There is disclosed herein a waveguide comprising an optical slab and an optical wedge. The optical slab has a first refractive index, n.sub.1>1. The optical slab comprises: a pair of opposing surfaces and an input port. The pair of opposing surfaces are arranged in a parallel configuration. The input port is arranged to receive light into the optical slab at an angle such that the light is guided between the first and second opposing surfaces by a series of internal reflections. The optical wedge has a second refractive index, n.sub.2, wherein 1<n.sub.2<n.sub.1. The optical wedge comprises a pair of opposing surfaces arranged in a wedge configuration. A first surface of the optical wedge abuts the second surface of the optical slab to form an interface that allows partial transmission of light guided by the optical slab into the optical wedge at a plurality of points along the interface such that the light is divided a plurality of times. The angle of the wedge allows light received at the interface to escape through the second surface of the optical wedge such that the exit pupil of the waveguide is expanded by the plurality of divisions of the light.

There is provided a lighting device arranged to produce a controllable light beam for illuminating a scene. The device comprises an addressable spatial light modulator arranged to provide a selectable phase delay distribution to a beam of incident light. The device further comprises Fourier optics arranged to receive phase-modulated light from the spatial light modulator and form a light distribution. The device further comprises projection optics arranged to project the light distribution to form a pattern of illumination as said controllable light beam.

A near-eye device includes a spatial light modulator and a beam combiner. The spatial light modulator includes an array of phase modulating elements arranged to apply a phase delay distribution to incident light. The beam combiner includes a first optical input arranged to receive spatially modulated light from the spatial light modulator and a second optical input having a field of view of the real world.

A system for displaying, to viewers who do not need to wear special eyewear, static three dimensional (3D) images that are dynamically augmented with two dimensional (2D) images. The system includes a holographic print with a front surface and a back opaque layer. The system includes a projector projecting light onto the front surface. The projected light includes first light reconstructing a hologram from the front surface of the holographic print and second light displaying 2D content on the front surface. The projector is positioned to cause the first light to strike the front surface within a range of hologram reconstruction angles. The projector is a video projector, and the first light is even illumination in the form of white light while the second light includes the displayed 2D content. The displayed 2D content includes animation or video content.

There is provided a method of projection using an optical element (502,602) having spatially variant optical power. The method comprises combining Fourier domain data representative of a 2D image with Fourier domain data having a first lensing effect (604a) to produce first holographic data. Light is spatially modulated (504,603a) with the first holographic data to form a first spatially modulated light beam. The first spatially modulated light beam is redirected using the optical element (502,602) by illuminating a first region (607) of the optical element (602) with the first spatially modulated beam. The first lensing effect (604a) compensates for the optical power of the optical element in the first region (607). Advantageous embodiments relate to a head-up display for a vehicle using the vehicle windscreen (502,602) as an optical element to redirect light to the viewer (505,609).

Embodiments that relate to displaying holographic keyboard and hand images in a holographic environment are provided. In one embodiment depth information of an actual position of a user's hand is received from a capture device. The user's hand is spaced by an initial actual distance from the capture device, and a holographic keyboard image is displayed spatially separated by a virtual distance from a holographic hand image. The user's hand is determined to move to an updated actual distance from the capture device. In response, the holographic keyboard image is maintained spatially separated by substantially the virtual distance from the holographic hand image.

There is provided a lighting device arranged to produce a controllable light beam for illuminating a scene. The device comprises an addressable spatial light modulator arranged to provide a selectable phase delay distribution to a beam of incident light. The device further comprises Fourier optics arranged to receive phase-modulated light from the spatial light modulator and form a light distribution. The device further comprises projection optics arranged to project the light distribution to form a pattern of illumination as said controllable light beam.

A three-dimensional image simulation device for managing a live event comprising an image capturing device for capturing live captured data corresponding to a presenter and generating, in real-time, hologram data based on the live captured data. An output interface for broadcasting the hologram data in real-time to at least one additional location containing an audience, wherein the hologram data is used to create a hologram of the presenter at the at least one additional location based on an apparent parallax effect in a simulated three-dimensional display device, the hologram creating a three-dimensional illusion for the audience regarding actual presence of the presenter at the at least one additional location. Furthermore, an input interface for receiving audience data from the at least one additional location regarding interaction between the hologram and the audience and a display device for displaying images based on audience data to the presenter.

A three-dimensional image simulation device for managing a live event comprising an image capturing device for capturing live captured data corresponding to a presenter and generating, in real-time, hologram data based on the live captured data. An output interface for broadcasting the hologram data in real-time to at least one additional location containing an audience, wherein the hologram data is used to create a hologram of the presenter at the at least one additional location based on an apparent parallax effect in a simulated three-dimensional display device, the hologram creating a three-dimensional illusion for the audience regarding actual presence of the presenter at the at least one additional location. Furthermore, an input interface for receiving audience data from the at least one additional location regarding interaction between the hologram and the audience and a display device for displaying images based on audience data to the presenter.

A sight assembly for mounting to a weapon. A holographic optical element and a light source are in a fixed angular configuration with respect to one another, but may be adjusted either together or individually in a horizontal or vertical direction. The sight assembly may have a mirror or lens. An adjustment mechanism is provided where a shaft includes at least two portions wherein the two portions of the shaft of the screw have different pitch directions and/or pitch dimensions allowing for slight adjustment the assembly. The light source may be a vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). A temperature sensor may sense a temperature of the VCSEL. A current to the VCSEL may be adjusted based on a change in the temperature such that the output wavelength is approximately the same as a desired wavelength. The assembly may further allow for perceived image distance adjustment using parallax mismatch.