{"id":561052,"date":"2023-03-08T18:07:21","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T15:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/lark-optics-is-targeting-your-retinas-for-ar-without-nausea-and-other-sickness\/"},"modified":"2023-03-08T18:07:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T15:07:21","slug":"lark-optics-is-targeting-your-retinas-for-ar-without-nausea-and-other-sickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lark-optics-is-targeting-your-retinas-for-ar-without-nausea-and-other-sickness\/","title":{"rendered":"#Lark Optics is targeting your retinas for AR without nausea and other sickness"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3e8d0e36d64\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3e8d0e36d64\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lark-optics-is-targeting-your-retinas-for-ar-without-nausea-and-other-sickness\/#%E2%80%9CLark_Optics_is_targeting_your_retinas_for_AR_without_nausea_and_other_sickness%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Lark Optics is targeting your retinas for AR without nausea and other sickness&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lark-optics-is-targeting-your-retinas-for-ar-without-nausea-and-other-sickness\/#Discover_the_future_of_tech\" >Discover the future of tech!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CLark_Optics_is_targeting_your_retinas_for_AR_without_nausea_and_other_sickness%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Lark Optics is targeting your retinas for AR without nausea and other sickness&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <em>This story is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.preseednow.com\/p\/lark-optics\">syndicated<\/a> from the premium edition of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.preseednow.com\/\">PreSeed Now<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter that digs into the product, market, and founder story of UK-founded startups so you can understand how they fit into what\u2019s h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ening in the wider world and startup ecosystem.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Whether you believe it\u2019s the future of everything, or just a useful tool that will be part of the mix of tech we regularly use a few years from now, augmented reality is a rapidly developing field with one major drawback \u2013 like VR, it can leave you feeling sick.<\/p>\n<p><span>For example, US soldiers who tried Microsoft\u2019s HoloLens goggles last year suffered \u201c\u2018mission-affecting physical impairments\u2019 including headaches, eyestrain and nausea,\u201d Bloomberg <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-10-13\/microsoft-s-us-army-version-of-hololens-goggles-gave-soldiers-nausea-headaches?sref=YURDD6is\">reported<\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> could \u201cbring net economic benefits of $1.5 trillion by 2030\u201d <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.co.uk\/services\/economics\/insights\/vr-ar-to-boost-global-gdp.html\">according to PwC<\/a><span>, this sickness is a massive inhibitor to the growth of AR and VR.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Discover_the_future_of_tech\"><\/span>Discover the future of tech!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Join us at TNW Conference June 15 &amp; 16 in Amsterdam<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>One startup looking to tackle the problem is Cambridge-based <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/larkoptics\/\">Lark Optics<\/a><span>, which has developed a way of bypassing the issues that cause these problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the real world, we perceive depth by our eyes rotating and focusing. Two different cues need to work in harmony. However, in all existing AR glasses, these cues fundamentally mismatch,\u201d explains Lark Optics CEO Pawan Shrestha.<\/p>\n<p>Having to focus on a \u2018virtual screen\u2019 on augmented reality glasses, means users have to switch focus between the real world and the augmented one. This depth mismatch causes physical discomfort and conditions like nausea, dizziness, eyestrain, and headaches.<\/p>\n<p>What Lark Optics does differently, Shrestha says, is it projects the augmented reality image onto the user\u2019s retina. This means the AR is always in focus no matter what your eyes do to adjust to the real world around you.<\/p>\n<p>So far the startup has developed a proof of concept and is now iterating to refine its demonstrator model. Shrestha says they conducted two successful user studies with their proof of concept; one in their own lab and another with an external partner he prefers not to name.<\/p>\n<p><span>When the tech is ready, they want to use a <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fabless_manufacturing\">fabless<\/a><span> model for producing the components they design, which they will then sell to original equipment manufacturers who make AR headsets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Given they\u2019re addressing such a fundamental challenge to the mass adoption of AR, it\u2019s unsurprising that other companies are tackling it in other ways (more on that below). But Shrestha says his startup\u2019s approach is the most efficient in terms of processing power and battery power, and doesn\u2019t affect the user\u2019s field of vision.<\/p>\n<p>Shrestha grew up in rural Nepal (\u201creally rural\u2026 I was nearly nine years old before I saw electric lights\u201d). He says his parents\u2019 enthusiasm for his education eventually led him to New Zealand where he obtained a masters degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Waikato.<\/p>\n<p><span>Keen to develop technology he could commercialise, he says he developed an <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ligo.caltech.edu\/page\/what-is-interferometer\">interferometer<\/a><span>. While that venture didn\u2019t work out, his work led him on to a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he spotted the commercial potential of a new approach to AR displays.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was scientifically challenging, but\u00a0 it was also something that could touch the lives of many, many people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Shrestha co-founded Lark Optics (which was previously known as AR-X Photonics) with his friend Xin Chang, and Daping Chu who previously oversaw the PhD work of Shrestha and Chang. The trio have been working together for around a decade but only got started with Lark Optics in earnest last year,<\/p>\n<p>Shrestha says this week they have been joined by a new recruit, Andreas Georgiou, who previously worked at Microsoft as a principal researcher in the field of optical engineering.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1394668 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1450\" height=\"1014\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1450px) 100vw, 1450px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02.jpg 1450w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-280x196.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-193x135.jpg 193w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-386x270.jpg 386w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-796x557.jpg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2023%2F03%2F08%2Flark-optics-is-targeting-your-retinas-for-ar-without-nausea-and-other-sickness%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Lark Optics team (L-R): Weijie Wu, Dr Pawan Kumar Shrestha, Professor Daping Chu, Dr Andreas Georgiou, Dr Xin Chang\" data-title=\"Share The Lark Optics team (L-R): Weijie Wu, Dr Pawan Kumar Shrestha, Professor Daping Chu, Dr Andreas Georgiou, Dr Xin Chang on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Lark Optics team (L-R): Weijie Wu, Dr Pawan Kumar Shrestha, Professor Daping Chu, Dr Andreas Georgiou, Dr Xin Chang on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The Lark Optics team (L-R): Weijie Wu, Dr Pawan Kumar Shrestha, Professor Daping Chu, Dr Andreas Georgiou, Dr Xin Chang<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1394668\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1450\" height=\"1014\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02.jpg 1450w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-280x196.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-193x135.jpg 193w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-386x270.jpg 386w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/03\/larkoptics02-796x557.jpg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>Perhaps unsurprisingly, Shrestha says being based in Cambridge is a big benefit to them, with a community of experienced advisers around them, and access to relevant investors. He is particularly inspired by the progress made by Micro LED tech startup <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.porotech.com\/\">Porotech<\/a><span>, which has raised a total of <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/Porotech\/company_financials\">$26.1 million<\/a><span> to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And Shrestha has warm words for the Royal Academy of Engineering\u2019s Enterprise Fellowship, of which <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/enterprisehub_enterprise-fellowships-activity-6959816149781905408-Fc7r?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">he is a part<\/a><span>. This provides up to \u00a375,000 in equity-free funding to cover salary and business costs, along with mentoring, training and coaching. This was what allowed him to get started on developing Lark Optics as a business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Lark Optics itself raised a pre-seed round of \u00a3210,000 in October last year, Shrestha says, and will be raising a seed round in Q2 this year.<\/p>\n<p><span>As mentioned above, others are tackling the problem of AR sickness in different ways. <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/letinar.com\/technology\/\">LetinAR<\/a><span> uses a \u2018pin mirror\u2019 method, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kura.tech\/\">Kura Technologies<\/a><span> has developed a \u2018structured geometric waveguide eyepiece\u2019, while <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vivid-q.com\/\">VividQ<\/a><span> \u201ccompute[s] holograms in real-time on low power devices and integrate[s] them with off-the-shelf display hardware.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Another company, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/seereal.com\/technology\">SeeReal<\/a><span> develops holography-based solutions to address depth issues in 3D displays.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But Shrestha says these rival technologies either require a very high level of data throughput, with a related computational and battery power overhead, or require very high resolution displays. And while some techniques decouple the AR display from the real world like Lark Optics does, Shrestha says they are \u201clike looking through a chicken fence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe solved the problem without getting a significant penalty on processing power or battery power, or artefacts. So that\u2019s why I think our approach is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lark Optics\u2019 ambition is to become established as the best optics for AR, VR, and mixed reality glasses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to realise the full potential of AR and VR. Now we have AR and VR you can wear for 20 minutes or 30 minutes. We want to make it feel as natural to look at real objects, VR ,or AR, and allow people to use it for all-day, everyday use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shrestha sees the biggest challenge to achieving this is being able to recruit the right people in what is quite a specialised field. But he\u2019s optimistic that attracting just one or two high-level people will end up attracting more, and the endorsement of a good seed round raise in the coming months won\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n<p><span>AR, VR, and MR has been massively hyped in recent years but there have been questions over how much of a future it has. Investor disquiet over Meta\u2019s huge spending in the \u2018metaverse\u2019 space, and Microsoft\u2019s <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2023-01-18\/microsoft-scales-back-hololens-business-after-setback-on-us-army-goggles?sref=YURDD6is\">job cuts<\/a><span> in its HoloLens division as it struggles to turn it into a viable business, show that there\u2019s no straight line from here to a future where this tech is widely used.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But that said, the current jitters of the public markets over stock prices and tech company spending isn\u2019t an end for AR, VR, and MR at all. Apple\u2019s first headset is on the horizon, which will no doubt spin up another wave of interest in the space (although the latest report says it\u2019s been delayed two months, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2023-02-15\/apple-pushes-back-mixed-reality-headset-debut-two-months-to-june?srnd=technology-vp&amp;sref=YURDD6is\">until June<\/a><span>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If technology like Lark Optics\u2019 can help prepare AR, VR, and MR for the mainstream, the startup could be well positioned to reap the rewards.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>The article you just read is from the premium edition of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.preseednow.com\/\">PreSeed Now<\/a>. This is a newsletter that digs into the product, market, and story of startups that were founded in the UK. The goal is to help you understand how these businesses\u00a0<\/em><em>fit into what\u2019s happening in the wider world and startup ecosystem.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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