STMicroelectronics Launches LaSAR, an Ecosystem to Accelerate Development of Augmented-Reality Eyewear Applications
08 October 2020 - 12:00AM
STMicroelectronics Launches LaSAR, an
Ecosystem to Accelerate Development of Augmented-Reality Eyewear
Applications
- Applied Materials, Dispelix, Osram, and Mega1 contribute
leading-edge technology and manufacturing expertise to meet
demanding AR smart-glass requirements
- Builds on ST leadership in MEMS1 micro-actuation and BCD2
process technologies
Geneva, Switzerland, October 7, 2020 –
STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor
leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics
applications, announces the launch of the LaSAR Alliance (Laser
Scanning for Augmented Reality), an ecosystem of leading technology
developers, suppliers and manufacturers collaborating to develop
and accelerate Augmented Reality (AR) smart-glass solutions.
Founding members in the LaSAR Alliance include Applied Materials,
Dispelix, Mega1, and Osram, in addition to ST.
The Alliance is focused on meeting the technical challenges
required for all-day wearable smart glasses. The eyewear will
balance a small, light-weight form factor and extremely low-power
operation with good FoV (Field-of-View) and a large eyebox. The
founding members coalesced around the recognition that near-to-eye
displays based on ST-developed Laser Beam Scanning (LBS) solutions
have demonstrated the potential to meet all these requirements.
The LaSAR Alliance brings together all the foundational elements
-- a MEMS micro-mirror platform and BCD expertise from ST, compact
illumination sources from Osram, advanced waveguide elements from
Applied Materials and Dispelix, and the overall integration of
these devices into a small optical light engine from Mega1. These
elements can be assembled into AR-enabled smart glasses that are
stylish, functional, comfortable and deliver critical
application-specific information. The Alliance’s mission is to
facilitate the development, availability, and support of all key
technology elements for rapid AR-enabled smart-glass application
creation, adoption, and volume production.
“With its leadership developing and delivering in volume a
high-performance, low-power, laser-beam scanning MEMS micro-mirror
solution that combines MEMS mirrors, MEMS driver, laser driver, and
control software, ST recognized the value of its technology to
Augmented Reality and especially to Smart Glasses and Eyewear,”
said Anton Hofmeister, Vice President and General Manager MEMS
Microactuator Division, STMicroelectronics. “In working with
Applied Materials, Dispelix, Osram, and Mega1 to bring their
critical expertise to establish LaSAR, we see a powerful alliance
of exceptional technical strength that aims to accelerate the
adoption of Augmented Reality in comfortable Smart Glass eyewear
through foundational developments.”
“One of the most critical requirements needed to support
widespread growth of the AR industry is the ability to manufacture
high-quality, high-performance, affordable waveguides,” said Wayne
McMillan, General Manager of Applied Materials’ Engineered Optics™
program. “Applied Materials is answering this need with our
decades-long leadership in materials engineering and expertise in
precision manufacturing at an industrial scale. We are excited to
work with the LaSAR Alliance and others in the industry to
accelerate the availability of all-day-wear smart glasses for AR
applications.”
“Dispelix is delighted to join the LaSAR Alliance. We're
combining our world-leading waveguide technology with advanced
technologies from the alliance partners to make it easier for our
customers to integrate a complete display solution for advanced
all-day wearables. Our innovations will set a new benchmark for
what is already the thinnest and lightest waveguide technology in
the industry – without sacrificing image quality,” said Juuso
Olkkonen, Dispelix CTO and co-founder.
“Miniaturized modular integration and automated volume
production play pivotal roles in the ultimate success of the next
generation AR wearable. Mega1’s LBS solution integrates all
critical modules into 1.2cc in 3g light-weight optical engine. With
aligned mission of LaSAR, Mega1 facilitates its strength to
manufacture for volume production. We believe true AR adoption will
come to realization soon with this powerful Alliance,” said CTO
& COO, Makoto Masuda, Mega1.
“We constantly work to miniaturize and optimize our RGB (Red,
Green, Blue) laser portfolio because we know size and power are
critical parameters for our AR customers,” explains Jörg Strauss,
General Manager and Vice President of Visualization & Laser at
Osram Opto Semiconductors. “Being a founding member of LaSAR
enables us to contribute to the alliance’s technical strength that
will help resolve the system challenges of LBS adoption in
all-day-wear AR eyewear.”
About STMicroelectronicsAt ST, we are 46,000
creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the
semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing
facilities. An independent device manufacturer, we work with our
100,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build
products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges
and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable
world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient
power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of the
Internet of Things and 5G technology. Further information can be
found at www.st.com.
For Press Information Contact: Michael
Markowitz Director Technical Media Relations STMicroelectronics
Tel: +1 781 591 0354 Email: michael.markowitz@st.com
1 MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) are miniaturized
mechanical and electro-mechanical elements manufactured on a small
piece of silicon using semiconductor processing and manufacturing
technology. Micro-actuators are MEMS devices that generate
mechanical motion of solids or fluids, including the movement of
micro-mirrors.
2 BCD (BIPOLAR-CMOS-DMOS) is a key technology for power ICs. ST
invented this technology—revolutionary at the time--in the
mid-eighties and has continually developed it ever since. BCD is a
family of silicon processes, each of which combines the strengths
of three different process technologies onto a single chip: Bipolar
for precise analog functions, CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor) for digital design, and DMOS (Double Diffused Metal
Oxide Semiconductor) for power and high-voltage elements.
- T4297D -- Oct 7 2020 -- LaSAR Alliance_FINAL FOR
PUBLICATION
- BN_LaSAR-Alliance
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