Meta Unveils Prototype Holographic Display for Mixed Reality Glasses

What Happened?

Meta unveiled a new prototype mixed reality glasses which contains a novel 3D holographic display technology. The new mixed reality glasses provide users with ‘perceptually realistic’ holograms in their field of vision, and the result is a full 3D hologram projected onto a piece of glass thin enough to be used in everyday eyeglasses.

According to Stanford Electrical Engineering Professor Gordon Wetzstein, ‘It’s the best 3D display created so far and a great step forward – but there are lots of open challenges yet to solve.’ Meta did not indicate when the new mixed reality glasses might be available for consumers.

Why it Matters

Both augmented and virtual reality headsets and glasses try to simulate depth by using what is essentially ‘eye-confusion’ meaning they fool the eyes of the wearer into seeing a simulated version of depth in their field of vision. The Meta mixed reality prototype, which as of yet has not been named, uses three dimensional holograms to create more authentic views using nothing but light.

Since Meta did not provide any potential dates for consumer purchase, it is likely the new holographic display is still in the design and testing phase, and likely years away from a commercial launch. However, the technological breakthrough is still significant because glasses capable of creating immersive holographic images have never been made with lenses thin enough to be part of ordinary eyeglasses.

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According to researchers working on the project, a custom ultra-thin waveguide display drives the visuals — using a laser to project onto a uniquely-textured part of the lens glass for picture clarity. An article in Nature Photonics co-authored by Professor Wetzstein of Stanford explained, ‘to project the image produced by a microdisplay onto a user’s retina, existing designs require optical bulk that is noticeably heavier and larger than conventional eyeglasses.’ Those are the types of technologies used in existing AR and VR devices, and they only generate two-dimensional images.

By contrast, holographic images are generated in 3D, which provides a wider field of view and increased depth. The effect for the user is to see a more realistic set of images than what can be achieved using existing AR or VR equipment. Meta claims the new prototype can generate better quality visual imagery in a device that is less bulky and lighter than most AR and VR headsets or glasses.

How it Affects You

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality devices offer the potential for spatial computing as well as wearable entertainment options that could challenge the primacy of screen-based interfaces for users. 

Meta is betting that the future of computing is spatial and not screen based. If they are right the way people view audio visual content could move away from TV and smartphone screens and towards wearable tech like mixed reality glasses.

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