Imagine that one day you will be able to wear a pair of thin and cool glasses like Iron Man in a science fiction movie, and you can see all kinds of relevant information in an instant, and your vision will not be obstructed at all. In the Center for Future Industries at Westlake University, these imaginations are becoming a reality step by step.
On September 24, in the science café on the first floor of the Zhejiang Association for Science and Technology Building, Qiu Min, chair professor and vice president of Guoqiang Optical Engineering of Westlake University, and chief scientist of Mude Micro Nano (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd., showed a pair of "magical" AR glasses to the public.
This is the first public appearance of this pair of glasses, and it is also the world premiere of the scientific and technological achievement of "ultra-thin and rainbow-free silicon carbide AR diffractive optical waveguide".
What is silicon carbide? Silicon carbide (SiC) is actually a semiconductor material, and it is included in the most influential "100 words in science" in 2023 released by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the China Association for Science and Technology. Traditionally, it has been used as an industrial raw material in refractories, metallurgical raw materials, and other fields. And now, Qiu Min's team has proposed to use silicon carbide to make lenses for AR glasses, which is a bold and new idea.
Micro-nano optics is an emerging discipline that manipulates optical phenomena on a micro-scale, which brings new technical solutions to optical devices and technologies including AR lenses. In order to meet the needs of the industry and promote the implementation of scientific research achievements, Qiu Min's team has been deeply engaged in the field of micro-nano optics for many years, and has established Mude Micro-Nano (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd., focusing on the research and development of AR diffractive optical waveguides, diffractive optical components, meta-optical devices and other products. The team has achieved a technological breakthrough in the domestic high-end nanoimprint template from 0 to 1, filling the gap in the domestic AR industry chain.
This time, the team broke the convention and combined the technical strength of micro-nano optics with perfect material properties to create this ultra-thin silicon carbide AR glasses, which went out of the laboratory and into the public eye.
At the event, Du Kaikai, CEO of Mude Micro Nano (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd., showed everyone this "magical" glasses. At first glance, these glasses look like regular glasses. After wearing it on the spot, the host said, "I feel that it is even much thinner than the ordinary glasses I wear every day." ”
Qiu Min further introduced the latest scientific research results from Westlake University, "Mobile phones have become the basic tools for us to interact with the information world, but at the same time, mobile phones have tied our hands. How to solve this problem? The answer is wearables that can be interacted with. ”
Qiu Min describes a vivid application scenario, "Wearing AR glasses, others may only see you sitting, but in fact you are already watching a movie", "If you add interactive functions, when you look at people around you, their names and information will appear near their heads, so that you can say goodbye to face blindness." With these glasses, you can get to know everyone, and you can get to know every flower. ”
Imagine a pair of AR lenses that weigh only 5.4 grams and are only 0.55 mm thick, which are almost as lightweight as the sunglasses you usually wear. Unlike traditional multi-layer high-refractive index glass lenses, thanks to the ultra-high refractive index of silicon carbide materials, this new technology only requires a single waveguide to complete the task of full-color display, which not only greatly reduces the weight of the lens, but also further compresses the volume through the ultra-thin packaging process, so that the wearer can hardly feel its presence.
When you put on these AR glasses, you will feel as if you are in a whole new world, as they are able to superimpose a clear and expansive virtual image on top of the real environment, as if you were changing from a small window to a large door. Single-layer silicon carbide waveguides are theoretically capable of supporting full-color imaging at 80 degrees, far exceeding the maximum full-color field of view of 40 degrees that traditional high-refractive index glass can provide. A larger field of view means a better sense of immersion and experience, whether it's a fantasy scene in a game or a data visualization at work, it will bring an unprecedented visual feast.
In addition, in response to the rainbow pattern phenomenon that many people are worried about, Qiu Min also introduced the solution to everyone. The rainbow pattern is actually caused by the diffraction effect of ambient light passing through the surface of the waveguide, creating a rainbow-like effect. Qiu Min's team completely eliminated this problem by accurately designing the waveguide structure, and presented a clean and clear picture to the user. At the same time, by taking advantage of the good thermal conductivity of silicon carbide material, these glasses innovatively use lenses for heat dissipation, which greatly improves the heat dissipation efficiency, making full-color full-frame display no longer a luxury.
At the same time, unlike the previous waveguides, which required multiple layers of waveguides to achieve full-color effects, these silicon carbide AR glasses can present a variety of content with only one waveguide, and innovatively get rid of the need for cover glass. This greatly simplifies the production process and makes the convenience of this cutting-edge technology accessible to more people.
Source | Zhejiang Provincial Association for Science and Technology, Department of Science and Technology, Westlake University, Metropolis Express
Edit | Wang Shu