TriLite and Dispelix partner on ultra-compact projection display for AR glasses

TriLite, developer of miniature projection displays, has partnered with Dispelix, a leader in see-through waveguides for wearables, to create an ultra-compact display system for Augmented Reality (AR) smart glasses. The system combines TriLite’s Trixel 3 laser beam scanner (LBS) with Dispelix’s advanced waveguides.

For AR glasses, the image creation system requires a projector, such as Trixel 3, as well as a waveguide, which is a predominately-transparent, thin piece of glass or plastic that bends and combines light beams from multiple sources into the eye.

Source: TriLite

According to the firm, Trixel 3 is the world’s smallest LBS projector, with a volume of less than 1cm3 and ultra-light weight of 1.5g, the tiny module enables comfortable long-term wear. It does not require any additional relay optics between the LBS projector and the waveguide, which typically doubles the size of systems that use competitor products.

The combined system form factor with Dispelix’s ultra-thin waveguide is one of the most compact ever achieved – meaning that AR will be possible in every pair of glasses, regardless of size or style.

In addition to the system’s miniature size, another benefit of the two company’s collaboration is that TriLite’s high brightness LBS supports the large eyebox of Dispelix waveguides. This projection system can generate the high brightness required even for extreme outdoor usage, for example, alpine skiing glasses. The large eyebox eliminates the need for custom adjustment and fitting of AR smart glasses, ensuring a true, crisp image is achieved regardless of who is wearing the glasses.