Fraunhofer IPMS show world first OLED microdisplay based Eyetracking HMD at SID-2011

The Fraunhofer IPMS works on the integration of sensors and microdisplays on CMOS backplane for several years now.

Now the Fraunhofer-IPMS and Comedd show a bidirectional microdisplay for Head Mounted Displays at the SID-2011 in Los Angeles. The SID-2011 will be held May 17 – 19, 2011 in Los Angeles/USA

For example the researchers have developed a bidirectional microdisplay, which could be used in Head-Mounted Displays (HMD) for gaze triggered augmented-reality (AR) aplications.

The chips contain both an active OLED matrix and therein integrated photodetectors. The combination of both matrixes in one chip is an essential possibility for system integrators to design smaller, lightweight and portable systems with both functionalities.

Rigo Herold, PhD student at Fraunhofer IPMS and participant of the development team, declares: »This unique device enables the design of a new generation of small AR-HMDs with advanced functionality«.

The OLED microdisplay based Eyetracking HMD enables the user on the one hand to overlay the view of the real world with virtual contents, for example to watch videos at jog. And on the other hand the user can select the next video triggered only by his gaze without using his hands.

On the SID 2011 a demonstrator will be presented for the first time, that has the following technical specifications:

• Monochrome
• Special Eyetracking-Algorithm for HMDs based on bidirectional microdisplays
• Front brightness: > 1500 cd/m²

Rigo Herold will present the system at the exhibitor forum at May 17, 2011 4:00 p.m.: »Eyecatcher: The Bi-Directional OLED Microdisplay«.