Facebook is ready with the new proof of concept virtual headsets. The headset has a different design than other devices available in the market. It covers the top half of the face and it needs to be strapped to the head. The proof of concept headset looks like large sunglasses that are way more comfortable than others to ears.
Yet Facebook is billing this recent appliance as not a pair of enhanced reality glasses. as common conceptions of AR devices go.
The headsets are thin and they have a display thickness of 9mm. Facebook alleges that the device has a field of view that is “comparable to today’s consumer VR products.”
The proof-of-concept glasses are not only thin for looks. But they also seemingly beam impressions to the eyes in a different way. It is different from basic VR headsets. Facebook’s research team clarify one of the procedures, that is “holographic optics:”
“Most VR displays share a common viewing optic: a simple refractive lens composed of a thick, curved piece of glass or plastic. We propose replacing this bulky element with holographic optics. You may be familiar with holographic images seen at a science museum or on your credit card. They appear to be three-dimensional with realistic depth in or out of the page. Like these holographic images, our holographic optics are a recording of the interaction of laser light with objects, but in this case, the object is a lens rather than a 3D scene. The result is a dramatic reduction in thickness and weight: The holographic optic bends light like a lens but looks like a thin, transparent sticker”
Facebook Has Used Different Techniques For Proof Of Concept
The proof-of-concept headset uses another technique concepts, that Facebook calls “polarization-based optical folding”. It is used to help lessen the percentage of space between the real display. The lens that concentrates the image. With the help of polarization-based optical folding, “light can be controlled to move both forward and backward within the lens. So that this empty space can be traversed multiple times, collapsing it to a fraction of the original volume.”
These are just a proof of concept so it is unsure if they will reach markets. Facebook’s research team posts, “While it points toward the future development of lightweight, comfortable, and high-performance AR/VR technology, at present our work is purely research”.
Many companies are working on this to make it to reality. Apple has reportedly been working on this for many years. Google has also started working on real devices. Facebook has surely given an example with proof of concept about how the device should look like.
