Talk Abstract: The dawn of next generation digital mobility has arrived! The paradigm of today’s smart phones is beginning to change, right at the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions becoming ubiquitous in our everyday lives. Just as personal computers (PCs) gave way to cellphones and tablets, so they too will accede to a more capable, enabling and convenient technology that will make everyone more productive and potentially smarter. That next generation technology is Augmented Reality (AR) ‘smart’ glasses.

AR smart glasses use transparent waveguide technology to overlay visual digital content on top of the real world. However, not all waveguides are equal! Not only does the waveguide need to have incredible optical performance, it also needs to be highly transparent, have socially acceptable performance characteristics, and critically, it also needs to be manufacturable and rapidly scalable at a consumer price point.

DigiLens leads the world in the development of Volume Holographic Grating (VHG) AR waveguide and glasses technology. In this talk the fundamental characteristics and manufacturing processes of Volume Holographic Gratings (VHGs) will be outlined. Furthermore, DigiLens has advanced its VHG technology into the next generation of surface relief grating technology: SRG+. This is a process extension of VHG manufacture that enables the highest performance diffractive waveguides while maintaining a low-cost, high-volume manufacturing approach. The benefits and fabrication of SRG+ will also be reviewed.

Speaker Biography: Alastair is DigiLens’ Chief Technology Officer, responsible for R&D development of DigiLens’ core holographic waveguide grating technology. This includes the development of DigiLens’ high-performance waveguides, holographic grating structures and holographic fabrication equipment & processes suitable for high volume scalability. He has enjoyed working for DigiLens since 2011 developing cost effective, rapidly scalable holographic waveguide technology for the dynamic, exciting, and now rapidly developing, XR/AR industry. He leads DigiLens’ technology roadmap development, defining the future DigiLens optical technologies, and envisioning the future for us all!

Over the past 30+ years Alastair has held senior and principal optical engineering positions with BAE SYSTEMS, OPTICS1/SAFRAN, and Panavision, where he has successfully innovated, designed, built, tested and deployed an extensive range of optical imaging, illumination and sensing solutions. Alastair’s broad optical experience covers commercial, defense, visible, infrared, imaging, illumination, classical and holographic / diffractive optics.

Alastair holds a BSc.(Hons) in Optoelectronics and Laser engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and an MSc. in Electronics from University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK