Creal is announcing that its patented AR display technology stack will be commercially available in early 2024 for OEMs and ODMs. Creal is offering a combination of hardware and software licenses around its light field technology for manufacturers of AR smart glasses. Creal is providing the microdisplay portion of the technology stack and supporting image processing software. The company claims that ODM’s can use standard prescription lenses of any design and convert them into the so-called combiner, by applying a low-cost holographic film on the lens surface. That simplifies the design options, and can help reduce overall costs and end user prices.
Creal claims its light field technology, even when viewed monocularly, presents content with an intrinsic depth resembling real-world scenarios. An essential element of the company’s technology is its integration with a combiner, negating the need for waveguides. It incorporates a straightforward application of a slim holographic film adhered to either standard glasses or prescription lenses. An added advantage of this technology is the mitigation of prevalent issues related to AR and VR headsets, notably eye strain, fatigue, and the potential for nausea.
A recurrent challenge with current AR headsets is their inability to comfortably display proximate content. This discomfort stems from inherent visual complications like vergence accommodation conflict and focal rivalry. Consequently, AR content creators often advise keeping virtual objects at an extended distance from users’ eyes, contrary to our natural viewing habits. The human visual system, after all, has evolved to focus on objects as near as less than 20 cm.
Highlighting the potential of the technology, Dr. Tomas Sluka, Creal’s co-founder and CEO, emphasized its capacity to offer a seamless focus from close quarters to infinite distances. This continuity parallels the depth users discern in the real world, ensuring a wholesome visual experience. Unlike many existing solutions, this light field technology does not compromise on image quality, computational demands, or the foundational system architecture.
Creal is based out of Lausanne, Switzerland. The company was found in November 2017. It has raised a total of $18 million. Investment has come from VCs like Swisscom Ventures, Verve Ventures, and DAA Capital Partners, but there is a likelihood of further funding rounds opening up in the near future.
