Anyone who has ever used an artificial reality system, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets, would remember the immersion. The feeling that you're truly within a virtual environment or that digital objects exist in your actual reality. However, even amongst the incredible digital escapism, there are issues that persist, and one of the most significant has commonly been the unevenness of the display, or screen inconsistency issue.
For those unfamiliar with the term, screen inconsistency can best be compared to a movie being projected unevenly on a cinema screen, where one part might be brighter or another might have a color shift. This issue denies the viewer a consistent and immersive visual experience. But, a recently published patent titled 'Display non-uniformity correction', patent number: US11754846B2 by Meta Platforms Technologies, seeks to challenge and rectify this hindrance to our VR and AR experiences.
In VR and AR systems, ensuring the image produced is uniform is often a technical challenge. The devices have screens displaying images close to the eyes, and depending on how the user wears the headset or their physical positioning, the distance between the screen and the viewer’s eyes often varies. This variation can cause a shift in brightness and even color on the screen, disrupting the immersive experience.
The patent proposes a solution to address the problem by using a computer to figure out the distance between the viewer's eye and the screen. It then adjusts the image on the screen to fix any uneven parts based on special adjustment guides, thereby ensuring what's on the screen appears perfect for that person's view.
The application of this remarkable technology can best be envisaged in devices like the Oculus Quest 2, where smooth, uniform visuals are integral to the user experience.
The change this could bring to our virtual and augmented reality experiences can't be overstated. The customer gets an enhanced visual experience, devoid of disturbing brightness or color shifts. With this improvement, users can enjoy an immersive and realistic virtual environment, redefining gaming, virtual tours, and even virtual communication.
The technology also has potential applications beyond gaming and personal use. Imagine architects freely and clearly navigating 3D models of their designs; medical professionals training on exact surgical procedures in virtual theaters, or educators exploring historical ruins with their students, all without having to worry about the display quality.
Despite the potentially transformative effect of this patent, it's important to remember it is still a patent. Its actual implementation and arrival on the market cannot be guaranteed. So while the future of AR and VR experiences looks brighter and significantly more uniform, users may need to manage expectations about when these improvements will become a reality.
P.S: Figures accompanying the patent, which illustrate various aspects of the proposed system, may provide further understanding of the proposed solution to display unevenness. However, it should be noted that incorporation of this invention into products like Oculus Quest 2 is still speculative.