August 25, 2021 – WaveOptics, a designer of diffractive waveguides for augmented reality (AR) wearables, has today announced a strategic supplier relationship with Jade Bird Display (JBD) for MicroLED microdisplays.
The ‘Leopard’ is the latest development kit by WaveOptics, which the company states demonstrates to its customers the advanced level of readily deployable and customisable AR technology. It is WaveOptics’ closest form-factor akin to traditional consumer eyewear available. Alongside the patented waveguide technology, the Leopard utilizes JBD’s 0.13” AmµLED MicroLED panel incorporated into a WaveOptics designed projector. This is the first time that WaveOptics has selected a uLED panel for its light engines.
Dr. Qiming Li, CEO & founder of JBD, said: “We are delighted to be a partner in the launch of Leopard which is a truly innovative optical hardware platform enabling light weight and outdoor readable AR wearables designs”.
Leopard uses WaveOptics’ ‘Katana’ waveguide platform, which was launched at CES 2020. It is the thinnest and lightest waveguide available from the company at only 1.15mm thick and weighing just 7 grams. It combines with ‘Loki’, the WaveOptics designed projector (incorporating JBD’s uLED panel) that weighs just 0.6 grams and has a volume of 760mm3, which fits into the housing of the glasses for ease of assembly and style. The 0.13” VGA MicroLED display from JBD has an active area of only 2.64 mm x 2.02 mm, capable of achieving brightness of over 4 million nits, according to the company.
WaveOptics stated that this combination allows for user experience testing of green only, monocular smart glasses, suitable for notification-based use cases. The company added that JBD also shares a goal of designing technology that is suitable for customization and mass manufacture.
Li continued: “It is critical that the see-through optics and microdisplay for AR wearables is considered for compatibility at the very inception of design rather than in isolation. Our MicroLED microdisplays and Waveoptics’s Katana waveguide work in perfect sync to deliver the next generation AR wearable devices and we will continue working with Waveoptics in future developments to fuel further innovations.”
Technical Specifications:
| Parameter | Description |
| Module Type | Loki projector and Asgard outline on the Katana waveguide platform |
| Projector Type | Loki using JDB uLED |
| Field of View | 27° diagonal |
| Weight | 0.6 grams |
| Dimensions | 8.2mm x 8.8mm x 10.5mm – volume 760mm3 |
| Display | AmµLED Panel VGA (4×3) 640 x 480 |
| Resolution | 29 pixels per degree |
| Colour | Green only – 4 Bit green (16 shades) |
| Monocular | Right eye only |
| Standalone device | Untethered. Fitted with Bodach electronics in the right arm and an 95mAH battery in the left arm |
WaveOptics also announced that interested parties now have the ability to try on the developer kit by using the Leopard AR filter on Snapchat.
For more information on the waveguide technology for AR wearables provided by WaveOptics, which was acquired by Snap Inc. earlier this year, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: WaveOptics
About the author
Sam Sprigg
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.
