In science fiction, the concept of a transducer is pretty standard, allowing a ship’s computer to view and manipulate the world around it using an array of sensors and projectors. Companies like Microsoft are working to bring some of that technology into reality with the Hololens headset and its ability to create digital objects in the middle of a real room. Now an engineering team at Eskiim Ltd. has a built a prototype device that does something strikingly similar — without any annoying displays blocking the user’s sight.
In science fiction, the concept of a transducer is pretty standard, allowing a ship’s computer to view and manipulate the world around it using an array of sensors and projectors.
Companies like Microsoft are working to bring some of that technology into reality with the Hololens headset and its ability to create digital objects in the middle of a real room. Now an engineering team at Eskiim Ltd. has a built a prototype device that does something strikingly similar — without any annoying displays blocking the user’s sight.
Transducers are devices that convert energy into another form. For example, a microphone converts sound waves into electrical signals, while an amplifier increases the strength of these signals so they can be used by other components in a system such as headphones or computer speakers. The concept isn’t limited to audio and visual equipment; transducers can also be used to transform heat into mechanical power for robots, or chemical reactions into electricity for electric cars.
The Microsoft Hololens is one example of a transducer that creates virtual objects in space using sensors (in this case cameras) and projectors arranged in an array around the user’s head. The user can then interact with these objects by placing their hands underneath them, which activates sensors built into the headset’s frame—these detect where your hands are located relative to the rest of your body so you can grasp them without having anything obstructing your view of reality at any given time.”
The Hololens headset and Eskiim’s E-Hallpass are both projecting a display onto the user’s eyes, but they go about it in fundamentally different ways. Microsoft uses what are called waveguides;
sets of microscopic lines etched into transparent glass that diffract light and send it towards the wearer’s eyes. It’s an effective technique, but it also blocks some of the user’s vision. Eskiim instead uses an approach called diffractive optical elements (DOE), which sends light directly through glass lenses.
Microsoft’s Hololens headset and Eskiim’s E-Hallpass are both projecting a display onto the user’s eyes, but they go about it in fundamentally different ways. Microsoft uses what are called waveguides; sets of microscopic lines etched into transparent glass that diffract light and send it towards the wearer’s eyes. It’s an effective technique, but it also blocks some of the user’s vision. Eskiim instead uses an approach called diffractive optical elements (DOE), which sends light directly through glass lenses. The DOEs create a pattern on each lens that acts like a hologram, with 3D objects appearing in front of your face even when viewed at angles as far away as 2 meters (6 ft).
The result is much clearer imagery than you’d get out of Microsoft’s technology—with no loss of peripheral vision and much brighter colors—but also presents some limitations: since all the light is coming from one direction (the front), you can’t see anything directly behind you unless there is something reflecting off your glasses.”
Conclusion
Eskiim’s E-Hallpass is an impressive piece of technology, but it’s also only a prototype. The company behind it has said that it’s developing the device for medical use in eye exams and diagnostics, but there’s no word on when we’ll see something more consumer-ready. In the meantime, there may be other ways to bring similar systems into our lives — like Microsoft’s Hololens headset sporting a pair of glasses with some built-in cameras and sensors instead of being strapped onto your face.
