Spun-out of the Department of Engineering, AllFocal Optics’ technology is built on 10 years of research and development in the Centre for Photonic Devices and Sensors led by Professor Chu and Dr Shrestha, former Royal Academy of Engineering enterprise fellow.
Led by SpeedInvest and Innovate UK grants, this investment comes on the back of successful trials with Jaguar Land Rover, along with the addition of tech veteran Dr Ash Salusbury (Microsoft’s Former VP of Technology and the leader of Meta’s AR team) as Chair of AllFocal Optics.
“This means AllFocal Optics is on track to become the first in the world to deliver ultra-thin lenses that recreate human vision for a better and more comfortable virtual experience,” said Professor Chu, Nanjing Professor of Technology and Innovation. “Our cutting-edge thin nanophotonic lenses allow users to visually access virtual information in the real world without the nausea and discomfort typically associated with virtual, augmented and mixed reality.”
He added: “It marks a significant step in overcoming a critical obstacle to the mass adoption of Extended Reality (XR) hardware and applications, redefining the XR experience for anyone (even if they wear glasses).”
AllFocal’s advanced nanotech devices can be built into car head-up displays, projecting sat-nav directions directly onto windscreens. The first trials of AllFocal Optics in car settings will take place early next year in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover. The company anticipates its lenses will be in AR glasses and VR headsets within the next two years.
Dr Shrestha said: “Critical to XR’s mass adoption is enabling users to interact with virtual images for as long as they like, without feeling nauseous, and to seamlessly shift focus between physical and virtual environments. Our technology, compatible with LCD, OLED, or any type of display, makes that possible.
“By projecting a digital image onto a user’s retina, it keeps the image in focus regardless of how the eyes adjust to the surrounding world, completely eliminating any discomfort.
“After more than a decade of research, we’re now ready to take our technology to market, unleashing possibilities across automotive, medical, engineering industries, and more.”
