Rambus Lensless Smart Sensors (LSS) take a novel approach to sensing by combining ultra-small diffractive gratings with standard image sensors to deliver advanced capabilities in a form factor ideal for AR and VR devices.
So, how does LSS work? Put simply, light passes through the diffractive grating and is intelligently spread onto the image sensor to form an unrecognizable, yet information-rich blob that contains all relevant data about a user’s gaze. Due to its small footprint, LSS can be mounted in the frames of everyday eyewear.
“We’re making eye-tracking hardware invisible to the outside world, while enabling users to experience augmented reality (AR) without sacrificing style, design or comfort,” said Paul Karazuba, a Product Marketing Director at Rambus. “LSS delivers high precision eye-tracking data with the ability to apply both appearance and feature-based algorithms to the output data. This, combined with its wide field of view, means LSS can accurately track the user’s gaze across the entire range of motion of the eye from an extremely close distance.”
As we’ve previously discussed on Rambus Press, the wide field of view and compact, flat form factor of such a stereoscopic lens-free sensor make the technology a good match for wearable eye-tracking applications within smart goggles or head-mounted displays. In addition, the light sources could be near-IR emitters integrated within the periphery of a glass frame.
As Karazuba points out, LSS eye-tracking hardware is almost invisible to the outside world, enabling an everyday, everywhere augmented reality experience.
“To create a seamlessly augmented reality experience, systems must interpret all the nuances of a user’s interaction. LSS enhances that interaction efficiently and elegantly. The eyes of a user essentially become the input device,” he explained. “Information is available on demand and at-a-glance, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for consumers and developers alike. With LSS, users can experience the true wonder of augmented reality in everyday, friendly eyewear, without sacrificing industrial design, weight or style.”
Interested in learning more? You can check out our official LSS page here and our article archive on the subject here.
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