DigiLens Holographic Waveguide: The Solution for AR Products Today and Tomorrow
Alastair J. Grant, Senior Vice President and Dr. Nicholas Sherwood, Director of Product Engineering
Presentation Abstract
DigiLens is the world leader in the design, fabrication and manufacturing of holographic waveguides for AR applications. In this talk the manufacturing readiness of DigiLens proven holographic VBG gratings will be discussed, and put in context of the world’s leading Enterprise AR product now in mass production: DigiLens ARGO. Furthermore, the evolution of DigiLens holographic VBG technology into SRG+, the next generation of surface relief gratings will be overviewed. SRG+ is a process extension of VBG gratings, that is already demonstrating industry leading performance, ready to pair with the next generation of ultracompact projection engines necessary to enable form factors demanded by consumer smart glasses. The talk will be supplemented with technology demonstrations of DigiLens’ waveguides and ARGO products.
Alastair J. Grant, Senior Vice President, DigiLens, Inc.
Alastair is DigiLens’ chief optical technologist and a member of DigiLens’ executive management team. He is responsible for R&D development of DigiLens’ core holographic waveguide grating technology. This includes the development of DigiLens’ high performance waveguides, holographic grating structures and holographic fabrication equipment & processes suitable for high volume scalability. He has enjoyed working for DigiLens since 2011 developing cost effective, rapidly scalable holographic waveguide technology for the dynamic, exciting, and now rapidly developing, XR/AR industry. He leads DigiLens’ technology roadmap development, defining the future DigiLens optical technologies, and envisioning the future for us all!
Over the past 30 years Alastair has held senior and principal optical engineering positions with BAE SYSTEMS, OPTICS1/SAFRAN, and Panavision, where he has successfully innovated, designed, built, tested and deployed an extensive range of optical imaging, illumination and sensing solutions. Alastair’s broad optical experience covers commercial, defense, visible, infrared, imaging, illumination, classical and holographic / diffractive optics.
Alastair holds a BSc.(Hons) in Optoelectronics and Laser engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and an MSc. in Electronics from University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Dr. Nicholas Sherwood, Director of Product Engineering, DigiLens, Inc.
Nick Sherwood is a product design engineer and research scientist with over 15 years of experience in manufacturable micro- and nano-scale optics. As Director of Product Engineering at DigiLens, he helps lead the development of AR wearables based on holographic waveguides and the advanced light engines that power them. Together with the DigiLens Product Team, he helped bring the DigiLens ARGO platform to market—the first truly industrial AR glasses available. His previous research spans integrated nanophotonics applications for medical, telecommunications, and imaging industries.