North Ocean Photonics began developing AR diffractive optical waveguide products in 2016, accumulating extensive experience in the design, processing, and mass production of diffractive optical waveguides. At the 2019 Optics Expo in Shenzhen China, North Ocean Photonics officially launched its first mass-produced AR diffractive optical waveguide, the Xiao Yao I.
In recent years, the family of AR diffractive optical waveguide products from North Ocean has continuously expanded. With years of project experience with numerous international and domestic clients, the company has introduced five major mass-produced product series to the market: Qiu Shui, Xiao Yao, Meng Die, Fu Yao, and Ying Ning, each targeting different application scenarios. Each series focuses on specific aspects and employs various processes and materials to meet the diverse needs of customers.
In terms of appearance, North Ocean can provide multiple IDs such as side projection and top projection, and can customize the appearance according to customer requirements. Regarding materials, the company offers two primary materials: glass and resin, along with various specialized and composite materials, SiC for example, based on customer optical specifications. In terms of thinness and lightweight design, North Ocean provides options such as single-piece full color, dual-piece full color, and multi-piece composite high-performance solutions. For process routes, North Ocean's proprietary IDM multi-technology mass production closed-loop platform offers different process routes and combinations, including nano-imprinting, photolithography, and etching, tailored to customers’ performance, ID, and cost requirements, providing customized solutions. For clients needing prescription lenses for myopia, North Ocean also offers various solutions like push-pull designs.
In addition to the core optical performance that attracts industry attention, breakthroughs have also been made in advanced AR features, with competitive parameters. For instance, in terms of anti-environmental interference characteristics, the Ying Ning series AR optical waveguide has achieved “zero” rainbow artifacts within a 120-degree field of view, significantly suppressing peripheral field effects by a hundredfold—addressing the rainbow stripe issue that has plagued traditional diffractive optical waveguides.
As of now, more than a dozen products from the market worldwide are equipped with North Ocean waveguides, with cumulative shipments of AR optical waveguides exceeding 300,000 pairs. North Ocean maintains long-term close collaborations with numerous clients in China, the United States, Europe, and beyond.
