AR Glasses on the Horizon
Swave is paving the road toward the development of affordable, lightweight, and power-efficient Augmented Reality (AR) glasses with the integration of their holographic chip. Such glasses have remained in the conceptual phase for a while due to the limitations of existing smart glasses that cannot function without video processing and power processing external units. Even though Meta and Snap have made strides in the development of AR glasses, no major company has offered a functional AR solution that is accessible to everyone.
Swave’s Innovation with the HXR Display Swave’s extended holographic reality (HXR) display utilizes a laser engine which is compact and lightweight. Smart glasses typically use birdbath optics that are not enhanced to improve brightness and resolution while simultaneously decreasing size. Most traditional heads-up displays (HUDs) utilize waveguides which need to be refracted at an angle to the display screen, limiting the field of view (FoV) and adds difficulty to the reproduction of accurate colors.
Swave’s holographic displays are powered using lasers and can utilize up to 64 gigapixels of resolution without losing too much light. The implementation of a new type of phase change technology that closely resembles rewritable DVDs enables the creation of ultrafine pixels, allowing for the formation of 170 times smaller pixels than standard displays.
Beyond AR Glasses Versatility
This advanced display technology has been designed for AR glasses, but it can be utilized in other ways too. Swave is looking into automotive uses, like navigation displays built into the windshield, similar to BMW’s Panoramic iDrive concept. Furthermore, there are plans for large volumetric displays for enterprise and commercial uses.
Understanding Holographic Displays
Holographic displays operate by capturing the interference patterns produced by the reflection of laser beams off an object. These patterns contain information in the three-dimensional space which can later be reconstructed using light diffraction methods. Swave has developed a method that enables these interference patterns to be changed, and this makes it suitable for use in real-time AR.
Swave HXR Towards the Future of AR Glasses
Swave has a vision for the AR glasses where the features are low-cost, greater brightness and resolution, increased battery capacity, and the use of glasses with prescription lenses. The technology also resolves the vergence-accommodation conflict (VAC) which figuratively hurts some users and is a major problem with near-eye displays.
Mike Noonen, a CEO of Swave, claims that the glasses’ bill of materials (BOM) is estimated at $50 per eye. They speculate the glasses will weigh less than 50 grams and have an FoV that is adjustable to 120 degrees with 60 PPD resolution. These wearables could redefine the standard for AR glasses because of their expected 10 hours of battery life and peak brightness of 2000 nits.
Swave has further developed a real-time holographic processing unit (HPU) that enables the rendering of 2D and 3D shapes as holograms. It is worth mentioning that HXR display’s principle of operation is based on phase-change technology which means they don’t use energy to keep a static image anymore which is a big plus for HUD powered devices. The refreshing rate of pixels is also very fast – 300 nanoseconds.
What’s Next for In Development Swave AR Glasses?
So far, Swave has only showcased designs for AR glasses at industry fairs, however a functional mock-up is anticipated in the coming months. If the company is correct in its claims, this invention may make great strides in enabling true AR glasses in a short period of time. Noonen estimates that Swave’s HXR and HPU technologies could be available in the market by 2026, provided that manufacturing alliances are secured.
Current Alternatives in 2025
Those who wish to experience AR technology today, have multiple contending products available. The latest smart glasses from Xreal and Meta offer sophisticated heads-up displays that enable users to get notifications, help with navigation, live translations, and voice AI assistance. The Xreal One has the ability to recreate a virtual screen to view a movie while Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses feature AI powered hands-free recording, both photo and video, making them smart glasses.
For an advanced level of immersion, headsets with the ability for mixed reality, allowing the user to see and interact with digital objects overlayed within their physical environment also provide an alternate.
Looking Ahead
The AR and VR landscape is rapidly evolving, and 2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for extended reality (XR) advancements. Stay tuned for further updates on Swave and other industry developments as we move closer to a future where AR glasses become a mainstream reality.
