Facebook's new VR prototype looks like a snazzy pair of sunglasses

Source: Facebook

What you need to know

Facebook Reality Labs will be showing off a new VR paradigm headset at SIGGRAPH 2022.
This new prototype headset utilizes a pair of holographic lenses to significantly shrink the size and weight of the headset downward.
Current limitations of the applied science include a narrower FoV and the power to merely transmit green low-cal at this small size.

Facebook has pumped more coin into virtual reality enquiry than any other company in the earth, and it regularly shows in their paradigm products. From advanced hand-tracking to pancake-flat VR glasses, and even lenses that can focus on multiple layers of depth, the work at Facebook Reality Labs feels nothing short of magic at times. This latest VR epitome headset is no exception, as it utilizes holographic lenses to shrink the VR headset down to the side of an ordinary pair of sunglasses.

Facebook Reality Labs appear this new breakthrough ahead of SIGGRAPH 2022, an annual figurer graphics and technology trade show which takes place virtually this year starting on August 17. The product is expected to be demoed during the show, but we've been given a sneak summit by Facebook thanks to the Facebook Research blog. These new lenses borrow concepts from holographic displays and utilizes a combination of laser illumination and polarization-based optical folding to bounciness light around and eliminate the space that'southward needed in a traditional lens setup.

Source: Facebook

The animation higher up showcases the difference between traditional lenses, which take a linear light path and concentrates it into a single point via refraction, while the new holographic lenses utilize polarized lenses to reflect calorie-free several times to achieve a similar issue. This reduces the space needed between the lenses and the display to an unbelievable 9mm. Past comparison, current methods place the display between one and three inches away from the lenses, which accounts for a significant portion of the size of current VR headsets.

Traditional lenses are too pretty heavy, and while upcoming headsets similar the Oculus Quest 2 volition be lighter than always at around 450 grams, they pale in comparison to the 17.8 gram weight of the epitome lenses seen here. Of course, these lenses don't have any sort of battery or computing components on board, which would add a lot more weight. A 10,000mAh battery pack, for instance, weighs around 270 grams just past itself.

Source: Facebook

Still, this is likely to bring the sheer bulk and size of future-generation VR headsets down considerably — if Facebook is able to overcome two hurtles, that is. Right now, these holographic lenses sport a slightly narrower field-of-view at around 90-degrees. Compare that with the 100-130 in almost VR headsets and it'll feel like the earth is slightly less immersive. The big setback right at present, though, is the fact that this setup an simply transmit green low-cal to the human middle. As y'all'll see below, that looks quite a bit like a Virtual Boy from dorsum in the 90s, with just a tad more dark-green instead of red, though. Facebook has a full-color epitome working, but that one is about as big as a table at this signal in fourth dimension.

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