Waveguides & Light Engines

Custom Waveguides & Light Engines
Engineered to Your Spec.

QWR engineers custom waveguides and light engines designed, integrated, and manufactured to your exact specification. From initial eyebox design to full optical module integration, we provide the custom optics foundation for India's end-to-end ODM for AR glasses and AI smart glasses.

Get an ODM Quote → Request Optical Lab Specs →
Waveguide architectures

Three approaches to
optical see-through.

Every QWR optical stack follows a structured Design for Manufacturing (DFM) pipeline to remove the certification risk and cost surprises typically found in hardware ODM projects. We help you select the architecture that fits your use case, then engineer it to your spec.

Option 01

Diffractive Waveguide

Surface Relief Grating

Nanoscale gratings etched onto glass redirect light into the eye. The production-validated approach for high-volume AR hardware deployments.

  • Best colour uniformity across the eyebox
  • Scalable mass production via nanoimprint lithography
  • Moderate FOV: optimized for 30–50°
  • Ideal for Enterprise AR / Field Ops
Option 02

Holographic Waveguide

Volume Grating

Interference patterns recorded in photopolymer film for partners requiring the thinnest possible form factor.

  • Highest transparency (>85%) for all-day wearability
  • Thinnest profile available
  • Specialised single-colour or low-power displays
  • Ideal for premium consumer / compact wearables
Option 03

Geometric Waveguide

Reflective / Birdbath

Utilising partial mirrors or prisms for a wide Field of View (FOV) at an accessible cost.

  • Widest FOV: supports up to 52°
  • Cost-effective at scale
  • Rugged design for industrial and defence
  • Ideal for all-day AI wearables
Light engines

The image source
behind the display.

The light engine serves as the “retinal projector” for your spatial computing application. We offer three validated reference architectures, each configurable at the BOM level.

LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)

The workhorse of enterprise AR glasses ODM projects. Mature technology delivering up to 2,500 nits of high-output brightness. Ideal for outdoor use cases.

Micro-OLED

Self-emitting pixels on a silicon backplane. Delivers a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, deepest blacks, and pixel densities up to 3,882 PPI. Essential for surgical simulation and precision CAD review.

LBS (Laser Beam Scanning)

MEMS-based RGB laser scanning for infinite focus depth (retinal projection). The smallest possible module for ultra-low power, all-day wearables. Best for HUMBL-class AI glasses.

Technical comparison

Waveguide + light engine
trade-offs.

These parameters represent QWR's core internal reference designs — each validated, certified, and production-ready.

Parameter Diffractive + LCoS Holographic + Micro-OLED Geometric + LBS
Field of View30–50°25–40°35–52°
Brightness1500–2500 nits500–1500 nits300–800 nits
Optics Weight8–14g5–9g6–12g
Transmittance70–80%85–92%65–75%
Ideal Use CaseEnterprise AR / Field OpsPremium Consumer / CompactAll-day AI Wearables
Full-stack integration

Beyond optics — full-stack
optical module integration.

A unique branded device must be certifiably manufacturable. QWR integrates the entire optical chain while providing full DFM support for your industrial design.

1

Optical Engineering

Custom waveguide selection and light engine pairing to meet your product brief.

→ Optical spec
2

Module Packaging

Integrating the optical stack with the PCB, battery, and sensors within your custom shell geometry.

→ Integrated module
3

Mechanical Constraints

We hold the hard points (lens spacing and waveguide mount points) to ensure optical calibration is non-negotiable.

→ DFM validated
4

Production & Calibration

Precision assembly in ISO cleanrooms at our Pune facility with 100,000+ unit annual capacity.

→ Production ready

Found your opticalspecification?

Every specification detailed above is configurable at BOM level for ODM partners. Tell us your use case and target cost — we'll deliver a DFM feasibility assessment within 5 business days.

Request a DFM Feasibility Assessment →