Finnish technical research center brings smart display onto ordinary glasses

The Technical Research Centre of Finland, VTT, has developed a virtual display with functionality of a smart phone, which can be integrated into ordinary glasses, announced VTT on Tuesday.

The technology is based on lightguide optics, which enables the manufacture of displays on either glass or plastic in the form of light and thin elements with a thickness of only one millimeter.

The display can bring visual information into a user's field of vision, when a high-definition image is displayed on an eyeglass lens, said VTT.

The technology includes a large, high-quality virtual image. "The size of the virtual image is equivalent to a 60-inch TV viewed from a distance of three meters," said Antti Sunnari, managing director of Dispelix, which is commercializing the technology.

According to Sunnari, compared with existing smart glasses, which are bulky or difficult to manufacture, the display solution has several advantages, such as the thinness and lightness, as well as compatibility of volume production.

The technology can be applied in the field of sports and fitness training. A user's activity data and heart rate, as well as navigation and other information will appear on sport glasses.

The innovation of smart glasses will also be used in areas of healthcare, manufacturing and process industry and logistics.

VTT said that the technology will be commercialized by its Spin-off company Dispelix within one year. Endit