Head-Mounted Display Requirements and Designs for Augmented Reality Applications

Level: Introductory Length: 7 hours Format: In-Person Lecture Intended Audience: Software developers, hardware engineers, scientists, engineers, researchers, technicians, or managers who wish to learn the fundamentals of the specification, design, and use of augmented reality head mounted displays. Description: There has never been a more exciting time for augmented reality (AR). The advent of high resolution microdisplays, the invention of new optical designs like waveguide and freeform eyepieces, and the significant advances in optical manufacturing techniques mean that augmented reality head mounted displays can be produced now that were not possible five years ago. Key to the development and adoption of these systems is the understanding of the fundamental requirements, derived from a human factors-centric approach to AR system design. The authors, with a combined experience of over 50 years in the design of AR systems, will identify the key performance parameters necessary to understand the specification, design and selection of AR systems and help students understand how to separate the hype from reality in evaluating new AR displays. This course will evaluate the performance of various AR systems and give students the basic tools necessary to understand the important parameters in augmented reality displays, whether they are designing them or purchasing them. This is an introductory class and assumes no background in head mounted displays or optical design. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - define basic components and attributes of AR displays - describe important features and enabling technologies of an AR system and their impact on user performance and acceptance - differentiate between video and optical see-through AR systems - identify key user-oriented performance requirements and the linkage to AR system design parameters - list basic features of the human visual system and biomechanical attributes of the head and neck and the guidelines to follow to prevent fatigue or strain - identify key tradeoffs for monocular, binocular and biocular systems - classify current image source technologies and their methods for producing color imagery - evaluate tradeoffs for critical display performance parameters Instructor(s): Michael P. Browne is the Founder and President of Vision Products, LLC in Campbell, California. Mike previously was a General Manager at SA Photonics, where he assisted in the development, growth and sale of SA Photonics (to CACI International). He has a Ph.D. in Optical Engineering from the University of Arizona's Optical Sciences Center. Mike has been involved in the design, test and measurement of augmented reality systems since 1991. At Kaiser Electronics, Mike led the design of numerous augmented reality head mounted displays systems including those for the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Mike also invented one of the first head-mounted "virtual workstations", in the 1990s, for interacting with data in a virtual space. Mike leads Vision Products' programs for the design and development of person-mounted information systems, including body-worn electronics, head-mounted displays and night vision systems. He led the development of the world’s first integrated day/night digital night vision display, the world’s largest field of view high resolution augmented reality display, and the world’s first light secure augmented reality display. James E. Melzer is an independent consultant in design and development of head- and helmet-mounted displays for flight, simulation, medical, professional and enterprise applications. He previously held positions as Director of Advanced Technology at Thales Visionix and was a Technical Fellow at Collins Aerospace. He holds a BS from Loyola University of Los Angeles and an SM from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has extensive experience in optical and displays engineering, visual human factors, and is an expert head-mounted displays and sensor systems. His research interests are in visual and auditory perception and in bio-inspired applications of invertebrate vision and animal navigation. He has authored over 50 technical papers, books and book chapters and holds ten patents in head-mounted display design. Event: SPIE Photonics West 2025 Course Held: 30 January 2025