Wearable viewing headsets provide a three-dimensional (3D) visualization experience that is important in both government and private sectors.

However, current headsets can cause eye strain or other discomfort, and struggle to provide natural depth perception, especially in occupational settings. Through an innovative reconfiguration of mature commercial-off-the-shelf components, the Real Vision Head-Mounted Display projects light into the eye to offer a high quality and affordable 3D immersive experience with minimal discomfort and excellent depth perception. The compact lightweight display could be used to improve 3D visualization in a range of settings such as military activities, minimally invasive surgery, training and simulation, virtual reality, and home entertainment.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conceived the invention, developed a prototype to demonstrate proof of concept, protected the intellectual property, licensed the technology, supported the licensee in the technology transfer process, and advanced the technology with other clients consistent with the license and PNNL?s expertise and mission. The Avegant Corporation turned a passion and a vision for the technology into a marketable device by capitalizing the company, engineering and manufacturing the devices, and introducing them to the commercial marketplace.

Through an innovative reconfiguration of mature commercial-off-the-shelf components, the Real Vision Head-Mounted Display projects light into the eye to offer a high quality and affordable 3D immersive experience with minimal discomfort and excellent depth perception.

The development and commercialization process for the headset was one of quick thinking and decisive action. In support of PNNLs national security mission, PNNL researchers conceived and built the novel technology by reconfiguring a diverse set of relatively mature, commercially available components. The co-inventor who envisioned the technology was so passionate about it that he partnered with an entrepreneur to start Avegant and bring the technology to market.

Avegant benefitted from PNNLs understanding of government clients and unparalleled support
to a startup company, while PNNL benefitted from the agility and drive of a small privately funded company to bring an innovation to market. The first commercial product based on the Real Vision Head-Mounted Display is slated to be announced in the first quarter of 2014.

The first two products will provide the warfighter with a lightweight, portable, premium tool and give consumers an enjoyable, vivid experience, both with minimal eye strain and excellent depth perception. The Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan has also expressed interest in the technology to provide a 3D viewing experience to the one-in-seven Americans who cannot currently process stereoscopic images because of eye-dominance issues.