> Pancake (MQP) versus Asperical Refractive Optics (AVP)
Guttag's section about the lenses not being pancake and being refractive only I think is wrong, Apple says: "combined with custom catadioptric lenses," which implies reflection is is used like with pancake.
> It should be noted that the AVP displays about 3.3 times the pixels, has more and higher resolution cameras, and supports much higher resolution passthrough. Thus the AVP is moving massively more data which also consumes power.
An earlier Sony presentation on their 4K microdisplays from last year I believe showed they had some form of foveated scan out on the microdisplay itself, letting the display controller move less data.
>Apple discussed (linked in WWDC 2023 video) how they implemented features in watchOS to encourage people to go outside and stop looking at screens, as it may be a cause of myopia. I’m not the only one to catch this seeming contradiction in messaging.
Isn't this less of an issue with displays at a farther distance (whether physically or optically)?
> I was doubtful based on what was rumored that Apple would address VAC. Like many others, Apple appears to have ignored the well-known and well-documented human mechanical and visual problem with VR/MR.
There is less vergence accommodation conflict as you age. You slowly lose elasticity of your natural lens as you age and need reading glasses to see up close and the effect isn't as big: you're at a wrong farther focus when your eyes are converging anyway. It might actually be an improvement in vision for people over 45-50.
Catadioptric does mean exactly that - a combination of mirrors and lenses. In photography, catadioptric lenses are used to make very compact for the focal length telephoto lenses - for example, a 500 mm catadioptric lens with two mirrors and several elements weights nearly an order of magnitude less than a 500mm refractive only design.
I thought it was very interesting and unique, I have no idea what the optical design could look like. Maybe something like the perkins-elmer solid cat design, shrunk down for a long focal length but compact pancake lens.
> I’m not the only one to catch this seeming contradiction in messaging.
The contradiction being introducing a new product with a screen? Guess what, watchOS will still suggest you go outside, whether you use a MacBook or a Vision Pro.
This analysis is not particularly sharp.
The vergence issue he is very hot about, but like anything in this space the question is “is this good enough for a lot of people” not “did they solve this to my personal satisfaction (having not used the device)”
Good catch on the "combined with custom catadioptric lenses." Which by definition means a combination of mirrors and refractive optics. But I still don't think they are pancake lenses, but something more akin to what Limbak, which was recently bought by Apple was famous for designing catadioptric optics. Before being bought by Apple, Limbak was best known for their catadioptric design used by Lynx.
Is there a ray diagram the Lynx optics somewhere? I never fully understood how they work (reflection is off the sides of them?). With Apple showing the lens element shapes, is there room for reflecting off from the side?
Guttag's section about the lenses not being pancake and being refractive only I think is wrong, Apple says: "combined with custom catadioptric lenses," which implies reflection is is used like with pancake.
(source: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/introducing-apple-vis... )
> It should be noted that the AVP displays about 3.3 times the pixels, has more and higher resolution cameras, and supports much higher resolution passthrough. Thus the AVP is moving massively more data which also consumes power.
An earlier Sony presentation on their 4K microdisplays from last year I believe showed they had some form of foveated scan out on the microdisplay itself, letting the display controller move less data.
(source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVUSUdzsNgY )
>Apple discussed (linked in WWDC 2023 video) how they implemented features in watchOS to encourage people to go outside and stop looking at screens, as it may be a cause of myopia. I’m not the only one to catch this seeming contradiction in messaging.
Isn't this less of an issue with displays at a farther distance (whether physically or optically)?
> I was doubtful based on what was rumored that Apple would address VAC. Like many others, Apple appears to have ignored the well-known and well-documented human mechanical and visual problem with VR/MR.
There is less vergence accommodation conflict as you age. You slowly lose elasticity of your natural lens as you age and need reading glasses to see up close and the effect isn't as big: you're at a wrong farther focus when your eyes are converging anyway. It might actually be an improvement in vision for people over 45-50.