C-Real, a Swiss innovator in light field micro-display technology, today announced the commercial availability by early 2024 of its patent-protected augmented reality display technology, which enables original equipment manufacturers and original design manufacturers to develop AR glasses that uniquely provide correct depth perception to users.
Light field is very different from the standard flat images provided by current displays on the market. Light field-based content has real-world depth, even if viewed by a single eye and C-Real has developed a patented AR light field micro-display technology stack combining licensable hardware and software. Unlike current 3D displays which present two flat-screen images each to one eye, light field recreates the light rays as they exist in the real world, creating an incredibly realistic image with true depth and top quality.
C-Real’s light field technology is used with a combiner (no waveguides needed), a simple-to-apply thin holographic film laminated onto a standard or prescription lens. C-Real’s light field display technology also removes the main sources of eye strain, eye-fatigue, and nausea that are so commonly experienced with AR and virtual reality headsets today.
Several leading AR glasses and headset ODM’s are currently evaluating C-Real technology for their next-generation designs, expected to become commercially available in 2024.
AR headsets available on the market today can’t display close-up content painlessly due to the so-called vergence accommodation conflict as well as focal rivalry, known visual problems endemic to the entire AR and VR market. As a result, all AR content is recommended by the headset makers to be displayed at a distance significantly distant from the user’s eyes, which is totally antithetical to real-world viewing. Our eyes evolved with the ability to focus to less than 20 cm for that very reason.
C-Real is based in the Swiss tech innovation hub of Lausanne, with a technical team from projects at CERN, EPFL, Intel and Magic Leap. C-Real has been developing its unique and innovative technology since November of 2017 and has shared engineering updates for the past several years to customers.
The company has now raised a total aggregate funding of $18 million, with a team of 30 people worldwide. Participating VC firms include Swisscom Ventures, Verve Ventures and DAA Capital Partners.
C-Real is now opening a new round of funding for interested worldwide capital funds.
“By enabling continuous focus from up-close to infinity, matching the real-world depth perceived by users, C-Real enables a natural and healthy visual experience with no substantial trade-offs regarding image quality, computational requirements or system architecture, unlike competing solutions.” said Dr. Tomas Sluka, co-founder, and CEO of C-Real.
C-Real www.creal.com