SCHOTT, a prominent player in advanced optics and specialty glass, has partnered with waveguide specialist Lumus and is highly likely to be the manufacturer of the waveguide optics in Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses. Although the current Ray-Ban Display glasses offer a static 20° field-of-view, SCHOTT indicates that its waveguide technology has the potential to support immersive wide field-of-view glasses in the future.
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SCHOTT has achieved a significant milestone by potentially becoming the first waveguide manufacturer to produce waveguides on a consumer scale. While Meta has not officially confirmed the waveguide supplier for the Ray-Ban Display glasses, SCHOTT made a noteworthy announcement just a day prior to the glasses’ launch, claiming to be the first company capable of mass-producing geometric reflective waveguides.
In preparation for the era of AR glasses, SCHOTT has made substantial investments in technology, manufacturing, and partnerships to position itself as a leading provider of optics for smart glasses and AR devices.
The company forged a strategic partnership with Lumus, the designer of geometric reflective waveguides, in 2020. Last year, SCHOTT unveiled a new factory aimed at significantly enhancing its capacity to supply top-notch optical components to various high-tech industries, including Augmented Reality (AR).
These strategic investments are now paying off for SCHOTT. While there are several companies with different waveguide technologies and manufacturing processes, SCHOTT emerges as a strong contender as the possible waveguide provider for the Ray-Ban Display glasses, boasting “proven mass market readiness regarding scalability,” a feat that others have yet to achieve on this scale.
Dr. Ruediger Sprengard, Senior Vice President of Augmented Reality at SCHOTT, remarked, “This breakthrough in industrial production of geometric reflective waveguides signifies a crucial advancement in the AR technology landscape. We are finally bridging the gap towards lightweight and powerful smart glasses available at scale, offering an immersive experience.”
Looking ahead, SCHOTT asserts that its geometric reflective waveguides are poised to expand beyond the limited 20° field-of-view of the Ray-Ban Display glasses to accommodate immersive wide field-of-view devices.
The company’s announcement states, “Compared to other optical technologies in AR, geometric reflective waveguides excel in light and energy efficiency, enabling the creation of stylish glasses suitable for all-day wear. These attributes position geometric reflective waveguides as the prime choice for small FoVs and the sole option for wide FoVs.”
Lumus, SCHOTT’s partner, has demonstrated wider field-of-view waveguides, such as the 50° ‘Lumus Maximus’ showcased as early as 2022.
Personal Insight
As the likely provider of waveguides for Ray-Ban Display, SCHOTT and Lumus have secured a significant advantage over competitors. Lumus’ geometric reflective waveguides likely triumphed due to their superior light efficiency compared to other waveguide technologies that rely on diffractive optics.
Light efficiency is critical as microdisplays in glasses-sized devices must be both compact and energy-efficient. Larger and brighter displays tend to be bulkier, hotter, and more power-intensive. By utilizing waveguides with high light efficiency, displays can be smaller, cooler, and more energy-efficient, crucial considerations given the limited space available.
The demands for light and power increase with field-of-view expansion, as spreading light across a wider area diminishes apparent brightness.
While SCHOTT claims readiness to scale its waveguide technology for wider fields-of-view, other factors may impede the launch of true AR glasses like Meta’s Orion Prototype showcased in 2024.
Expanding beyond wide field-of-view optics is not the sole obstacle for devices like Orion to hit the market. Addressing battery and processing power constraints is crucial. Orion’s functionality relied on offloading computation and battery requirements to a wireless puck. To introduce full AR glasses akin to Orion without a puck, Meta must develop smaller, more efficient chips.
Furthermore, advancements in display technology are essential to fully leverage the capabilities of optics supporting wide field-of-view projections.
Ray-Ban Display glasses feature a modest 0.36MP (600 x 600) display, appearing sharp due to pixel distribution across a limited 20° field-of-view. As field-of-view expands, brightness and resolution must also increase to maintain image quality. Shrinking pixel size while enhancing brightness in a confined space poses a challenge.
