Remix.run Logo
▲ Direct retinal projection display for smart glasses using a meta-optic mirror(tdk.com)
51 points by bookofjoe 3 days ago | 17 comments
▲pentaphobe 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Neat, but hardly a world first (the original title said "...the world’s first direct retinal projection display...")

I first read about direct retinal projection displays (using oscillating mirrors no less) in Mondo 2000 [^1]

Hard to find much on the "Private Eye" hardware as I guess Reflection Technology (the manufacturer) went outta business in the mid 90's

But a 700x280 display painted onto your retina that looked like a full-ish size display hovering in space nonetheless, and downright epic for 1989

[^1]: https://microship.com/winnelife-interview-with-steve-roberts...

For the curious, a bit more info and some pics on these sites

https://glassdevelopment.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/hmd-histor...

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/reflection-technolog...

▲manbitesdog 40 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

I contacted Bosch in 2020 about buying BML500P retinal projectors in bulk, but they postponed the sale for several months because they were in talks with a major undisclosed customer about potentially exclusive rights to the patent. I never heard back.

▲SapporoChris 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

"TDK demonstrates the world’s first direct retinal projection display for smart glasses using a meta-optic mirror". The qualifier is different. "using a meta-optic mirror" versus "using oscillating mirrors"

I appreciate your comment on the history.

▲kotaKat an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Don't forget the Sony DSC-HX99 retinal projection camera kit, built with QD Laser. They had a custom RETISSA NEOVIEWER commissioned for the camera to allow for low-vision users to leverage it for photography.

Sadly no longer available. I've seen through one and it was vividly clear and detailed without my glasses on at all and it felt so gamechanging to have that kind of display technology in my hands.

https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/compact-cameras/all-vlo...

It's now transformed though, into the RETISSA VIEWCLEAR for your phone - https://retissa-vc.qdlaser.com/en/

▲hartator 31 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Isn’t this dangerous for the eyes?

▲Regex777 11 minutes ago | parent [-]

That's the first thing i have searched the current blue screen have already caused enough damage to eyes. but ig it's still in early prototype and i would be appreciated if they provided the affects that it might causes to eyes.

▲moron4hire a minute ago | parent [-]

[delayed]

▲qwertytyyuu an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That's so cool finally actually glasses instead of sunglasses!

▲AndrewKemendo 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This looks strikingly similar to my 2017/20 patent:

https://kemendo.com/pdfs/USPatent10757400.pdf

Pretty much all my patents are being infringed at this point.

Lesson to anyone getting patents, they don’t matter unless you have $100M to fight Microsoft or oracle with. At that point might as well just keep your 100M and forget it

▲airstrike 35 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

When I wanted to file a patent, the attorneys told me it was only good as my ability to enforce it, which really means how much money I have vs the other guy

▲vessenes an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

When you file a patent the patent attorneys tell you how critical it is to do so.

When someone infringes a patent, especially if you’re not commercializing your patent, the patent attorneys tell you, “wow, that looks really tough.”

It’s a big company game at this point, in general, or you’d need something that drives an immense amount of value before the patenting seems worth it, as far as I can tell.

▲SapporoChris 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Did you file for a patent in Japan? Foreign countries are not bound by United States patents; U.S. patent rights only apply within the United States.

▲bluGill an hour ago | parent | next [-]

Most countries, including the Japan and the US, recognize a patent in another country for filing purposes. Which is to say, if you need to sue someone in Japan, yes you need a patent in Japan. However, you bring your US patent to the Japan Patent Office and they consider that as your file date and so you can sue for infringements that happen before your patent in Japan was issued.

If this is actually useful for you, of course, you need a patent lawyer in the specific country you're talking about, which is not cheap, and that's why the other posters said millions of dollars. Patents are not worth it for most people because you still have to pay lawyers to get anything out of them. You also pay for your time in court, acting as witness and testifying and watching court proceedings instead of doing your own business.

▲AndrewKemendo 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Fair point

▲intrasight an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

I learned that lesson too. But I also learned that you get what you pay for in terms of the patent attorney's skill in crafting claims.

▲tash_2s 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

TLDR: They demoed a direct retinal projection display with a thin, transparent mirror embedded in the lens, enabling glasses that look more like everyday eyewear while reducing costs compared with waveguide-based designs.

This Japanese article has a few more details: https://www.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2145266.html

▲trebligdivad an hour ago | parent [-]

This picture (with English text) has a bit of the detail showing their reflector structure, which is also in one of the pictures of your Japanese page:

https://www.tdk.com/system/files/featured_stories/features-o...