Limbak: Difference between revisions
Xinreality (talk | contribs) Created page with "{{Company Infobox |image= |Type=Private |Industry=Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Optical Technology |Founded=2013, Madrid, Spain |Founder=Pablo Benítez, Juan Carlos Miñano |Headquarters=Madrid, Spain |Notable Personnel=Pablo Benítez (CTO), Juan Carlos Miñano, Milena Nikolic |Products=ThinEyes™ Optical Technology, Foveated Optics, Pancake Optics |Parent=Apple Inc. (since 2022) |Website=www.limbak.com (no longer active) }} '''Limbak''' was a Spanish optical tec..." |
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== History == | == History == | ||
Limbak was founded in 2013 in Madrid, Spain by Pablo Benítez and Juan Carlos Miñano, both renowned optical engineers with extensive experience in developing advanced optical systems.<ref name="about"> | Limbak was founded in 2013 in Madrid, Spain by Pablo Benítez and Juan Carlos Miñano, both renowned optical engineers with extensive experience in developing advanced optical systems.<ref name="about"></ref> Prior to founding Limbak, the two co-founders had already established another company called LPI in 1999, demonstrating their long-standing partnership in optical innovation.<ref name="f6s"></ref> | ||
The company quickly became known for its unique approach to solving optical challenges in VR headsets. In 2018, Limbak received funding from the Consejería de Educación e Investigación de la Comunidad de Madrid for the THINEYES project, which aimed to bring their technology from the prototype stage to commercial readiness.<ref name="thineyes"> | The company quickly became known for its unique approach to solving optical challenges in VR headsets. In 2018, Limbak received funding from the Consejería de Educación e Investigación de la Comunidad de Madrid for the THINEYES project, which aimed to bring their technology from the prototype stage to commercial readiness.<ref name="thineyes"></ref> | ||
By 2020, the company had gained significant recognition in the industry, with co-founder Pablo Benítez receiving the prestigious SPIE A.E. Conrady Award in Optical Engineering for his exceptional contributions to the field.<ref name="SPIE"> | By 2020, the company had gained significant recognition in the industry, with co-founder Pablo Benítez receiving the prestigious SPIE A.E. Conrady Award in Optical Engineering for his exceptional contributions to the field.<ref name="SPIE"></ref> | ||
In December 2022, reports emerged that Limbak had been acquired by a "large US company," with its website going offline around July 2022. By December 31, 2022, industry analyst Brad Lynch confirmed that Apple was the company that had acquired Limbak.<ref name="acquisition"> | In December 2022, reports emerged that Limbak had been acquired by a "large US company," with its website going offline around July 2022. By December 31, 2022, industry analyst Brad Lynch confirmed that Apple was the company that had acquired Limbak.<ref name="acquisition"></ref><ref name="AppleBought"></ref> | ||
== Technology == | == Technology == | ||
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* Half the weight of traditional VR optics | * Half the weight of traditional VR optics | ||
* Quarter of the size of standard solutions | * Quarter of the size of standard solutions | ||
* Greater than 100° field of view (FOV)<ref name="euroquity"> | * Greater than 100° field of view (FOV)<ref name="euroquity"></ref> | ||
The company's optical designs were protected by multiple international patents, including WO2015077718A1, WO2016118640A1, WO2016118643A1, WO2016118647A1, WO2016118648A1, and WO2016160099A2.<ref name="ResearchGate"> | The company's optical designs were protected by multiple international patents, including WO2015077718A1, WO2016118640A1, WO2016118643A1, WO2016118647A1, WO2016118648A1, and WO2016160099A2.<ref name="ResearchGate"></ref> | ||
=== Optical Innovations === | === Optical Innovations === | ||
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==== Foveated Optics ==== | ==== Foveated Optics ==== | ||
One of Limbak's most significant innovations was in the field of foveated optics, which mimics the natural properties of human vision by providing higher resolution in the center of the visual field (where the eye's fovea is focused) and lower resolution in the periphery. This approach allowed VR headsets to deliver high perceived resolution while maintaining reasonable computational requirements and display specifications.<ref name="pancake"> | One of Limbak's most significant innovations was in the field of foveated optics, which mimics the natural properties of human vision by providing higher resolution in the center of the visual field (where the eye's fovea is focused) and lower resolution in the periphery. This approach allowed VR headsets to deliver high perceived resolution while maintaining reasonable computational requirements and display specifications.<ref name="pancake"></ref> | ||
The company's pancake optics design implemented optical foveation in two ways: | The company's pancake optics design implemented optical foveation in two ways: | ||