Swave Photonics debuts holographic augmented reality display with tiny pixel technology

Holographic display startup Swave Photonics today announced the development of what it claims is the world's first 3D holographic display technology for compact augmented reality form factors such as smart glasses.

Swave's new Holographic eXtended Reality is a new type of advanced display technology that produces a pixel pitch of less than 300 nanometers. It's small enough to control light and engrave high-resolution images. Chip-based technology enables artificial intelligence-powered spatial computing with a reality-first user experience where digital elements complement, learn from, and interact with the physical world.

The first application of HXR display technology will be in low-cost, lightweight augmented reality smart glasses with all-day battery life.

Swave's technology sculpts light waves into natural, high-resolution 3D images, achieving true holography through light diffraction and interference. This technology allows the human brain and eyes to visually process images naturally without the use of waveguides, variable focus lenses, or stereopsis, solving the problem of convergence and accommodation contradictions. Here, stereoscopic images distort the relationship between convergence (the movement of the eyes trying to look in opposite directions at the same time) and the accommodative reflex, causing headaches, nausea, and fatigue.

Internally, the chip provides a spatial light modulator specifically designed for digital holography and AI-powered spatial computing. Unlike existing technologies, this chip enables a compact form factor suitable for everyday use and also accommodates eyeglass prescriptions. The combination of chips and hardware works seamlessly with AI services such as image recognition, visual search, navigation, and translation.

Despite being state-of-the-art, it's surprisingly not that expensive. Swave uses his low-cost CMOS chip technology and efficient system architecture for manufacturing to provide a cost-effective, scalable and rapid path to market. The chip manufacturing process uses established semiconductor technology used in everyday technology and limits power consumption to avoid continuous charging.

“Today's spatial computing experiences isolate users, creating experiences that are mostly digital or unrealistic, not to mention uncomfortable fit and appearance,” said CEO Mike Noonen. “Swave is focused on reality-first XR, where users see, for example, 90% reality and 10% augmented images. And by using such a small chipset that provides a high-performance display, , our technology eliminates the need for bulky headsets and overly conspicuous glasses.”

Swave was spun out as an independent company in 2022 from Belgium-based IMEC, Interuniversity Microelectronics Center, and its technology has been in development for more than a decade. The company is backed by venture capital, having raised $11 million in a seed round from investors including imec.xpand NV, Flanders Future Tech Fund CVBA, QBIC Venture Capital Fund CV, Acequia Capital LLC, and Luminate NY.

Image: Swave Photonics