KYOTO (dpa-AFX) - Kyocera Corporation announced the development of a groundbreaking meta-lens that uses metasurface-based optical control technology to manipulate focal positions depending on the wavelength of light. Leveraging this innovation, the company has created a prototype Wearable Aerial Display that combines a highly compact optical system with the ability to reproduce images featuring natural depth perception. The device will make its world premiere at CES 2026, held January 6-9 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
A meta-lens is an ultra-thin optical component built on a metasurface-a dense arrangement of pillar-shaped meta-atoms smaller than the wavelength of light. This design enables Kyocera to manufacture lenses less than 1mm thick, compared with conventional optical lenses that often exceed 1cm in thickness. By precisely engineering the meta-atoms, multiple optical functions such as wavelength control and phase modulation can be integrated into a single lens, dramatically reducing the number of components required.
Using its proprietary meta-atom design technology, Kyocera has developed a meta-lens capable of shifting focal positions based on color. For example, green images appear farther away, while red images appear closer. This creates three-dimensional aerial visuals with rich depth cues, even within a wearable-sized optical module. The innovation achieves natural depth expression without bulky multi-layer optical assemblies.
By combining the new meta-lens with its existing aerial imaging technologies, Kyocera has succeeded in producing a compact, lightweight wearable display that projects floating images with realistic depth. This marks a significant step toward next-generation visual interfaces that integrate high-quality optics into small, body-worn devices.
Currently, the technology enables aerial images with focal positions that vary by color. Future advancements in wavelength control and meta-atom design could allow full-color, high-resolution aerial images and smooth 3D visuals projected into mid-air.
The thin and lightweight nature of meta-lenses makes them ideal for applications such as miniaturized VR/AR glasses, slimmer cameras and projectors, and other optical devices where compactness is essential.
Kyocera plans to continue enhancing its meta-lens technologies to drive innovation across consumer electronics, industrial equipment, and emerging fields.
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