Invention:
This invention uses a waveguide as an optical combiner to integrate illumination, fixation, and imaging optics into a compact form factor to create a wearable, lightweight optical system for measuring accommodation changes in the human eye. By measuring the relative shift of the extracted beams, the system delivers a direct and highly sensitive way to detect accommodation. The design supports compact, alignment-tolerant, and wearable accommodation sensing, making it well suited for integration into near-eye devices, adaptive display technologies, and vision screening systems.
Background:
Augmented reality (AR) is being more widely adopted all over the world. These systems, however, are fundamentally hindered by the Vergence-Accommodation Conflict (VAC). This is when there is a physiological mismatch because a display’s fixed focal plane contradicts the depth cues perceived by the brain. Current strategies to address this issue rely on external cameras to track eye rotation, which adds bulk and fails to directly measure the physical deformation of the eye's internal lens. This technology addresses this issue by utilizing a waveguide-integrated optical system to monitor physical accommodation changes directly through the lens substrate.
Applications:
- Near-eye devices
- Adaptive display systems
- Vision-screening applications
Advantages:
- Compact
- Alignment-tolerant
- Wearable
- Lightweight
- High-precision detection of accommodation changes
