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Laser-based Virtual Retinal Display
denmon writes "Seen on memepool: The HIT Lab has produced a virtual retinal display that paints a color VGA image directly on the retina using a low-power laser. They intend to miniaturize the components into a head-mounted display that will 'generate an inclusive, high resolution 3-D visual environment in a device the size of conventional eyeglasses'. Seems like Snow Crash gets closer every day...
" Screw big flat screens, I want my interface right on
my eyeball. Excellent.
I visited HITL last year to give a talk and chat with the people there. I was lucky enough to have a go with the VRD and I must say it was *very* impressive. These guys have spent a lot of time and money on this project (millions over years) and they've now got it down to a briefcase size.
So I guess the bad news it that it'll be a while before this stuff fits onto a light HMD, they made noises about it being 5 years away, maybe more. Also, they're having trouble pushing the resolution. Given that the human eye has a res of about 10000x6000 (depending on who you talk to) and this display is 640x480 then it only covers a small portion of the visual field. Given 5 or so years maybe we'll have cheap hardware to generate graphics at that res too! That's the frustrating bit.
The good bit is that the colour clarity is excellent and the picture is crystal clear and rock solid. And the extraordinary thing for me is that without my glasses it's still perfectly in focus! Because it writes directly onto the retina, effectively it doesn't use the lens in your eye, so people with very bad vision still see a beautifully clear image. It's kind of odd to take off my glasses and the whole room is a blur (mostly) and then to suddenly see a diamond sharp image looking like a flat panel screen hanging in space about 6 feet away.
There is also some problems with spherical aberration if they try to may the image too wide and getting the scanning components to handle higher (and the right) frequencies. However, *most* of the hard work has been done and it seems to be mostly a clear road of progressive minaturisation untill it is a head mounted "heads up display" (with optional flip down cover for an immersed view).
It doesn't take long to realise that this is the way most computer displays will go. It's not a matter of "if", but "when".
cheers
pithy comment
The Company Microvision was started to commercialize this technology and bring it to market. Many of the academics listed at the URL given are currently working for Microvision.
Meanwhile, Mvis has been kicking out some neato jobs with the DoD. They just teamed up with Boeing to create a VRD for helicoptor cockpits.
Display technology really hasn't advanced a whole heck of a lot in the last 10 or so years (just incremental improvements). This technology is one of the truly inovative things happening in the display world.
And, Microvision is a publicly traded company: MVIS on NASDAQ.
www.mvis.com
my 2 cents,
scottwimer
-- Beer. It's what's for breakfast.
Cool, a story from my own home institution!
One thing that has been mentioned locally that has a great deal of significance for myself is that the retinal display technology has some unforseen benefits, such as the ability to project images onto previously damaged retinas.
A member of the board of reagents came by in a tour group to preview the technology they were funding. The board member removed his glasses when it was his turn and looked into the display. Stunned, he became excited and starting asking quite a few questions and asking about how it was working, seeming quite excited. It turned out that he (in an accident much like my own) had been involved in an accident that had destroyed his retina, the surface upon which this technology projects it's images inside of the eye.
The retinal display, however, was able to bypass the previous organic damage and feed information almost directly to the optic nerve for perception. Result: He was now able to see in stereo, where he had spent the previous portion of his life with only the ability to see out of one eye.
Since then, the project has incorporated at least one member of the medical staff from the UW Physicians Network, as this has some exciting possible medical uses for the future.
Exciting, no?
Check my Go-related blog for beginners: DGD
Saw this at Gartner Symposium in August 1997 and was impressed by Microvision. Thought at the time that even low-power laser was "psychologically" intrusive even if safe...and therefore was unsure if Microvision would have a saleable commodity.
I have noticed there is much more work being done on head-up displays (glasses) for body-worn computers and perhaps this is a better compromise.
For example, HUD projected on safety glasses would meet all requirements for hazardous working...providing eye protection and...via computer and HUD...line diagrams, method, even remote, expert help.
I can see this being of real and immediate use in the petro-chemical industry. Unions, management and people would take to it.
It's a win-win situation.
Who are the developers in the field...just Microvision? Whoever they are, watch their share prices...or even better...invest your nest-egg.
...the laser projected screen covers 130 degrees of vision, whereas HUD is more conventionally 45 degrees.
Buzz Lightyear