A tiny chip could make AR/VR glasses clearer, lighter, and longer-lasting, giving a bigger, sharper view while using less power.
OmniVision has launched the industry’s only single-chip Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) small panel with ultra-low power for next-generation smart glasses. The OP03021 LCOS panel offers 1632 × 1536 resolution at 90 Hz in a compact 0.26‑inch optical format. It allows smart glasses to deliver higher resolution and a wider field of view, giving users a more immersive and comfortable augmented reality experience.
The company claims that the LCOS technology delivers a fully integrated, single‑chip microdisplay solution suitable for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) systems. By combining the display array, driver circuitry, and frame buffer into a single chip, the LCOS panels enable compact, low‑power designs that are well‑suited for wearable devices. This integration simplifies overall system design and supports a smaller form factor compared to multi‑chip solutions.
A key benefit of LCOS products is their ability to produce high‑resolution, high‑frame‑rate images with excellent clarity. Supporting up to six color fields, these panels deliver stable visuals without image retention, ensuring a clean and immersive viewing experience. Their efficient design also helps reduce power consumption by up to 40 % compared with conventional two‑chip setups, making them especially attractive for battery‑powered AR/VR glasses and similar display applications.
The LCOS technology extends beyond AR and VR. It targets a wide range of applications such as smart shelf displays, pico projectors, automotive systems, and medical devices. These microdisplays help bring advanced visual capabilities to diverse industries that require compact, robust display solutions with low energy needs and high visual performance.
“The new OP03021 LCOS microdisplay combines increased resolution and an expanded FoV with the efficiency of a low-power, single-chip design. The ultra-small, yet powerful, LCOS panel is a key feature in smart glasses that helps to make them more fashionable, lightweight and comfortable to wear throughout the day,” said Devang Patel, marketing director for the IoT and emerging segment, OMNIVISION.
“The OP03021 LCOS, with its smaller 3.0-micron pixel and integrated control, frame buffer memory, and MIPI receiver onto the silicon backplane, reduces the overall size and power consumption, which are critical factors in smart glasses designs,” said Karl Guttag, President, KGOnTech.
