Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for displaying three-dimensional objects by individually diffracting different colors of light are provided. In one aspect, an optical device includes: a first optically diffractive component including a first diffractive structure configured to diffract a first color of light having a first incident angle at a first diffracted angle, a second optically diffractive component including a second diffractive structure configured to diffract a second color of light having a second incident angle at a second diffracted angle, a first reflective layer configured to totally reflect the first color of light having the first incident angle and transmit the second color of light, and a second reflective layer configured to totally reflect the second color of light having the second incident angle. The first reflective layer is between the first and second diffractive structures, and the second diffractive structure is between the first and second reflective layers.

A video communication system uses a light field display to present a holographic image of a remote scene (e.g., a hologram of a remote participant). The system may include a local light field display assembly and a controller. The controller generates display instructions based on visual data corresponding to a remote scene received from a remote image capture system (e.g., a remote light field display system). The display instructions cause the local light field display assembly to generate a holographic image of the remote scene.

Disclosed are transparent energy relay waveguide systems for the superimposition of holographic opacity modulation states for holographic, light field, virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications. The light field system may comprise one or more energy waveguide relay systems with one or more energy modulation elements, each energy modulation element configured to modulate energy passing therethrough, whereby the energy passing therethrough may be directed according to 4D plenoptic functions or inverses thereof.

A method of computing a hologram by determining the wavefronts at the approximate observer eye position that would be generated by a real version of an object to be reconstructed. In normal computer generated holograms, one determines the wavefronts needed to reconstruct an object; this is not done directly in the present invention. Instead, one determines the wavefronts at an observer window that would be generated by a real object located at the same position of the reconstructed object. One can then back-transforms these wavefronts to the hologram to determine how the hologram needs to be encoded to generate these wavefronts. A suitably encoded hologram can then generate a reconstruction of the three-dimensional scene that can be observed by placing one's eyes at the plane of the observer window and looking through the observer window.

A system or method for augmenting a lightfield image can include receiving a plurality of images of a subject, overlaying augmentation content on the images, optionally obscuring portions of the augmentation content based on the perspective of the image and the subject, and displaying the aligned images and the augmentation content at a holographic display.

A liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator comprising an array of light-modulating pixels and a controller are disclosed. Each light-modulating pixel of the array comprises liquid crystal and is associated with a respective flip-flop. The controller receives a hologram of an image comprising a plurality of hologram pixels. Each hologram pixel comprises a respective n-bit hologram pixel value. The controller drives each light-modulating pixel in accordance with a respective hologram pixel value of the hologram. There is a one-to-n pixel correlation between the hologram and the light-modulating pixels. The flip-flops of each contiguous group of n light-modulating pixels are connected in series to form a shift register. During operation of the shift register, the n-bit hologram pixel value associated with each contiguous group of n light-modulating pixels is provided to each light-modulating pixel one bit at a time over the course of at least n clock cycles.

A system and method can include receiving a set of views, encoding the set of views, and displaying the set of views such that they are perceived as a holographic image.

A holographic display and method for operating the holographic display can include: a holographic display operable in a plurality of modes, a computing system, and a sensor. The holographic display can option include a user interface device. Views displayed by the display can optionally be processed or modified based on a viewer pose relative to the display.

Systems and methods for surgical imaging are disclosed herein. A head-mountable device (HMD) can include a display configured to provide an image within a field of view of an environment of the HIVID. At least one fiducial marker can be arranged on a surgical patient. At least one sensor can be configured to track a position of the at least one fiducial marker. Three-dimensional image information indicative of one or more internal features of the patient is provided. Based on information from the at least one sensor, a position of the surgical patient can be determined. Based on the determined position of the surgical patient, the HIVID can display at least a portion of the three-dimensional image information superimposed on at least a portion of the surgical patient within the field of view.

A projection apparatus, adapted to project a virtual image to a projection target, and comprising a light source module, a light modulator, an optical lens and an optical film is provided. The light source module provides a light beam. The light modulator adjusts a transmission direction of the light beam. The light modulator modulates the light beam according to an input signal to generate the virtual image. The optical lens has a front view direction on a reference plane. The projection target receives an environment beam in the front view direction to form an environment image. The optical film projects the virtual image to the projection target along a projection direction. The front view direction and the projection direction have an included angle on the reference plane. Moreover, an image projection method is also provided.