Design and Manufacture of 30-Degree Projection Lens for Augmented Reality Waveguide

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Optical Engineering
• Augmented Reality Technology

Background:

• Augmented reality (AR) glasses require compact, high-performance projection optics to display information overlaid on the real world.
• Existing AR systems face challenges in achieving sufficient resolution and field of view for immersive experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, manufacture, and test a projection lens system for AR glasses with a 30-degree field of view.
• To analyze the optical design, manufacturing tolerances, and resolution performance of the projection lens and the integrated AR system.

Main Methods:

• Optical design of a projection lens for a 0.35-inch LCoS panel, featuring a 14 mm entrance pupil diameter and 16.443 mm focal length.
• Manufacturing and assembly tolerance analysis to ensure optical performance.
• Resolution testing of the projection lens and the complete AR system, including waveguide integration.

Main Results:

• The projection lens achieved a central field image quality of 57 cycles/mm and 33 pixels per degree (PPD).
• Off-axis performance at 0.7 field showed 40.3 cycles/mm and 23 PPD.
• The integrated diffraction-type waveguide system demonstrated a resolution of 57 cycles/mm and 33 PPD in the center.

Conclusions:

• The developed projection lens meets the demanding resolution requirements for AR glasses.
• The optical design and testing confirm the viability of the lens for high-quality AR displays.
• This work contributes to the advancement of optical components for next-generation AR devices.