The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Alternate Realities Corporation

D'Nardo Colucci

Richard W Zobel, Jr

Raymond Leo Idaszak

David Tracy Bennett

A compact image display system in which the optical pathway is folded and thereby extended between the image source and the imaging optics of the system. The image display system may be used in place of computer or television screens, and may further be affixed to a frame so that it is wearable by a human user as either a monocular or binocular device.

Optical path extender for compact imaging display systems

An array of image pixels is projected into a hemispherical projection having constant angular separation among adjacent image pixels, so that the array of image pixels may be projected onto hemispherical surfaces of varying radii without requiring spatial distortion correction of the array of image pixels. The array of pixels is preferably projected radially from the center of a dome onto a spherical inner surface of the dome. The hemispherical projection may be tilted so that the array of pixels is projected onto one of a plurality of selectable positions on the inner dome surface. The projection system preferably includes at least three collimating lenses having a common ratio of index of refraction to dispersion. The projection system projects an array of image pixels from the image source into a hemispherical surface at a projection angle of at least 160 degrees, notwithstanding that the lenses are separated from the image by a separation distance which is at least six times the image size. Accordingly, hemispherical optical projection systems and methods are provided which can work with domes of many sizes and varying audience configurations, and which do not require spatial correction or color correction of the hemispherical image to be projected.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

D'Nardo Colucci