01/15/2010

SBG LABS INTRODUCES DIGILENS®-ASIL (APPLICATION SPECIFIC INTEGRATED LENS) FOR EYEGLASS DISPLAYS
Electrically Switchable Lens Enables "Heads-Up" Display for Wireless Devices

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan.15th, 2010 - SBG Labs today launched its DigiLens®-ASIL for the eyeglass display market segment. Initially, SBG Labs is targeting the rapidly emerging Industrial and Military requirement for LED and Laser illuminated "Heads-up" displays, but the company also recommends novelty cell phone products might also benefit from the technology.

The DigiLens®-ASIL enables a radical departure from current heads-up displays, which typically use multiple, bulky industry standard lenses or mirrors which mostly cannot be transparent. The new optical device powers SBG’s eyeglass display solution called HEAD (Holographic Eye Adaptive Display), which combines sub-miniature microdisplays in a tiny projector fitted into the side wall of a pair of glasses. A microdisplay is an array of tiny pixel-sized mirrors on a microchip. When combined with efficient lasers and sophisticated magnifying and illumination optics, the microdisplay can be configured to project HD resolution images directly into the users eye.

More efficient solid state laser illumination is coming to market in 2009, but this is only part of the solution. Complex combining optics is also required to focus the image at a relaxed distance in front of the user. The new lens technology not only provides a brighter image at a relaxed focal point, but also several new software controllable holographic electro-optics features like eye-tracking and ambient light management. Lasers and holographic optics are a perfect enabling match for these new "Cloud Computing" cell phone devices.

Dr. Jonathan Waldern, SBG Labs founder and CTO, commented, "With the explosion in portable video content there is a growing demand for portable high-resolution displays. Industrial users from service engineers to chemical plant managers – in fact any job in the field - increasingly require a simple means to reference wireless data 'hands free.' They need an eyeglass display solution that is crystal clear, rugged and above all efficient, minimizing power drain. Our technology powers a totally new class of smart heads-up display, which may even migrate to consumers"

Wearable systems exist today serving Industrial, Infotainment, Medical and Military applications. The opportunity for wearable solutions for infotainment applications exists in complementing mobile/personal electronics and their related accessories. Demand for mobile and portable electronics continues to increase at a rapid rate, where consumers are looking for greater mobility and portability in their communications, information access and entertainment services as evidenced by the rapid growth in mobile phone, mp3 players, mobile navigation solutions and others.

About SBG Labs Inc. Located in Silicon Valley, California, with worldwide distribution and support, SBG Labs Inc. is an optical technology company that has developed a revolutionary new electrically switchable holographic device called a Switchable Bragg Grating. The technology merges breakthroughs in material science and optical software processing by recording holographic optics into a unique electrically switchable, liquid crystal photopolymer. The switchable lens has broad applications in many everyday products, including displays, imaging devices, optical switches and LED consumer lighting.