Mario Possiwan | EssilorLuxottica: How does laminating holographic film automatically record prescription correction, and what brightness does the prototype reach?
20:09 - 21:36
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Summary of the clip:
How does laminating holographic film automatically record prescription correction, and what brightness does the prototype reach?
The way the correction is handled is through the holographic film, which is laminated onto the lens itself before recording. During recording, one of the two beams travels from the front side of the lens, through the lens, to the hologram. Because that beam passes through the world side, it sees the prescription, for example from minus two diopter to plus diopter. The prescription is therefore automatically recorded and appears in the virtual image.
On brightness, the prototype currently produces between 600 and 1,000 nits. That is described as not a lot. For rowing use, it is not that good, because rowing requires a lot of brightness. Even with photochromic lenses, the output is not really enough. A test a few months ago is mentioned, but its result is not stated here. Earlier discussion notes diffraction efficiency from the Hotel Cecil graph looked quite nice, so similar performance might be expected.
The approach records the prescription through the recording geometry. One beam enters from the world side, passes through the lens, and reaches the hologram, so the prescription is captured in the virtual image. The prototype’s 600–1,000 nit range, however, limits demanding daylight or high-brightness uses such as rowing. Photochromic lenses do not overcome that shortfall. Diffraction efficiency from the earlier Hotel Cecil graph looked quite nice, so similar performance may be expected in the end, though brightness remains limited.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Laminating holographic film before recording lets a beam from the world side pass through the lens and automatically record the prescription in the virtual image.
* The prototype produces between 600 and 1,000 nits, which is not enough for rowing, even with photochromic lenses.
* Earlier Hotel Cecil diffraction efficiency looked quite nice, so similar performance may be expected in the end.
📋 **Clip Abstract** The clip explains how prescription correction is automatically recorded by laminating holographic film onto the lens before recording: one recording beam travels from the world side through the lens to the hologram, so the prescription appears in the virtual image. It also reports prototype brightness of 600–1,000 nits, insufficient for rowing even with photochromic lenses, while earlier Hotel Cecil diffraction efficiency looked quite nice and similar final performance is expected.
About the speaker:
* Speaker: Mario Possiwan
* Company: EssilorLuxottica
* Event: Eindhoven 2026
* Location: High Tech Campus, Eindhoven
#HolographicFilmLamination, #PrescriptionRecording, #DiffractionEfficiency, #PhotochromicLenses, #ARDisplayOptics, #HolographicOptics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
POPULAR - Prescription Optics Providing a Universal Lens for Augmented Reality Eyewear
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03:14 - 04:46
Why choose a holographic combiner over a waveguide for prescription augmented reality eyewear?
Why choose a holographic combiner over a waveguide for prescription augmented reality eyewear?
Waveguides carry well-known advantages, but the drawbacks matter for prescription eyewear: they are relatively thick and relatively heavy, especially once prescription is added. Push and pull lenses are required, and that adds further thickness and weight. Lens shape is also constrained — any shape must be considered during the waveguide design phase rather than chosen freely afterwards. That rigid coupling of optics and frame geometry is the core problem.
The holographic approach is not going to be as good in terms of the image as waveguides: field of view and eye box are limited. Because the holographic approach uses prescription lenses, the decades of progress made with prescription lenses are inherited, and prescription is already provided automatically. That trade of image performance for optical simplicity and wearability is the design choice.
Polymer lenses are relatively thin and low weight, and the polymer film adds only a few tens of micrometers, so it does not really hurt the weight budget. Lens shape is free: the variety of frame shapes in any room shows what can be accommodated. The software partner, Tech2heal, routes the image information towards the user's eye.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Waveguides are relatively thick and relatively heavy once prescription is added, because push and pull lenses increase both thickness and weight.
* Lens shape must be considered during the waveguide design phase, while the holographic approach allows any shape.
* The holographic approach loses image quality, field of view and eye box but gains automatic prescription and a polymer film of a few tens of micrometers that barely adds mass.
📋 **Clip Abstract** The talk compares waveguides with a holographic approach for prescription augmented reality eyewear, weighing waveguide thickness, weight and lens-shape constraints against a limited field of view and eye box. It concludes that thin, low-weight polymer lenses and a polymer film of a few tens of micrometers deliver prescription automatically and leave lens shape entirely free.
About the speaker:
* Speaker: Mario Possiwan
* Company: EssilorLuxottica
* Event: Eindhoven 2026
* Location: High Tech Campus, Eindhoven
#HolographicCombiner, #PrescriptionLensStack, #PolymerLensFilm, #EyeBoxAndFieldOfView, #AugmentedRealityEyewear, #SmartGlassesOptics
09:59 - 11:46
How is a European project making a PFAS-free, spin-coated holographic resin reach 80% diffraction efficiency?
How is a European project making a PFAS-free, spin-coated holographic resin reach 80% diffraction efficiency?
Existing holographic materials include Covestro’s bayfill films, but with Covestro no longer exactly a European company, a European route is being handled by the University of Audasa. They are developing a new resin that will be spin-coated. It is complex: binder, additives, a monomer that polymerizes, and a photoinitiating system. These components work together or against each other and set the final diffraction efficiency.
That complexity is compounded by commercial IP. Companies like Covestro have worked on these materials for a while, so the IP space is already well covered; developers must avoid infringing anyone’s IP. PFAS adds another constraint: it is good chemistry but not good for people or other living things, so Audasa is also pursuing a PFAS-free solution. Their latest graph shows the PFAS material’s diffraction efficiency is already quite good.
The result is up to 80% diffraction efficiency for the PFAS material in a multiplex system, where red, green and blue holograms are recorded in one layer. That is very nice and something they will use soon. For now, bayfill films are still used because this development started. PFAS is good chemistry but not good for people and other living things, so a PFAS-free solution is also being pursued.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The new holographic resin is spin-coated and combines binder, additives, polymerizing monomer and photoinitiating system.
* Covestro’s bayfill films are the incumbent, but the IP space is well covered and PFAS-free chemistry is being pursued.
* Audasa’s latest PFAS material reaches up to 80% diffraction efficiency for R, G and B holograms multiplexed in one layer.
📋 **Clip Abstract** A European effort led by the University of Audasa is developing a spin-coated resin for holographic AR lenses, with binder, additives, monomer and photoinitiating system balanced for diffraction efficiency. The latest PFAS-free material reaches up to 80% diffraction efficiency in a multiplex R/G/B single-layer recording, while bayfill films remain in use.
About the speaker:
* Speaker: Mario Possiwan
* Company: EssilorLuxottica
* Event: Eindhoven 2026
* Location: High Tech Campus, Eindhoven
#PfasFreeResin, #SpinCoatedResin, #DiffractionEfficiency, #MultiplexHolograms, #AROptics, #HolographicLenses
08:34 - 10:00
What are the power consumption and development trade-offs of using micro-OLED displays in AR eyewear?
What are the power consumption and development trade-offs of using micro-OLED displays in AR eyewear?
The work started with green micro-OLED displays used by Micro-OLED and EnGo in the Active Look platform. Green fell out of favour after the 1990s, so the push is now toward colour. With Micro-OLED and the Fraunhofer Institute, the team can start from the design phase, build displays in the lab, and then test them. That lets them move from design to lab fabrication to testing.
For green, the highlighted result is very low power: two milliwatts, which fits quite well into the one-watt demand heard yesterday. For color, the images are real captures from displays built so far. Power consumption is, of course, a bit higher, as expected. That covers the display itself. The color route raises the power budget beyond the green baseline.
All prototypes built so far and delivered for testing are green, because RGB development was more complex. As is sometimes the case with wave patterns, things do not work all the time, so you wait for the next one. After the display, the light must reach the hologram, and a hologram needs photopolymer. That material step follows the display.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Green micro-OLED displays consume two milliwatts, fitting the one-watt system demand cited at the event.
* All delivered prototypes are green because RGB development is more complex, and wave-pattern issues mean waiting for the next build.
* The light path moves from the display to the hologram, which requires photopolymer.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Green micro-OLED displays in the Active Look platform draw two milliwatts, within a one-watt demand, while color versions show higher power in real captured images. Prototypes delivered for testing remain green because RGB development is more complex, and the next optical step needs photopolymer for the hologram.
About the speaker:
* Speaker: Mario Possiwan
* Company: EssilorLuxottica
* Event: Eindhoven 2026
* Location: High Tech Campus, Eindhoven
#MicroOLED, #ActiveLook, #FraunhoferInstitute, #PhotopolymerHologram, #AugmentedRealityOptics, #WearableDisplayOptics