VividQ retina resolution images for VR headsets ‘where reality overtakes science fiction’
Holographic display technology front-runner VividQ has developed ‘retina resolution’ images, meaning immersion in next-generation VR headsets will be challenging anything previously possible.
“Reality overtakes science fiction” said the company as it announced its world-first hologram breakthrough today (January 17). The advance banishes grainy holograms in favour of life-like resolution and vivid colour.
VividQ’s images can be projected through high-performance 4K display hardware – the ‘K’ relates to pixel width, so a 4K TV at home shows images that are 4,000 pixels wide.
The Castle Park-based company is generating a new frontier of interactive experience for consumer electronics which has long been on the radar for the gaming community.
In September 2023, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted during the annual Connect developer conference that holograms will be commonplace in the near future. In a subsequent podcast interview with computer scientist Lex Fridman he said: “Maybe by the end of this decade we’ll be living in a world where there are as many holograms when you walk into a room as there are physical objects.”
Computer-generated holography improves the user experience of VR and MR (mixed reality) in three key ways:
- Holograms can be adjusted to compensate for the user’s eyesight.
- Wearable users can dynamically switch their focus between digital objects at varying distances, reducing eye fatigue and enabling them to game for longer.
- Users can bring objects up close and focus on them without vergence accommodation conflict, which can induce side effects such as headaches, eye-strain, or nausea.
VividQ’s CEO Darran Milne said: “Just a few years ago, displaying dynamic and interactive content via holography was seen as pure science fiction fantasy.
“Then, more recently, it was seen as possible but only with poor image quality. Time and time again we’ve broken down the barriers between this revolutionary display technology and the real world.”
He added: “By showing retina resolution holograms running on readily available components from JKC, and confirming that our technology is already commercially available, we are proving to the market that holographic display is not only feasible, it is inevitable.”
To highlight just how close this technology is to market, VividQ is announcing that these retina resolution holograms are displayed using a high-performance LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) display from JVCKENWOOD (JKC). This commercial partnership with world-renowned LCoS supplier JKC represents the first of today’s two commercial announcements and will see the two companies work closely to target a wide range of AR and VR applications.
In addition to a close partnership with LCoS manufacturer JKC, VividQ also announces that it is commercially engaged with a world-leading consumer electronics company to introduce holographic display technology into its future product roadmap. This commercial relationship represents a significant step in bringing holography to consumers.
Alfred Newman, VividQ’s head of research, said: “Using the 4K LCoS from JKC we are now able to achieve acuity-limited retinal resolution holograms with full 3D focus and a large field of view. This enables a unique display which for the first time is capable of matching both the resolution and real-life focus cues expected by the eye, resulting in a more natural viewing experience.”
Yoshio Sonoda, CTO at JKC, noted: “Holography will deliver a paradigm shift in consumer experiences, especially in a market like VR, where limitations in current technology are holding it back from delivering the kind of jaw-dropping experience that consumers want.”
He added: “We are really pleased to be partnering with VividQ and seeing our cutting-edge LCoS displays be used to push the boundaries of VR and AR.”
