MicroLED-based AR and VR HUD concept displayed at CES 2018

23rd January 2018

Alice Matthews

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Plessey Semiconductors has successfully demonstrated how its monolithic microLED technology can be used to deliver the next-gen of Head-Up Displays (HUDs), enabling new AR and VR applications. MicroLEDs are emerging as the only technology that can provide high luminance in a small format. All leading manufacturers of wearable technologies are currently pursuing manufactures that can deliver a suitable microLED solution.

With this demonstrator, Plessey has confirmed it is ready to enable its partners to move into production of a monolithic display based on microLEDs using the company’s proprietary GaN-on-Silicon approach.

Commenting at CES 2018, Dr Keith Strickland, Chief Technology Officer at Plessey, stated: “Monolithic microLED technology is the only viable solution that can enable products that are not only compact enough to be worn without restricting the overall experience for AR and VR applications and in HUDs, but also provide the size, weight, power and luminance needed.”

The demonstrator, which has been produced in collaboration with Artemis Optical, combines Plessey’s monolithic display, based on an array of microLEDs integrated alongside an active matrix backplane, with the patented film technology and a single lens arrangement from Artemis.

The combination of technologies removes ambient light in the wavelength matching the microLED display output, resulting in a HUD that delivers very high display brightness with low power consumption, in a format that is considerably smaller than existing HUD designs, yet still offers significant cost savings.

During CES 2018, Plessey Semiconductor and Artemis Optical presented the demonstrator to many leading companies developing VR and AR electronics. Headsets and eyewear outfitted for AR and VR applications are set for record sales this year of $1.2bn in the US market alone, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).