Supercon 2024: Photonics/Optical Stack for Smart-Glasses
1 min read
Summary
Smart glasses are a complicated technology coupling microprocessors and software with the right optics to create a visual interface that works for the wearer.
Dev Kennedy is an expert in photonics, optical stacks, and the technology behind smart glasses, and his dense talk at the Hackaday Supercon in 2024 covers the different technologies available to developers.
From building the image to putting it in front of the wearer’s eye, Kennedy explains the pros and cons of each element from illumination to projection and the techniques used to combine various elements.
He highlights the differences between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and stresses that they require different technologies and should not be developed in the same way.
He also looks at the market and the devices on offer, from Microsoft Hololens to Google Glass and Meta’s Orion, assessing what works and what doesn’t from a user perspective.
His talk reflects that AR is currently in its early stages and it will be some time before the technology is fully developed and mainstream.
