DigiLens, an innovative tech company that has rapidly been changing the realm of display technology, has managed to acquire $22 million in funding towards developing eyeglass-thin AR displays.
Jonathan Waldern, Ph.D, Founder and CEO of DigiLens, said in a blog post on their website, a combined investment from companies such as Foxconn, Continental, Panasonic, and Sony will help DigiLens develop tech that addresses the bulky and inefficient hardware supporting the AR/VR field today.
Waldern further emphasizes the importance of such a large investment,

“The disclosure was significant because it clearly demonstrates growing industry interest in DigiLens Waveguide Diffractive Optics as the technical base for an emerging breed of augmented reality (AR) displays and sensors for enterprise and consumer applications. Collaborating with their top AR engineers, we will jointly focus on application acceleration and manufacturing improvements, expecially with yield and cost.”

DigiLens as a company has spent the majority of its existence crafting and developing their ‘Optical Waveguide Technology’. They have partnered with corporations internationally and received government contracts to implement better Head’s Up Display (HUD) tech into fighter jet pilot helmets, windshields for cars, and other displays.
In conversation with VentureBeat Waldern states the capacity in which DigiLens is able to revolutionize the current field,

“We enable a massive reduction in size and form factor. This funding allows us to expand our scope to focus on the next areas. Today’s science fiction is tomorrow’s science fact.”

DigiLens has previously displayed their proficiency with HUD tech with their partnership with BMW, which beams data to your visor in real time which can be seen in the video above.
Currently the major setback for VR is the fidelity and the inefficiency that comes with the large units.
While groundbreaking, current limitations bind users to very restrictive settings or utilization; however, companies like Niantic have proven how engaging AR technology can be, and hardware will without a doubt continue to improve.
The world of technology continues to expand in amazing new ways.