innovega ioptik augmented reality contacts

The last time we heard from Innovega was back in April. They demonstrated their iOptik contact lens which allows users to focus their view on images that are extremely close to the eye. At CES 2013 last week, Innovega showed off it’s latest prototypes of the iOptik augmented reality system which combines contact lens with a low-profile head mounted display. The setup allows the creation of an AR display system which is compact but still retains a wide field of view.

iOptik Proof of Concept Video

Innovega recently released a short video which shows both the company’s near-future concept for the iOptik AR system and a demonstration of their existing technology:

Bulky Optics are a Challenge for Augmented Reality Eyewear

Traditionally the relationship between HMD bulk and field of view is inverse. Take the Oculus Rift, for example — huge field of view (90+ degrees), but also quite bulky. Then there’s Google Glass which is very compact, but has a small field of view, probably 20 degrees or so. Bulk might not be an issue for a virtual reality display, but augmented reality demands portability and something that you can wear in public without being laughed at.

The issue stems from the fact that humans have a hard time focusing on extremely close images. In order to fix this, you need lenses to re-focus incoming light. Innovega’s innovation is moving those potentially bulky lenses out of the eyewear and into the eye itself, in the form of a contact lens.

The company’s iOptik contact lenses refocus polarized light to the pupil which allows the wearer to focus on an image that is extremely close to the eye. The contacts can also include a user’s own eyewear prescription.

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innovega ioptik augmented reality contact lens diagram

Now that the bulky optics have been eliminated, light-weight wearable displays can be used to project tiny augmented reality images onto the lens of the glasses. The projection, which would normally be impossible to focus on, comes into view with no problem thanks to the iOptik contacts. A large field of view (60 degrees or more, according to Innovega) can be maintained because the light source can be moved very close to the eye without losing focus. Innovega appears to working toward a field of view of nearly 120 degrees.

DVICE has an interview from CES 2013 with Innovega CTO, Randall Sprague:

The head mounted display that Innovega is using doesn’t appear to be their own — or at least not something that they’ll be putting up for sale. However, the company says that it offers a 1280×720 full-color display.

photo courtesy - The Verge
photo courtesy – The Verge

augmented reality innovega ioptikInnovega’s work is funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As such, the iOptik system is learning toward military use. The Verge reports that the company is currently sending hard-lens prototypes to military researchers. Innovega CTO, Randall Sprague, says that they’ll be sending a wearable prototype to DARPA this September.

In this latest outing however, the company seems to realize that there is broad consumer applications and growing interested in augmented reality technology. The Verge says that the company is now at work on a soft-lens for consumer AR use but it may still be a few years off. One cool thing about Innovega’s contact-based approach is that the contacts don’t cost any more to manufacture than typical prescription contacts. Of course the head mounted display is still needed which will make up the bulk of the cost.

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For a contact lens that is an augmented reality display in and of itself, see here.

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Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • Shane

    We really are living in the future aren’t we?

  • TheTech

    I like this a lot. The design looks better than Google Glass. Google Glass will probably be a lot better, but the design doesn’t look accepting. At least this could melt into society and I wouldn’t be looked at 24/7 on the bus, walking down street, ect. We’ll see…

  • mitochondrium

    Wow, i think the display they are using is this tech:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOZVTpmDRbI
    so literally they could use a future 4k or 8k microdisplay from
    siliconmicrodisplay and expand it to a wide FOV, wow!!

    • Ben Lang

      Silicon Micro Display is using a technology called Liquid Crystal on Silicon which is different than the Waveguide technology that Vuzix is using.

      • mitochondrium

        I know thats different. wanted to point out that they could use various displays. although i dont know if u need to magnify the microdisplay first.

  • PoopsauceMcGeezax

    I think this is the wrong place to go with VR. Not that minimalistic, flashy technology is a bad thing, but I think that chic, slim VR glasses aren’t going to matter when you consider the fact that VR is supposed to take you away from reality. You’re not supposed to realize you’re wearing glasses. They should be working on making more realistic or easier to use VR. IMHO.

  • Miguel Angel

    El implante de este tipo de lentillas, hay que tenerlo muy en cuenta en la actualidad, debería y creo que va a ser un producto necesario, con este sistema desaparecen las incomodas gafas actuales, que nos ocultan parte del rostro, con el gran problema que no puede existir una comunicación natural entre dos personas, de cara a cara. Las lentillas de innovega es el futuro inmediato, necesario para llevar a cabo todas las aplicaciones tecnológicas que llegarán utilizando realidad mixta, se aplicará primero en algunos campos profesionales, para luego después, en ámbito personal.

  • Caleb

    I’m impressed with the ioptik. Good job and keep it up