Near-eye light field display: Difference between revisions - VR & AR Wiki

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Ongoing research and development efforts focus on:

* **Novel Display Panels & Optics:** Developing higher-resolution, higher-brightness, faster-switching microdisplays (e.g., [[MicroLED|microLEDs]], advanced [[OLED]]s, fast [[Liquid crystal on silicon|LCoS]]) and advanced optical elements (more efficient HOEs, tunable [[Metasurface]]s, improved MLAs potentially using freeform or curved surfaces<ref name="Lanman2013"/>) to improve the critical spatio-angular resolution trade-off.

*'''Novel Display Panels & Optics:''' Developing higher-resolution, higher-brightness, faster-switching microdisplays (e.g., [[MicroLED|microLEDs]], advanced [[OLED]]s, fast [[Liquid crystal on silicon|LCoS]]) and advanced optical elements (more efficient HOEs, tunable [[Metasurface]]s, improved MLAs potentially using freeform or curved surfaces<ref name="Lanman2013"/>) to improve the critical spatio-angular resolution trade-off.

* **Efficient Computation & Rendering:** Creating more efficient algorithms for lightfield rendering (potentially using [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] / [[Machine learning|machine learning]] for view synthesis, compression, or up-sampling) and dedicated [[hardware acceleration]] ([[ASIC]]s or [[FPGA]] designs) to make real-time performance feasible on mobile or wearable platforms.

*'''Efficient Computation & Rendering:''' Creating more efficient algorithms for lightfield rendering (potentially using [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] / [[Machine learning|machine learning]] for view synthesis, compression, or up-sampling) and dedicated [[hardware acceleration]] ([[ASIC]]s or [[FPGA]] designs) to make real-time performance feasible on mobile or wearable platforms.

* **[[Eye Tracking]] Integration:** Leveraging high-speed, high-accuracy eye tracking is becoming crucial. It enables [[foveated rendering]] adapted for lightfields (concentrating computational resources and potentially resolution/angular sampling where the user is looking), allows dynamic optimization of the display based on gaze (e.g., in varifocal systems), potentially relaxes eyebox constraints, and aids calibration.

*'''[[Eye Tracking]] Integration:''' Leveraging high-speed, high-accuracy eye tracking is becoming crucial. It enables [[foveated rendering]] adapted for lightfields (concentrating computational resources and potentially resolution/angular sampling where the user is looking), allows dynamic optimization of the display based on gaze (e.g., in varifocal systems), potentially relaxes eyebox constraints, and aids calibration.

* **Error Correction & Yield Improvement:** Exploiting the inherent redundancy in lightfield data (where multiple pixels contribute to the same perceived point from different angles) to computationally correct for manufacturing defects like dead pixels in the microdisplay, potentially improving production yields for large, high-resolution panels.<ref name="Lanman2013"/>

*'''Error Correction & Yield Improvement:''' Exploiting the inherent redundancy in lightfield data (where multiple pixels contribute to the same perceived point from different angles) to computationally correct for manufacturing defects like dead pixels in the microdisplay, potentially improving production yields for large, high-resolution panels.<ref name="Lanman2013"/>

* **Hybrid Approaches:** Combining elements of different techniques (e.g., a small number of switchable focal planes combined with some angular diversity per plane) to achieve a perceptually "good enough" approximation of a true lightfield effect that balances performance and feasibility with current technology.

*'''Hybrid Approaches:''' Combining elements of different techniques (e.g., a small number of switchable focal planes combined with some angular diversity per plane) to achieve a perceptually "good enough" approximation of a true lightfield effect that balances performance and feasibility with current technology.

While significant hurdles remain, continued advances in micro-display technology, computational power (particularly AI-driven methods), optical materials and design (like metasurfaces), and eye-tracking integration hold promise. The long-term goal is to achieve true, continuous lightfield displays delivering imagery optically indistinguishable from reality within lightweight, energy-efficient, eyeglass-sized hardware, which would represent a paradigm shift in personal computing and immersive experiences.