Oorym presents its waveguide technology for augmented reality applications, described as a special planaric element. This approach is designed to project a sharp, bright image to the user’s eye without interfering with the view of the external world. The speaker, Yaakov Amitai, who also invented the diffractive waveguide, explains that this new design is more efficient and significantly simpler and less expensive to manufacture, targeting mass-market adoption with a component cost of only a few dollars per unit.
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The waveguide’s affordability stems from a simplified fabrication process. Unlike more complex single-element waveguides that handle all optical tasks, Oorym’s technology splits the functions into two simpler elements attached together. One element propagates the light and couples it out, while the second element, an array of beam splitters on the external surface, reflects the light back to the viewer’s eye. This separation of tasks is key to both the low manufacturing cost and the high image quality, addressing what is often the most expensive and quality-degrading component in AR glasses.
The displayed image is focused at infinity, which contributes to a comfortable viewing experience without eye fatigue, a critical factor for extended use. The system is designed to be lightweight and can be integrated into standard prescription eyeglass lenses. When the display is off, the glasses function normally, allowing the user to wear them throughout the day. This addresses a common challenge in AR hardware, where the optical element can distort or obscure the user’s natural vision.
The transparency of the waveguide can be customized based on the application’s requirements. The demonstrated prototype has 70% transparency, but Oorym can produce elements with over 95% transparency for a nearly unobstructed view, or adjust the reflectance-to-transmittance ratio as needed. This is distinct from sunglasses, which typically absorb most of the light; here, the waveguide transmits the majority of ambient light while reflecting the projected image.
The system is compatible with various microdisplay technologies, including LCOS, micro-OLED, and microLED. The demonstration units at Display Week 2026 utilized OLED microdisplays to project the image into the waveguide. The design allows for the potential addition of other elements to adjust the focus of the projected image, enabling more complex AR experiences where virtual objects could appear at different depths.
