Better optics could help the metaverse become as big as the Internet

with metaverse expected To reach $800 billion in revenue from social media ads as well as through hardware, software and live entertainment opportunities over the next two years, the realistic visual experiences of tomorrow require significant hardware improvements today,

The concept of living in a digitally created world has been featured in countless Hollywood movies, depicting people who want to escape reality and dive into an alternate universe. Until recently, this virtual world was generally thought of as a vehicle for more immersive gaming experiences, but now the concept surrounding a metaverse has grown into a huge opportunity for money – and companies. Already starting to invest in it.

As the year 2021 drew to a close, a letter written by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the then Facebook, now Meta, sparked a worldwide conversation about the future of immersive technology and what’s possible in the Metaverse. In the announcement, Zuckerberg discussed how people would be able to do almost anything in the company’s reimagined platform. “Get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create… you can go to the office, at a concert with friends, or in your parents’ living room without a hologram instantly.” Will be able to teleport in form to catch up,” wrote Meta CEO and president.

Still, many people are left with the question of what the metaverse really is and how it will or might affect everyday life. While it can often mean different things to different people, the metaverse is a shared virtual space and a fusion of digital and physical realities. The New York Times recently described the Metaverse as a “virtual reality and digital second life…”. [where] We will spend a lot of time in virtual space interacting with our friends and colleagues… we will spend money there too.”

It is important to note that the metaverse can only be realized through the technology that enables it. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) provide the primary link for entering this alternate universe. With AR technology, users are operating a device that is essentially a lightweight, handheld or hands-free, immersive and wearable computer.

The Magic Leap’s technical specifications, for example, offer a wide 50-degree field of view (FoV), high resolution with 1.3m pixels per eye, superfast 120Hz refresh rate, and support for over 16.8m colors. And with their new Magic Leap 2, which will be released later in 2022, even bigger improvements in many parameters can be imagined. AR glasses and their handheld controllers are used for individuals or teams to work productively in the real world augmented by high quality simulation. On the other hand, with VR technology, users are thrust into the digital world in a 3D experience that feels alive through advanced headsets and controllers. For example, Valve’s hardware uses visual, audio and ergonomic technologies to create an engaging experience for users that includes FOV, dual element lenses, canted optics and optimization for long session comfort.

In the European Union, 10,000 new jobs related to the metaverse are reportedly expected to be introduced by 2026 to help build new computing platforms. Digital spaces where people can visit places and meet other avatars are also being sold for huge amounts, with a virtual real estate plot recently purchased for $2.4 million in cryptocurrency. The conversation doesn’t end even on the virtual land. Just shy of early 2022, a three-story yacht that exists only in the Metaverse was also purchased for $650,000, complete with a DJ booth, hot tub and two helipads. While the metaverse has the power to be riskier than social media, such as through the ease of misinformation or deep fakes, it is quite possible that it also has the potential to become something that people depend on quickly. Go and a technology without which it is quite difficult to live.

The current failure of legacy devices in the digital space

It is clear that the metaverse will greatly impact the economy and our lifestyles as adoption becomes more prevalent. In fact, it’s already here with games like Fortnite, which already had over 350 million registered users in 2020 and the recent $68.7 billion news from Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard Inc. in early 2022. declare. Bloomberg estimates the market size of the metaverse could reach $800 billion in the next two years through social media ads, hardware, software and live entertainment opportunities.

However, for the Metaverse to become truly beneficial to users in the personal and professional sectors, realistic visual experiences require significant hardware improvements. Traditional hardware such as cell phones and computers do not offer the sense generated by innovative hardware and there are a variety of optical design challenges that need to be addressed to meet the technology requirements of the metaverse. Today, although many people are certainly glued to their phones, most aren’t interested in having a small screen at eye level for long periods of time.

With the advancement of projection systems, optic sensors, AI, spatial light modulation and precision mechanics, there is a need for state-of-the-art technology. With AR glasses, VR goggles or haptic gloves, the virtual world feels real and is directly in front of you, compared to phone use, where AR can only be felt in a small field of vision and has no haptic sense. There is a shortage. With applications such as new optical electronic techniques and advanced sensing, which is important for gesture recognition, and displays that allow the transition from the real world to the virtual world and content to be viewed, more realistic interactions inside the metaverse are possible. Is.

The development of Holographic Optical Elements (HOE) also creates a more realistic and impressive experience due to their lighter, thinner form factor and lower cost in 3D displays. Legacy devices lack the ability to provide impressive connections between the digital and physical worlds that are seamless and interchangeable.

Hardware innovation for the future inside the metaverse

The future undoubtedly includes technology that will always be evolving. While the software is almost there, manufacturers who are a one-stop-shop and have experience creating new and inventive hardware will allow companies to overcome many of the hardware barriers expected to enter the metaverse with innovative glasses.

It is important to collaborate with a reliable manufacturing partner who has established global experts in optical systems and technologies in developing these innovations. Access to the metaverse is also a challenge because of the need for AR/VR solutions that are affordable to billions of people. This requires a well-established understanding of engineering, design and fabrication to provide complex optical and cost-effective solutions in high volumes.

The importance of the compact form factor of hardware, precise optimization of field of view (FOV), high resolution, and the need for wide FOV starts at the manufacturing floor with precise optical alignment. To satisfy the audience, an ultimate experience will be hardware that delivers social competence, visual perception and wearability as well as comfort through resolution, gestures and haptic interactions.

With the right improvements in optics technology, sensing and displays, the metaverse will become as big as the Internet in the future. And, with more than half the world’s population, or more than 4.5 billion people, estimated to have access to the Internet, this is an lofty but laudable goal.

Simon Schwinger, Business Competence, Jabil Optics Germany GmbH