Dispelix to guide US aerospace company on AR

The companies will work together to develop next-generation solutions leveraging near-eye and head-up waveguide technology to a growing number of clients in the global defence and aerospace industries. Antti Sunnari, CEO of Dispelix, said he is confident that the partnership will produce unparalleled solutions that meet the high requirements of the industries.

“In aerospace and defence applications, where the stakes are incredibly high, the need for the best possible technology, performance and durability is paramount,” he remarked.

Waveguide technology refers to technology for guiding electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum, thus enabling the utilisation of transparent objects as sophisticated displays that provide additional information about real-world objects.

Sunnari stated to Helsingin Sanomat that, in general, the technology can be used in the defence and aerospace industries to help pilots and soldiers to distinguish between friendly and enemy objects on the battlefield, and to provide snipers with real-time data on distance to target, obstacles, and wind speed and direction.

He was not, though, at liberty to disclose the use cases identified by Collins Aerospace. “The information will be provided separately in a year or two, when their products come to market,” he said to the Finnish daily.

Chris Bruns, executive supply chain director for avionics at Collins Aerospace, estimated that waveguide technology is a “game changer” for see-through augmented reality (AR) displays in that makes it possible to create solutions that are significantly lighter, smaller and more affordable than legacy solutions.

Dispelix is one of an ever-growing number of successful technology startups spawned by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The company also closed an equity-funding round of 28.4 million euros in late 2021.