This is the final article in a 3 article series introducing the concept of k-space and discussing how to plan for an exit pupil expander design.

Communication can often be a struggle for both patients and doctors. Many of us have experienced times when we have a hard time explaining our symptoms to our physician, though we know something is not right and needs attention. This leaves doctors in the dark for knowing how to diagnose an ailment, sometimes leading to a process of trial and error in an effort to find the exact issue and corresponding treatment plan.

Fortunately, augmented reality (AR) device innovation can help in this scenario, giving doctors a way to visualize symptoms and gain a better understanding of what is going on with their patient. When designing these systems, optical designers need to ensure the user experience is as accurate as possible. In our third and final installment of designing an exit pupil expander (EPE), we will discuss how to check the footprint diagram and simulate the image for the exit pupil expander system.

Checking the footprint diameter

As we enter into the final phases of designing an EPE, it is useful to investigate the footprint of each field. This will help you to determine how light will interact with an object and ultimately display for the user. The process of checking the footprint diameter is fairly straightforward. The use of a detector needs to be added, and the result can be observed in the Shaded Model.

Figure 3: A detector added for detecting the footprints from each field.

Image simulation of the final product

The final step is to simulate how the image looks like when observed by the human eye. Zemax OpticStudio is the only software able to simulate the actual image, giving designers a clear view into how the final product will work. To set up your simulation, a dummy image source is required, and an ideal lens system is needed to mimic the eye system to check the image at the exit pupil.

If you are new to this series, or need a refresher on previous steps, please review Part 1 and Part 2 of this series to learn more about the entire EPE design process process.

A better future for medicine and healthcare

We are excited to see both the growth of AR in the medical field and the new innovations that will follow in the coming years. As these two technologies come together, the quality of healthcare will continue to improve, giving all of us a better quality of life.

To learn more, Zemax customers can access the entirety of this Knowledgebase article and the entire series on MyZemax.com. Otherwise, please reach out to Zemax Sales to learn more about OpticStudio.

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