The outfit has been working with Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) to develop a reference design for production-ready augmented reality (AR) glasses.
It combines OmniVision's lightweight and power-efficient OP02220, the industry's only single chip, 1080p high definition (HD) liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display with integrated driver and a memory buffer, with ASTRI's reference design, which integrates optics and system electronics that provide a 60-degree-wide field of view.
OmniVision LCOS marketing manager Sam Yoshikawa said that customers were looking for a complete "turnkey" reference design for AR glasses with Wi-Fi connectivity to any mobile device or PC.
"We partnered with ASTRI because they are an early adopter of AR technology and they have strong expertise in AR design. The collaboration allows us to rapidly bring our high-resolution LCOS display to the AR market as part of a qualified reference design."
ASTRI's wireless reference design will offer OEMs and ODMs the opportunity to license the technology, obtain a prototype and accelerate their product launch. High-quality optics from ASTRI allow an unprecedented 60-degree field of view as part of its fully qualified, complete electronics system for AR glasses. This system also integrates 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity.
The reference design uses OmniVision's OP02220 LCOS display and OV9282 image sensor to enable inside-out tracking such as SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping), 3D room scanning, and hand and tool tracking.
The OP02220 enables simpler system designs, a smaller form factor, lighter weight and up to 40 percent lower power consumption compared with display systems using two or three separate driver and memory-buffer chips.
The OV9282 is built on OmniVision's high-speed OmniPixel3-GS pixel technology to capture 1280 x 800 pixel images at 120 frames per second (FPS) with low latency.
ASTRI Senior Manager Kenny Chan, said that ASTRI's intelligent AR projection solution offers advanced optics with uniquely varied FOV, as well as high resolution and brightness.
He said that the OP02220 was a perfect fit for ASTRI's reference design because it offers industry-leading LCOS display capabilities in a compact form factor with extremely low power consumption.
"ASTRI's 'Smart Optics' display and sensing technology solutions, and this particular reference design, enable OEMs and ODMs to rapidly bring leading-edge AR glasses to the market", he said.
A prototype is being demonstrated in a private room at at CES but so far no one has a snap of it.
