Simulation tool for holographic-based augmented reality eyewear

Optical combiners based on volume holography are very appealing for the development of augmented reality eyewear, due to their potential small footprint and weight, high light efficiency, invisibility and therefore good aesthetics, among other features. This is the option chosen in an ambitious European Union funded project in which we are involved. The aim is providing full-color see-through augmented reality on eyeglasses with customized ophthalmic correction, and valid for a wide range of use cases. In this work, we present the methodology and some of the results obtained with our advanced simulation tool, which enables to calculate the imaging performance of the reflective holographic element in realistic conditions and taking full consideration of the volume effects.