{"id":367491,"date":"2025-08-23T15:01:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T15:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/367491\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T15:01:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T15:01:14","slug":"no-more-bulky-headsets-this-ultra-thin-holographic-system-from-meta-and-stanford-could-disrupt-big-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/367491\/","title":{"rendered":"No more bulky headsets: this ultra-thin holographic system from Meta and Stanford could disrupt Big Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, the biggest drawback of VR and mixed reality headsets has been their size. While augmented reality glasses are getting sleeker and almost indistinguishable from everyday eyewear, devices like the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro still feel bulky on the face. The main culprit isn\u2019t the electronics\u2014it\u2019s the lenses.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Quest 3 slimmed down slightly compared to the Quest 2 by switching from Fresnel to pancake optics. But that\u2019s still a long way from glasses<\/strong><\/a>. Now, researchers at Meta<\/strong> and Stanford University say they\u2019ve developed an ultra-thin holographic system that could one day change the game.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The various components of the holographic display system. \u00a9 Meta, Stanford<\/p>\n

A new kind of holographic display<\/p>\n

Published in Nature Photonics, their design ditches the flat stereoscopic images used in today\u2019s headsets. Instead, it relies on a custom waveguide, where tiny red, green, and blue lasers are directed by miniature mirrors (MEMS). The light then passes through a spatial light modulator (SLM) before reaching the lens. The result: a system just three millimeters thick.<\/p>\n

Unlike today\u2019s headsets, this creates a hologram<\/strong> with genuine depth, solving the issue of fixed focal distances. Artificial intelligence fine-tunes the SLM to cut down on visual artifacts. Still, it\u2019s not perfect\u2014the field of view is narrow, just 38 degrees diagonally (compared to the Quest 3\u2019s 100 by 96 degrees).<\/p>\n

How it compares and what\u2019s next<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first attempt at holographic optics. Back in 2022, Nvidia<\/a><\/strong> unveiled a 2.5 mm prototype with a field of view of only 23 degrees. The Meta-Stanford design improves on that, showing progress toward mixed reality glasses that could one day replace heavy headsets.<\/p>\n

For now, though, the technology<\/strong> isn\u2019t ready for consumer rollout. The field of view remains too limited, and scaling the system for mass production will take time. But the research makes one thing clear: the future of mixed reality is slimmer, lighter, and far closer to a pair of glasses than the boxy headsets we know today.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

\t\t\t Edward Back <\/p>\n

\n Journalist <\/p>\n

\n

My passion for programming began with my very first computer, an Amstrad CPC 6128. I started coding in Basic, then moved on to Turbo Pascal on a 286, eventually exploring more modern languages including web development. I\u2019m also deeply interested in science, which led me to attend a math-focused preparatory program. Later, I studied psychology with a focus on the cognitive aspects of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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