See-through head-mounted display

A see-through head-mounted display (OST-HMD) is a type of wearable technology product that is worn on the head and includes a display that is transparent in portions where no pixels are active. The user can see the real world through it when the device is off. When the device is on, the user sees through parts of it to the real world and there is virtual content on the display.

It uses transparent pieces of glass or plastic projects light off of them or through them, or against them. It allows the user to see the real world and the displayed content layered on top.

If it includes 3D tracking and 3D graphics capability tied to the environment, it is an augmented reality headset.

Examples are the Magic Leap 1, the Microsoft Hololens, and the Vuzix Blade.

FOV of the Magic Leap 1 and HoloLens is about 30 to 40 degrees horizontal.

Optics

OST-HMDs use waveguides or other types of combiners.

Examples

• Magic Leap 1
• HoloLens 1
• Google Glass

See also

• Occlusion-capable optical see-through near-eye display

References

• "Design of a Pupil-Matched Occlusion-Capable Optical See-Through Wearable Display". 2022-12-01. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9416829.
• MacIntyre, Blair; Feiner, Steven (1996-10-01). "Future multimedia user interfaces, page 2 through 7". Multimedia Systems 4 (5): 250–268. doi:10.1007/s005300050027. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s005300050027.