Lumus (Rehovot, Israel) says it has created the first natural-looking, truly discreet and lightweight transparent-display eyewear that permits users to watch TV, read an e-mail, glance at stock tickers, or follow GPS directions without anyone else knowing what they are doing. The preproduction device is worn like a pair of eyeglasses, without the bulk and obstructed vision associated with other head-worn displays.
The technology uses Lumus’ patented light-guided optical-element (LOE) technology, an ultrathin lens design in which a microdisplay is embedded in the temple of the eyeglasses, receiving the image content from a mobile device and projecting it into the side of the LOE using coupling optics. The image travels to the center of the lens and is reflected into the eye by the see-through elements, creating the effect of a virtual large screen. Resolution and field-of-view parameters are only limited by the resolution of the available microdisplays, and QVGA up to SVGA resolution is available. The stereoscopic eyewear is powered by a rechargeable battery and can operate for more than four hours on a single charge; in other configurations, the eyewear may draw its power directly from the mobile device. Contact Ari Grobman at [email protected].
