Lucas Klamer | AddOptics: How do you build a complex AR lens from the ground up instead of carving it from a block?
00:02:44 - 00:03:36
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How do you build a complex AR lens from the ground up instead of carving it from a block?
The breakthrough with AddOptics lies in fundamentally changing the manufacturing process from subtractive to additive. Traditional ophthalmic lens production starts with a large lens "puck" and then grinds and cuts away excess material to create the final prescription shape. This is inefficient and ill-suited for integrating the complex, delicate components required for augmented reality.
Instead of cutting material away, this new process builds the lens from the ground up. It starts by creating a unique mold for each individual user's eye. This mold is not just a simple shape; it is pre-corrected with the user's exact prescription, forming a perfect negative of the final lens surface.
With the prescription-corrected mold prepared, functional hardware components like waveguides or eye-tracking sensors are precisely placed inside. The final optical-grade lens material is then cast around these embedded components, fusing everything into a single, unified, and robust structure. This results in a thinner, stronger, and optically superior lens compared to a fragile stack of laminated layers.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The fundamental shift from subtractive (grinding) to additive (casting) lens manufacturing.
* How a user-specific, prescription-corrected mold forms the basis of the process.
* The technique of embedding active electronic components directly into a cast lens.
š **Clip Abstract** AddOptics introduces a breakthrough manufacturing process that builds AR lenses additively. Instead of laminating layers, they create a custom mold for each user, place functional components inside, and cast the final prescription lens around them in a single step.
š Link in comments š
#AdditiveManufacturing, #LensCasting, #EmbeddedElectronics, #CustomAROptics, #AugmentedReality, #OpticalWaveguides
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Creating the world's most advanced prescription lens technology for Augmented Reality glasses
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00:03:37 - 00:04:29
Can a revolutionary AR lens technology plug directly into the existing billion-dollar eyewear industry?
Can a revolutionary AR lens technology plug directly into the existing billion-dollar eyewear industry?
The manufacturing process begins by using standard ophthalmic lab equipment to create a "master" lens. This master is precision-machined to incorporate the user's specific prescription. From this master, the optical surface is copied to create the final, flexible casting mold, which is the core of the AddOptics technology.
Once the hardware components are placed in the mold, it is filled with a standard ophthalmic monomer, cured, and then processed for coatings. This final step is critical for scalability, as the cast lens is fully compatible with the standard hard coats and anti-reflective (AR) coatings used on millions of conventional eyeglasses every day.
The most significant advantage of this approach is its seamless integration into the existing global eyewear supply chain. By using standard equipment, materials, and coating processes, the AddOptics tooling can be placed directly into an existing prescription lens manufacturing line. This avoids the need for building entirely new, specialized factories and allows for rapid, cost-effective scaling to millions of units.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The step-by-step manufacturing flow from a prescription "master" to a final coated AR lens.
* How the process leverages standard ophthalmic equipment for initial tooling.
* The strategic use of standard materials and coatings to ensure massive scalability.
š **Clip Abstract** This clip details the scalable manufacturing workflow for AddOptics' embedded lenses. The process leverages standard ophthalmic equipment, materials, and coatings, allowing it to integrate directly into the existing global eyewear supply chain for mass production.
š Link in comments š
#OphthalmicLensCasting, #FlexibleCastingMold, #ARLensCoatings, #EyewearManufacturingIntegration, #AugmentedReality, #WearableElectronics
00:09:53 - 00:10:40
How can you use an embedded electronic film to make an AR lens lighter and stronger?
How can you use an embedded electronic film to make an AR lens lighter and stronger?
This casting process is uniquely capable of producing complex optical designs required for high-performance AR, such as "push-pull" lenses. This design uses specific curvatures on the front and back surfaces to correct for optical distortions introduced by the embedded waveguide. The front surface can be shaped as a meniscus lens, an initial step in minimizing overall weight and thickness.
A key technical innovation for weight reduction is revealed when embedding functional films, such as an electrochromic dimming cell. The inherent structural strength of the film itself is utilized as part of the final lens structure. This means significantly less optical monomer is needed to form the final curved lens, as the film provides much of the required rigidity.
This integrated approach means the lens no longer has to be a thick, monolithic piece of plastic designed to withstand impact resistance tests (like the FDA drop ball test) on its own. By leveraging the embedded components for strength, the overall lens can be made substantially thinner and lighter without compromising durability, directly addressing one of the biggest barriers to all-day wearable AR glasses.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How the casting process enables complex optical designs like push-pull and meniscus lenses.
* A novel technique for weight reduction by using embedded films for structural support.
* How this integrated approach helps meet durability requirements with less material.
š **Clip Abstract** Discover how this unique casting process enables advanced optical designs like push-pull lenses while simultaneously reducing weight. The technique cleverly uses the structural integrity of embedded components, such as an e-dimming film, to create a thinner, lighter, yet durable final lens.
š Link in comments š
#OpticalCasting, #EmbeddedFunctionalFilms, #StructuralIntegration, #ARLensDesign, #AugmentedReality, #WearableOptics