50.4: Three-dimensional Virtual Retinal Display System using a Deformable Membrane Mirror

A deformable membrane mirror is being used to generate multiple focal planes within a scanned light display, or virtual retinal display (VRD). The MEMS deformable mirror changes the focal plane of the display by varying the wavefront of the optical beam entering the eye. Dynamically changing the focal plane will allow the viewer to see 3-D objects using the natural accommodative response of the eye, unlike current stereographics that rely on retinal disparity. The display system can successfully generate a focal range from infinity to −3 diopters, verified through measurements on human subjects made with a laser autorefractor.