. This can happen in natural situations when light interacts with its environment, such as atmospheric particles or biological structures, to cause unusual visual effects. Both an AR optical waveguide and certain natural phenomena can manipulate and guide light rays. A natural example of augmented reality is the mirage in a desert, where light from the sky is bent to cause the illusion of water on the desert sand.

TRIOPTICS has decades of experience in the design of measurement systems that drove the rapid development of smartphone performance. Our systems and targets are perfectly appropriate for the development of waveguides for AR/VR/MR devices. Targets and measurement systems for display systems fall short of the performance criteria for AR/VR/MR.

Talk to TRIOPTICS today to see what a difference we can make to the development of your AR/VR/MR device.