System and Methods for Calibration of Holographic Optical See-through Head Mounted Displays

Unmet Need
Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) have become increasingly popular across various industries. From medical to military to entertainment applications, HMD’s market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37% from 2018-2022 and some expect the HMD market to reach $25B by 2022. Both immersive HMDs, where the user’s physical surroundings are replaced by a virtual environment, and see-through HMDs, where the virtual objects are superimposed on the real environment, require a display calibration to create an accurate environment for the user. The correct pose and proper alignment of the virtual object is critical for the user experience yet current calibration methods for 3D overlaying are outdated. This particularly applies to see-through HMDs. As the market and the use of HMDs increases, it is necessary to develop accurate calibration systems for see-through HMDs; even more so in industries such as military, healthcare or engineering where applications are endless.

Technology Overview
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering have recently developed new systems and methods for the calibration of holographic optical see-through HMDs. Unlike traditional methods, this procedure is aimed to transform virtual objects and represent them on the same coordinate system as the real world. This is the first calibration method for see-through HMDs that factors in the holographic nature of the display. Additionally, whereas traditional calibration methods include tracking the user’s head movement and require line of sight between the HMD and the external tracking system, this is the first calibration method that uses the self-localization and spatial mapping of the HMD in order to avoid head-tracking complications. Overall, this calibration method is not only more accurate but also provides a more efficient and user-friendly experience for the user.

Stage of Development
System and methods have been fully developed.

Publications
Azimi E, et al. Arxiv 2019

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