19JUNE 2023AR glasses using FCLM and DRPUsing the FCLM, a completely new type of AR glasses has been created. In these new glasses, the laser beam emitted from the FCLM is scanned by a MEMS mirror, then the laser beam is directly projected onto the eye's retina. This is called direct retinal projection (DRP). To date, QD Laser, Inc. has been the only company in the world to bring DRP glasses to the commercial market. However, their current product uses a conventional large-size full-color laser that is too bulky to build into the glasses themselves. This design requires that the large laser module be carried at the waist, severely restricting use cases.With the ultra-small FCLM, TDK and QD Laser collaborated to integrate the module into the temple of the glasses, enabling the world's first AR glasses using DRP. The biggest feature of these new AR glasses is that you can see virtual world projections simultaneously with real-world images without adjusting your focus. Even if your eyes are focused at a distance, you can recognize the information presented by the AR glasses. This is the "real AR" which has never been achieved in AR glasses. With no switching of optical focus our attention between real and virtual worlds, this technology opens exciting new opportunities for the application of AR glasses in daily life.As the leading developer and manufacturer of hard disk drive (HDD) heads, TDK successfully developed very precise and efficient optical assembly technology that can be used in large-volume productionTsuyoshi Komaki What is next.Implementing a real or authentic visual AR experience has proven a very difficult technological challenge that has never been realized until now. With this new ultra-small FCLM and the incorporation of DRP, these difficulties have been overcome, paving the way for new implementations and broad adoption of AR technology.About the authorsHideaki Fukuzawa received the Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Tohoku University, Japan in 2004. Since 1995, he has been with Corporate R&D Center in Toshiba Corporation, and main research items are magnetic and spintronic devices, such as HDD head and highly sensitive sensor in charge of optical devices and system for AR/VR glasses and beyond 5G optical communications, as well as spintronic devices for new applications. Tsuyoshi Komaki joined TDK Corporation in 1991. He was a member of the Development Department of the Recording Media Division, where he was involved for the development and mass production of optical discs. He is mainly responsible for the development of organic materials for CD-R, DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Since 2018, he has been part of Tech & IP and oversees the development of laser modules for AR/VR glasses.
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