MicroOptical Engineering (United States)

Historically, microscopes were used for descriptions of animals, plants and non-living specimens. In 19 th century, the shape-function relationship marked microscopic studies. The later 20 th century witnessed the nanometric special resolution provided by electron microscopes. As we enter the 21 st century, the analytical electron microscopy promises to change our comprehension about the nano-world. Chemical analyses of the shape will redesign our understanding of the structure and functioning of animals, plants and non-living specimens, including sediments.

An evaluation was carried out of the first prototype (LV-3) of a new night vision device, which incorporates visual field expansion through minification (Minified Augmented-View), to provide feedback for continuing development. Six subjects with night blindness completed visual function measurements and indoor mobility assessments without a device, with the LV-3 and with a commercially available comparison device (the Multi-Vision) at light levels representative of well lit and poorly lit streets. Device performance and potential benefits in real-world situations were evaluated at four outdoor locations (well lit to very dark). Results indicate that the see-through nature and spectacle-frame mounting of the LV-3 address some of the cosmetic and ergonomic disadvantages of currently available devices; however insufficient light sensitivity of the prototype camera limited LV-3 performance. With improved camera sensitivity and full implementation of the Minified-Contours Augmented-View concept in the next prototype, patients might be able to make better use of the novel field expansion and vision multiplexing features to aid outdoor night mobility.

This paper explores the application of wearable computer systems to threat response, exemplified by the multi-functional micro-controllable interface module (MMIM)/digital military policeman (DMP) system. The system consists of a wearable computer, eyewear interface developed by MicroOptical comprising display, camera, and audio, and software incorporating the FaceIt face recognition algorithms developed by Identix (formerly, Visionics). This system will enhance gate security at military installations by enabling guards to use automated face recognition to verify the identity of visitors and check the database of known threatening individuals automatically.

This paper proposes a new concept of mobile telephone with a PC resolution virtual display that has the following five functions: telephone, E-mail, Web telephone, videophone and VOD (video on demand) viewer. We developed a concept proof prototype based on this concept.

This paper presents results on the development of an eyeglass based human/computer interface. The interface comprises a display mounted within the eyeglasses, and a lens for relaying information inconspicuously to the wearer's eye. The paper will discuss eyeglass interface systems that utilize miniature displays and magnifying optics to provide a field of view of up to 10 degrees, with a resolution of approximately .03 degrees per pixel. Details of the design and construction of such systems, including methods of addressing the need for prescriptive correction will be presented. The paper concludes with comments on adding other new features to the interface system.

ABSTRACT The development of a head mounted display concealed within eyeglasses has been a long term objective of many head-mounted display development efforts. This paper will review design concepts from the literature, with a view towardassessing the practical merits of the various approaches. The factors of importance in miniaturizing a head-mounted displaywill be summarized. Finally, we will briefly summarize some new approaches including the use of alternative displaytechnology that may lead to a display system hidden within eyeglasses frames.Key words: displays, HMDs, eyeglasses 1. INTRODUCTION This paper addresses the development of electronic mounted within eyeglasses. In this paper we shallrefer to such as eyeglasses-mounted displays (EMD). The ultimate goal of such work is the concealment of thedisplays, optics and wires within the eyeglass frame itself The development of an EMD requires the miniaturization ofhead mounted display technology, or possibly the development of new display and optical approaches. The key objective isto reduce the size of the hardware, while maintaining a large image size: this is a difficult problem upon which we will tryto place bounds. We will begin with a review of several concepts from the literature (including some interesting patents),and then consider the factors of importance in developing EMDs based on these and other concepts. Our review of theliterature and the discussion of approaches is not intended to be comprehensive; however, we will attempt to include adiscussion of several ofthe more difficult EMD challenges.The development of head-mounted (HMD) began with the helmet-mounted display, intended for militaryapplications. Helmet development has been proceeding for well over 20 years and has until recently utilized cathode raytubes (CRTs).1 The CRTs tended to limit the work to helmet-based systems owing to their size, weight and high voltageaspects. Recently HMD development has accelerated, owing to the development of a number of miniature flat paneldisplays that permit large reductions in system weight and complexity.2 There are two significant reasons for the earlyinterest specifically in helmet mounted displays. First, the helmets provided a large, rigid platform for mounting therequired optics and image sources. Second, and more importantly, there are many military and civilian applications inwhich helmets are needed and already carried. Thus, providing the user with a helmet modified to include a display has thepossibility that the helmet display system may not significantly add to the users burden. Our interest in EMDs is related tothis concept: provide the user with an augmentation of a device already carried to minimize the additional burden. Withoutthe large platform of the helmet, however, the technical problem becomes one of reducing the display and optical system tosizes that can be concealed within eyeglasses, but which still can provide the desired image.An examination of HMD system concepts shows the complexity inherent in generating an image of high quality.One of the principal requirements is the use of a miniature display2 and the first high quality goggle system to employ such

Abstract In proton nmr, the chemical exchange rates of slowly exchanging labile hydrogens (with lifetimes in the range ∼ 10 msec – ∼ 1 sec) of peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids can be measured in H2O by a combination of two separate experiments: (1) the transfer of solvent saturation and (2) saturation‐recovery experiments. When these molecules exist in a dynamic equilibrium among different conformations, the experiments cannot be analyzed in a straightforward manner to derive the intrinsic exchange rates. In the present study we have derived analytical expressions for the above two experiments on a biomolecule under certain limiting conditions: (1) the extreme low‐motility limit, where each of the conformational transitions is much slower than the corresponding hydrogen exchange rate with the solvent; (2) the high‐motility limit (EX2 mechanism), which is the opposite extreme of the previous limit; and (3) the low‐motility limit (EX1 mechanism), which is a mixture of limits (1) and (2), i.e., for some of the conformations, the exchange rate with the solvent is much faster than their conformational transition rates, while for the remaining conformations the reverse situation is realized. The results may be considered as a generalization to an arbitrary number of states of the two‐state model treated by Hvidt. Equations have also been derived that are applicable to the iostope exchange method of measuring very slow exchange rates (with life‐times of the order of minutes and longer) in biomolecules. The saturation recovery experiments performed in H2O on the active pentapeptide fragment of thymopoietin serve to illustrate the high‐motility limit. The theoretical formulation presented in this study can be easily adapted to other double‐resonance techniques and also to situations where the kinetics of an arbitrary system existing in a multistate equilibrium are of interest.