At CES 2016 Kopin did not show any new Cyber displays, instead they showed some impressive designs for a monocular headset. The new solution focuses on the optics to bring the image to the eye. Kopin’s vision is to create a smaller form factor for the optical engine and they showed a 2mm high optical element to create the virtual image for a non-see-through AR device. The image was very clear and, apart from an expected image slit, it showed pretty much the same kind of image size that we are used to seeing from other solutions. Available resolutions include WQVGA, nHD (ninth HD – 640 x 360), and WVGA. The small size allows the developer to hide the optics behind a, more or less, normal frame which makes the use much more inconspicuous. Kopin is not developing devices for sale to the consumer, they develop the technology as a reference design for their customers.
Kopin also showed an older prototype that has no visible element and comes as close to an ordinary pair of sunglasses as anyone has so far. The frame is still a little thick and bulky, but not more than some of the geeky sunglasses on the market today. This approach tries to overcome the social awkwardness aspect by hiding the fact that these are AR glass at all. The glasses are not on the market today, however it shows what miniaturization may achieve in a few years.
After selling the 3-5 Systems production facilities (Three Five Systems was a display pioneer in the US that went into liquidation in 2006 – Man. Ed.), Kopin is focusing on AR as a future technology by developing key technologies that are useful for this application. This includes Kopin Whisper (not new) as a voice recognition solution as well as a new battery with increased capacity for mobile applications. The battery is being developed together with Hitachi Maxell and Kopin holds the rights for the use of this technology in head-worn devices. The new battery achieves two times the capacity (energy density) of a traditional Li-ion battery. However, no more specific data were available at CES.
Overall, Kopin wants to become the go to company for AR/VR hardware developers by supplying hardware components including their imagers and batteries as well as licensing key technology. – NH
