Something, Better than Nothing
Way back in June of 2019 we noted that a small California-based company known as Mojo Vision (pvt) was in the process of developing a contact lens with a Micro-LED display that was to be 1/50th of an inch across, with a pixel density of 14,000 ppi (pixels/inch) that would allow users to see images and data superimposed on the user’s vision, without the use of AR glasses. The company, which had raised $108m at that juncture, had the backing of Motorola (MSI), Google, LG Electronics (066570.KS) and Hewlett Packard (HPE), was in stealth mode at the time and we had little contact until last year when it showed a prototype of its AR contact lens, which included a power management chip, a communication module, motion sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and micro-processor, along with the Micro-LED display in a breathable plastic shell..
Unfortunately the target market, the visually impaired, proved to small to support the necessary product development, so the company shifted focus toward the development of ultra-high-resolution displays based on Micro-LEDs and recently indicated that it had developed the technology far enough to reach a pixel density of 28,000 ppi, using sub-micron sized blue Micro-LEDs and quantum dots for color shifting. As 14,000 ppi already would be the highest pixel density display available, the push to 28,000 ppi would be a significant leap ahead. Mojo Vision has also developed the necessary backplane and bonding technology and advertises the ability to manufacture 300mm GaN on Silicon at high volumes.
Along with the shift in focus comes a 75% workforce reduction, as the contact lens project required further funding that became scarce as the company tried to miniaturize the battery and processor to include them in the device, as the prototypes used external power and processing, so Mojo Vision is added to the list of those that have tried to develop such a device, including Google’s parent Alphabet () that abandon a contact lens development project that could also monitor glucose levels in a user’s tears. Hopefully Mojo Vision can capitalize on their Micro-LED technology, which seems closer to actual availability than the contact lens concept and would certainly be a step forward for Micro-LED AR displays if it can be produced commercially at a reasonable cost.
Unfortunately the target market, the visually impaired, proved to small to support the necessary product development, so the company shifted focus toward the development of ultra-high-resolution displays based on Micro-LEDs and recently indicated that it had developed the technology far enough to reach a pixel density of 28,000 ppi, using sub-micron sized blue Micro-LEDs and quantum dots for color shifting. As 14,000 ppi already would be the highest pixel density display available, the push to 28,000 ppi would be a significant leap ahead. Mojo Vision has also developed the necessary backplane and bonding technology and advertises the ability to manufacture 300mm GaN on Silicon at high volumes.
Along with the shift in focus comes a 75% workforce reduction, as the contact lens project required further funding that became scarce as the company tried to miniaturize the battery and processor to include them in the device, as the prototypes used external power and processing, so Mojo Vision is added to the list of those that have tried to develop such a device, including Google’s parent Alphabet () that abandon a contact lens development project that could also monitor glucose levels in a user’s tears. Hopefully Mojo Vision can capitalize on their Micro-LED technology, which seems closer to actual availability than the contact lens concept and would certainly be a step forward for Micro-LED AR displays if it can be produced commercially at a reasonable cost.
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