The tiny microLED projection engine could make it easier to adopt AR devices and smart glasses.
Seeking to build on the momentum driven by changes in the way business and meetings have been done during the COVID-19 pandemic, augmented reality (AR) provider Vuzix unveiled what it claims is the world’s tiniest projection engine at the SID/DSCC Business Conference last week. According to Vuzix, the microLED device is only 6.2 mm wide and will be the first of its kind to be made commercially available throughout the world.
Vuzix’s microLED projection engines can be coupled with microLED displays to be deployed in viewfinders, heads-up display units, athletic eyewear, protective helmets and translation pens. Vuzix will also use the new engine in its smart glasses which the company claims can be used for everything from streaming video to managing virtual teams with integrations such as Skype and Zoom.
The new microLED engines from Vuzix consist of a microLED panel, projection optics and engine assembly. The entire engine is roughly the size of a pencil eraser, making it easier to produce AR products and smart glasses that don’t feel bulky and cumbersome. For these new devices to really take off, they’ll need to be much closer to looking and feeling like normal eyeglasses, rather than something out of a sci-fi movie. As the technology powering smart glasses gets smaller, this becomes more of a realistic possibility. Lighter wearable devices are also attractive for workers in the field, especially if it allows them to free up their hands.
“Vuzix waveguides and the miniature size of these new display engines should allow our next generation AR Smart Glasses to have the fashion forward look and feel of normal eyeglasses,” said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix. “And, as good as they will be for our next generation smart glasses, their size, brightness and low power consumption make them an incredibly attractive solution for so many other product form factors currently being contemplated by various product manufacturers.”
Many companies have tried and failed to bring a pair of smart glasses to market that will become something more than a niche product used by very few people. With revenues totaling less than $15 million over the last year, Vuzix’s smart glasses and wearable accessories are still very much in the early stages of reaching widespread adoption.
The pandemic, however, has created stronger demand and growth for AR products. There also appears to be sustained momentum behind the sales growth as more businesses embrace the trends of remote work and virtual teams even as the pandemic begins to recede. The months ahead will be crucial for Vuzix, as they look to prove their devices have staying power. The company is definitely making the right moves from an engineering and technology standpoint, which could ultimately keep their sales numbers trending even as things normalize globally in a post-COVID economy.
