Friday, October 2nd 2026
TDK Demonstrates New Direct Retinal Projection Display Technology for Smart Glasses
TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) has successfully demonstrated, for the first time in the world, a direct retinal projection (DRP) display for smart glasses using a meta-optic mirror. The flat mirror uses nanoscale reflectors, measures just 150 nm thick and can be embedded directly into a lens. With a visible-light transmittance of approximately 80 percent, it enables smart glasses with transparency equivalent to that of ordinary eyeglass lenses, giving them a natural appearance suitable for everyday use. TDK will exhibit a prototype at CEATEC 2026, beginning on October 13, 2026, and at electronica, November 10-13, 2026.
TDK has established technologies for an ultra-compact full-color laser module (FCLM), one of the smallest of its kind in the world, and a visible-light full-color laser control device capable of achieving 4K resolution. The company has also been developing the key devices required for DRP in smart glasses. Conventional DRP systems used a curved mirror mounted in front of the user's eye to project images onto the retina, making it difficult to achieve smart glasses with a natural appearance. By arranging unique nanoscale reflectors on a plane and creating a structure that changes the angle of light reflection depending on the position of the mirror, it is possible to reflect laser light incident from various angles at the reflection angle necessary for DRP. Therefore, it is possible to replace conventional curved mirrors.
Furthermore, the DRP smart glasses prevent images from being visible to people facing the wearer (image leakage). This provides a natural look and addresses privacy concerns since others cannot see the projected content.
Conventional waveguide displays have complex structures and can be costly to manufacture. The meta-optic mirror, however, can be manufactured using processes comparable to those used for semiconductors, opening the way to cost-competitive mass production. The current meta-optic mirror supports monochrome operation. TDK aims to demonstrate full-color operation and achieve mass production within the next few years.
TDK has entered into a business cooperation agreement with QD Laser, Inc. (TSE:6613, hereinafter "QD Laser"). By combining QD Laser's proprietary retinal projection technology and patent portfolio with TDK's FCLM, visible-light full-color laser control devices, meta-optic mirrors, and other technologies, TDK is accelerating the development of next-generation RGB light source modules and optical engines for smart glasses. TDK will contribute to the transformation of smart glasses, an application expected to grow within the AI ecosystem on which TDK is focusing, and their widespread adoption in society.
Source:
TDK
TDK has established technologies for an ultra-compact full-color laser module (FCLM), one of the smallest of its kind in the world, and a visible-light full-color laser control device capable of achieving 4K resolution. The company has also been developing the key devices required for DRP in smart glasses. Conventional DRP systems used a curved mirror mounted in front of the user's eye to project images onto the retina, making it difficult to achieve smart glasses with a natural appearance. By arranging unique nanoscale reflectors on a plane and creating a structure that changes the angle of light reflection depending on the position of the mirror, it is possible to reflect laser light incident from various angles at the reflection angle necessary for DRP. Therefore, it is possible to replace conventional curved mirrors.
Conventional waveguide displays have complex structures and can be costly to manufacture. The meta-optic mirror, however, can be manufactured using processes comparable to those used for semiconductors, opening the way to cost-competitive mass production. The current meta-optic mirror supports monochrome operation. TDK aims to demonstrate full-color operation and achieve mass production within the next few years.
TDK has entered into a business cooperation agreement with QD Laser, Inc. (TSE:6613, hereinafter "QD Laser"). By combining QD Laser's proprietary retinal projection technology and patent portfolio with TDK's FCLM, visible-light full-color laser control devices, meta-optic mirrors, and other technologies, TDK is accelerating the development of next-generation RGB light source modules and optical engines for smart glasses. TDK will contribute to the transformation of smart glasses, an application expected to grow within the AI ecosystem on which TDK is focusing, and their widespread adoption in society.
7 Comments on TDK Demonstrates New Direct Retinal Projection Display Technology for Smart Glasses
I wonder how it will work in practice, as even a little movement will quickly shift the beam out of your retina.
Reacting to this quick enough, along with eye tracking, leads me to believe that this will be pretty difficult to bring to commercial devices 🤔
"...it enables smart glasses with transparency equivalent to that of ordinary eyeglass lenses, giving them a natural appearance suitable for everyday use"
When it is about making the glasses more normal, then that impacts the total setup ie. it makes spotting pervert glasses harder.
I really wish spatial compute with transparent lenses had been much more of a thing than it is now, to be honest.Why do you insist on the "pervert" thing when the tech is about displays and not cameras, someone told you it wasn't about cameras and then you quote the news saying it's about display (ergo, not cameras)?
Projection much?You can use lens inserts in almost all VR and AR/XR glasses. I have a pair myself to use with my Viture glasses.
I don't see anything here that says you wouldn't be able use such inserts with this solution, or even apply it to prescription lenses.
The so called smart glasses are becoming a very big privacy and surveillance problem. I get the tech is interesting, really interesting actually only the downsides are massive so I raise the alarm about it. The real question should be, why aren't you?