In recent years, many AR glasses featuring Micro LED and waveguide technology have emerged, aiming to create a more compact and lightweight design while delivering a high-brightness and clear near-eye visual experience. However, due to the optical efficiency limitations of waveguides, even though the input brightness of Micro LED displays can reach millions of nits, the actual in-eye brightness is only around 1000-2000 nits, restricting the application scenarios of AR glasses.
To address this critical challenge in Micro LED micro-display applications, the industry continues to enhance the brightness of Micro LEDs, setting new records of millions of nits to reduce brightness loss. Recently, micro-display manufacturer JBD has introduced a new micro-display solution utilizing its high-brightness Micro LED technology.
On September 3, JBD announced the launch of the new “Hummingbird I” color optical module, characterized by an ultra-high in-eye brightness of 6000 nits, far surpassing the common brightness level of around 1500 nits in typical AR waveguide solutions. This substantial increase reduces the impact of ambient light on AR glasses’ display effects, ensuring clear visual performance across various lighting conditions, from indoor to outdoor environments.
The “Hummingbird I” color optical module achieves high in-eye brightness primarily through significant enhancements in the brightness of red, green, and blue micro-display panels. The Hummingbird I light engine offers a luminous flux output of up to 6 lumens, doubling the luminous flux at the same power level.
In addition to its high brightness, the Hummingbird I optical module incorporates the ARTCs waveguide image correction scheme, achieving a global brightness uniformity of over 80% and a color difference (ΔE) of 0.02. The typical power consumption of the Hummingbird I light engine is reduced to 150 milliwatts, contributing to enhanced battery life, while its size is reduced to just 0.4 cubic centimeters.
JBD stated that the launch of the new Hummingbird I optical module addresses longstanding challenges in the near-eye display industry, further unlocking the potential of AR glasses as everyday wearable devices. The company has already begun providing development kits for this module.
1. New Technologies, New Funding, New Applications: JBD Accelerates the Advancement of Its Micro LED Business
The release of the “Hummingbird I” color optical module expands JBD’s micro-display product lineup, providing fresh momentum for the development of Micro LED near-eye display applications.
As a leading micro-display company, JBD has become a key driver in the development of Micro LED micro-display technology, rapidly advancing the technology into the AR glasses and other near-eye display fields through a range of high-brightness monochrome and color Micro LED light engine product lines.
This year, JBD has continued to expand its Micro LED micro-display business, achieving the latest technological innovations, securing corporate financing, and advancing applications.
On the technology front, to address image quality issues in diffractive waveguides, JBD launched the ARTCs waveguide image correction equipment in April, which significantly reduces color distortion and granularity, resulting in markedly improved image uniformity.
In May, JBD introduced the next-generation Hummingbird Mini II light engine, with a size of just 0.15 cc, claimed to be the smallest AR light engine in the industry, while maintaining an ultra-high luminous flux of 8 lumens.
Regarding financing, JBD announced the completion of its Pre-B round of funding in June, raising hundreds of millions of yuan. The round was led by Ant Group, with Geely Capital participating, and existing investor GF Qianhe continuing its support. The funds will be used to increase JBD’s investment in core Micro LED micro-display technologies, mass production, talent acquisition, and global market expansion.
In terms of applications, JBD’s full-color and monochrome Micro LED micro-display solutions have been adopted by the latest AR glasses products from TCL and OPPO this year. To date, JBD has provided Micro LED micro-display solutions for over 26 AR glasses models.
2. Continuous Advances in Micro LED Micro-Display Technology in 2024
Currently, Micro LED micro-display technology is still in its early stages. According to TrendForce, in the AR glasses sector, the market share of Micro OLED technology is expected to reach 54% by 2024, while Micro LED will account for only 18%.
However, the inherent advantages of Micro LED technology, such as high brightness, low power consumption, and small size, offer substantial application potential in the future near-eye display market. Therefore, the display industry continues to drive the development of Micro LED micro-display technology throughout 2024, achieving notable progress.
According to an incomplete survey by LEDinside, besides JBD, several domestic and international companies across the industry chain, such as Innovision, Raontech, Hongshi, Vuzix, VueReal, Saphlux, Aledia, Q-Pixel, PlayNitride, SiTan Tech, Mojo Vision, and others, have continuously improved the performance of Micro LED micro-display technology this year. These efforts address challenges related to display resolution, brightness, full-color capability, size, and power consumption, bringing new hope for the commercialization of Micro LED micro-display technology.
As the technology matures, Micro LED is expected to become the mainstream near-eye display technology in the not-too-distant future.
According to TrendForce, driven by the product planning of AR device brands and the development of AI technologies and application ecosystems, AR device shipments are projected to reach 25.5 million units by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 67% from 2023 to 2030. Among these, LEDoS’s market penetration in this field is expected to gradually increase, potentially reaching 44% by 2030.
Source: LEDinside
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MiniMicroLED Insights . While we strive to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information provided, the content on this website may include translations, re-edited versions of second-hand information, or information derived from unverifiable sources. MiniMicroLED Insights makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of such content. The information in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, MiniMicroLED Insights disclaims all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of your use of, or reliance on, the information contained in this article.
Copyright Notice: This article may include translated and re-edited content derived from various online sources, including websites and social media platforms. While we strive to credit the original authors and sources to the best of our ability, we may not always be able to verify the original source of the content. All rights to the original content remain with the original author or source publication. Where applicable, this content is reproduced for educational and informational purposes under the fair use doctrine. If you believe any content on this site infringes upon your intellectual property rights, or if you are the copyright owner and believe we have not credited you correctly, please contact us at minimicroled.business@gmail.com. We will investigate and take corrective action, including removing or properly crediting the content if necessary.
Content sourced and adapted by MiniMicroLED Insights (Doris).
