How Display Choice and System Architecture Influence the Form Factor of Lightweight AR Glasses?

The choice of system architecture in AR glasses plays a pivotal role in shaping user experience, device form factor, power consumption, and overall performance. Most current designs rely on diffractive waveguide optics, which, despite their compactness, suffer from low optical efficiency. This inefficiency demands extremely high luminance from the microdisplay, often leading to the selection of technologies like LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) and microOLED. While these displays offer good image quality, they come with the drawback of high power consumption, necessitating larger batteries and thus increasing the overall size and weight of the device.
This creates a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma: efforts to reduce the size of the optical system inadvertently lead to bulkier and heavier overall designs. So far, many AR glasses have been developed through a technology-driven approach, aiming to integrate as many advanced features as possible. However, eyewear is subject to strict constraints in terms of weight and ergonomics. To truly optimize AR glasses, the design process must prioritize user experience and content delivery, placing these considerations at the core of the technical architecture to minimize system size and enhance wearability.
Ultimately, the ideal display technology for AR glasses depends heavily on the intended use case—whether for enterprise, consumer, or industrial applications. As the field evolves, we may see hybrid systems emerge that combine the strengths of multiple display types, enabling more seamless, efficient, and high-quality AR experiences.