From: clarke@acme.ucf.edu (Thomas Clarke)
Subject: TECH: HMD info from UCF-IST
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 93 14:45 EDT


Thank you for your interest in the HMD I am working on here at the
Institute for Simulation and Training.  Unfortunately, I am still
waiting for the universities glacial patent attorney to decide what
is novel about my optical design.  Hopefully, this will be sorted out
soon so I can tell you more.

The important points are that the HMD being developed at IST will use
holographic optical elements (HOEs) in a unique configuration to 
provide a lightweight, wide field of view, see-through design.  

The HOEs are based around duPonts new holgraphic recording film 
(HRF) materials.  The highest resolution display readily available
seems to be the Tektronix field sequential one inch CRT, but we are
trying to get our hands on a TI digital mirror display (DMD) through
our ARPA sponsors.

The following is a copy of an information sheet I was handing out 
at this year's I/ITSEC conference.

The Problem

	Computer generated virtual environments, personal simulators  
if you like, offer great promise for training, for education, for  
entertainment and for a host of other applications.
	Unfortunately, existing virtual environment displays are  
terrible.  Available head mounted displays, or eyephones are heavy  
and awkward to wear, have limited fields of view and low-resolution .

The Approach

	IST, with support from DARPA, is developing a head mounted  
display optimized for displaying virtual  environments.  

	The widest field of view with the highest possible resolution  
is obtained from a given display by warping the image before it is  
displayed to concentrate detail near the center.   The warped image  
is then viewed through special optics that  provide a wide field of  
view through the inverse warping as shown in the illustration. The  
warping can be accomplished in the image generator hardware or  
software or through a special frame buffer located between the CIG  
and the display.  

	

The Solution

	Initial experimentation was performed with variations on  
conventional optic configurations, but a marvelous new optical design  
has been discovered.
	This discovery is based upon the use of holographic optical  
elements in a novel patentable configuration.   Head mounted displays  
using this IST design will not only offer an optimal trade-off  
between resolution and field of view, but they will be as comfortable  
to wear as a pair of eyeglasses.  In addition, the holographic  
optical element is easy and inexpensive to fabricate.

The Opportunity

	Currently the subject of a patent search, this invention is  
the property of the University of Central Florida, and is available  
for licensing.
	This invention will extend virtual environments to, dare we  
say it, Nintendo-level applications. 


For Information contact:

Thomas L. Clarke
Principal Investigator/Inventor (407)658-5030

Institute for Simulation and Training
University of Central Florida
12424 Research Parkway, Suite 300
Orlando, Florida  32826