Sony and Foxconn invest in thin head-up displays for augmented reality

Foxconn, Sony, Continental and Panasonic are investing in the American company DigiLens, which develops technology for diffractive optical waveguides. With the technology of DigiLens, thin head-up displays can be made for glasses and car windows.

DigiLens will receive a total of 22 million dollars in an investment round to further develop its screen technology for augmented reality. Microsoft HoloLens, Vuzix and Magic Leap use screens based on surface relief gratings and a disadvantage of this technique is the limited field of view. DigiLens instead makes switchable bragg gratings, where the nanostructures are not etched but photographically printed. The advantage would be that the displays offer a wider field of view and are easier to produce.

Continental wants to use the DigiLens technology to display information via windscreens about, for example, the speed of a vehicle or the amount of fuel left. Foxconn thinks it can use the AR technology for the robots in its factories. Panasonic is also working on AR applications, including with its eCockpit vision, and Sony previously presented its SmartEyeGlass, for example, which still offers monochrome display, but switches to color display with DigiLens’ technology. DigiLens is also working with the aviation industry, the US defense and BMW on MotoHUD, which incorporates a screen in a motorcycle helmet.