Disclosed are methods and systems for displaying images, and for implementing volumetric user interfaces. One exemplary embodiment provides a system comprising: a light source; an image producing unit, which produces an image upon interaction with light approaching the image producing unit from the light source; an eyepiece; and a mirror, directing light from the image to a surface of the eyepiece, wherein the surface has a shape of a solid of revolution formed by revolving a planar curve at least 180 around an axis of revolution.

A headlamp for vehicles is provided with a light source unit containing numerous light sources, and with a hologram unit containing numerous hologram segments for generating a predefined light distribution. Each of the hologram segments has at least one dedicated light source. The hologram segments are reflection hologram segments behind the respective dedicated light sources in the direction light is emitted by the headlamp, which light from the light sources strikes them at an acute angle and is reflected in the light emission direction in accordance with the holographic diffraction information stored in the respective reflection hologram segments.

There is provided a hologram engine for calculating a hologram of a target picture for displaying on a display device of an optical system. The target picture comprises a plurality of image points. Each image point is defined by a light-ray path therefrom to an entrance pupil of a viewer. Each light-ray path makes an angle with the display device. The hologram engine is arranged to determine a first sub-hologram of a first subset of the image points of the target picture by, for each image point of the first subset: a) propagating a wave along a propagation path that makes an angle with the display device that is reduced relative to the angle made by the respective light-ray path; and b) determining a contribution of the wave at the display device for each image point of the first subset.

Disclosed are methods and systems for displaying images, and for implementing volumetric user interfaces. One exemplary embodiment provides a system comprising: a light source; an image producing unit, which produces an image upon interaction with light approaching the image producing unit from the light source; an eyepiece; and a mirror, directing light from the image to a surface of the eyepiece, wherein the surface has a shape of a solid of revolution formed by revolving a planar curve at least 180 around an axis of revolution.

A volumetric display system including a volumetric display for displaying a scene viewable as a three-dimensional floating-in-the-air scene in a display space, enabling a user to reach a first object into the display space, a location determination unit locating real objects in the display space, providing a location of the first object when the first object is inserted into the display space, and a computer for receiving the location of the first object, detecting when the location of the first object is at a location where an object is displayed in the three-dimensional scene, thereby determining that the first object is viewable as touching the displayed object following a detection of the first object viewable as touching the displayed object, producing a new three-dimensional scene displaying the displayed object as if manipulated by the first object. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Systems and method disclosed herein include, among other features, receiving an image for display within a display area of a display system, determining a first image component of the image, calculating a hologram of the image, displaying the hologram on a display device and spatially modulating light in accordance with the displayed hologram, and propagating the spatially modulated light through a pupil expander arranged to provide a plurality of different light propagation paths for the spatially modulated light from the display device to the viewing area, wherein each light propagation path corresponds to a respective continuous region of the image owing to the angular distribution of light from the hologram.

A holographic optical element, a method for manufacturing the same and an apparatus for producing the same are provided. More particularly, the holographic optical element is capable of enhancing the brightness of an augmented image. In one example, the holographic optical element includes a plurality of optical elements combined together and has interference patterns recorded on the plurality of optical elements, respectively. The interference patterns have the same pitch and different inclination angles.