DigiLens Inc., an innovator in head worn holographic display and waveguide technology, announced the next iteration of its near-to-eye optical technology that has already established DigiLens as the de facto industry standard in the rapidly growing smartglasses consumer electronics category.
DigiLens’ technology advances recently helped generate a successful Series D funding round for the company, and its optical solutions are proving to be the only option for socially acceptable low eye glow offerings.
The full-color Crystal30 2nd generation waveguide is built using DigiLens’ volume bragg gratings (VBG) class of technology and has a measured efficiency rating of over 500 nits per lumen (n/L). This makes the new Crystal30 waveguide the most efficient diffractive waveguide on the market today, and it enables DigiLens partners to create XR experiences that are compatible in both indoor and outdoor bright environments. The 2nd generation waveguide has been configured with a landscape layout and provides customers with the option for a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio, and it supports 1.2 arc minutes per pixel or 50 pixels per degree (ppd). The <8.5% eye glow of the waveguide is best in class at 5x better than the experience provided by HoloLens 2 and the new Crystal30 waveguide is available with glass or plastic waveguide substrates starting at the end of Q1 2022.
DigiLens is also announcing a first-of-its-kind 30° landscape field-of-view LCoS LED 720p light engine called EnLiten30. Partners will have the option to pair the EnLiten30 projector with the new Crystal30 waveguide when engaging in NRE customization projects with DigiLens starting in Q2 2022. The polarized light engine has a baseline operational efficiency of 5 lumens per half-watt (.5W) and has a targeted max peak brightness of 10 polarized lumens with an ANSI contrast ratio of >100:1 and a frame rate of >60 frames-per-second. It has an optical package size of 2.5cc and a total component size of <4.0cc, and can be constructed in a longitudinal or right-angle exit configuration.
“DigiLens’ technology will play a key role in helping head worn devices fulfill their potential as the next evolutionary step in computing. We have already solved some of the toughest challenges in the head worn space by developing optics that provide unmatched performance at an affordable price point in a form that can go to market now with our licensed manufacturers. In 2022, we are poised to offer even more solutions that will improve on our core technologies and shape the future of XR technology for years to come,” said Chris Pickett, DigiLens CEO. Pickett continued, “With all the talk about the Metaverse, it is important to remember that right now the only daylight bright optics that can hit a consumer price point that allow for natural social interaction are made by DigiLens, and with our licensing model we can help all the XR technology companies customize our optics into their unique products and services.”
DigiLens’ technology is now positioned to support each of the large tech companies who are looking to have a near-term XR offering in the growing Metaverse or in the enterprise’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). That is why strategic investors and industry leaders such as Samsung, Goertek, Inc., 37 Interactive Entertainment, UDC Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Universal Display Corporation, Niantic, Inc., Sony Innovation Fund, Diamond Edge Ventures, the strategic investment arm of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, Alsop Louie Partners, and Dolby Family Ventures have embraced DigiLens’ optical solutions.
DigiLens will be showcasing the 2nd generation Crystal30 and the new EnLiten30 light engine at a private suite at CES along with their Design v1 Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ XR2 enabled 50° developer smartglasses. The company expects 2022 to be the year when XR software content companies begin to prioritize which hardware devices they devote development time and capability to, and expect that choice will be driven by the quality of the optics and the minimization of any platform fees or taxes.
About DigiLens Inc.
DigiLens is a leader in holographic waveguides used for XR displays. The company has developed a patented optical platform and photopolymer technology that delivers best-in-class solutions using a unique, low-cost contact-copy manufacturing process. DigiLens enables OEM partners to design and build XR-enabled devices for the global automobile, enterprise, consumer, avionics, and military industries. Based in Sunnyvale, CA, DigiLens investors include industry leaders like Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Diamond Edge Ventures, the strategic investment arm of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, Alsop Louie Partners, Goertek, 37 Interactive Entertainment, UDC Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Universal Display Corporation, Niantic, Inc., Sony Innovation Fund, Dolby Family Ventures, Continental AG, and more.
