Fresnel lens: Difference between revisions - VR & AR Wiki - Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Wiki

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In 2017, Wearality showed a prototype of a new Fresnel lens. The company already had developed a unique Fresnel lens for VR headsets, the Wearality Sky. The new lens is extremely thin and light, even when compared to those used in the high-end VR HMDs. <ref name=”7”>He, F. (2017). New Fresnel lens from Wearality is thinner than a quarter. Retrieved from https://www.roadtovr.com/new-fresnel-lens-wearality-thinner-quarter/</ref>

The use of Fresnel lenses in VR is not without setbacks. Boger (2015) explains that “the main problem is what happens when light hits the ridges, those peaks in the lens that do not correspond to actual curvature in the original lens. When light hits these points it is scatted, and scattered light in an optical system reduces contrast. Thus, you will often see that a Fresnel lens produces a more “milky” image with lower contrast. The second problem is a more technical one – it is more difficult to simulate a Fresnel lens in an optical design software.” Creating a lens with many segments will lead to a sharper image, but light will be lost. Lenses with fewer segments will lose less light but the image produce will not be as sharp. <ref name=”3”></ref> <ref name=”6”></ref>

The use of Fresnel lenses in VR is not without setbacks. Boger (2015) explains that “the main problem is what happens when light hits the ridges, those peaks in the lens that do not correspond to actual curvature in the original lens. When light hits these points it is scatted, and scattered light in an optical system reduces contrast. Thus, you will often see that a Fresnel lens produces a more “milky” image with lower contrast. The second problem is a more technical one, it is more difficult to simulate a Fresnel lens in an optical design software.” Creating a lens with many segments will lead to a sharper image, but light will be lost. Lenses with fewer segments will lose less light but the image produce will not be as sharp. <ref name=”3”></ref> <ref name=”6”></ref>

In the HTC Vive, the Fresnel lenses can occasionally show bright, concentric circles that can be distracting to the user. On the Oculus Rift, the hybrid Fresnel lenses can have the side effect of generating god rays. <ref name=”8”>Hutchinson, L. (2016). For this gadgethead, the HTC Vive may force my Oculus Rift to collect dust. Retrieved from https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/05/why-vive-has-won-the-early-vr-race-in-my-house/2/</ref>