For years, the AR industry has debated whether reflective (geometric) waveguides could be mass-produced at scale. At Lumus, we believe that question has been answered.
To date, more than 50,000 Lumus reflective waveguides have been shipped to customers, with the overwhelming majority produced in the past five years by trusted global manufacturing partners like SCHOTT and Quanta. Over 25,000 of those waveguides deliver a 50-degree field of view – a specification that continues to challenge alternative waveguide architectures, particularly in terms of yield and scalability.
These aren’t prototypes or limited-run samples, either. They are fully manufactured, production-grade optical components actively integrated into commercial development programs and OEM pipelines worldwide.
Scalable by Design – Without Exotic Materials
One key reason for this scalability? Lumus waveguides use standard optical glass – no exotic materials – allowing for seamless integration into well-established manufacturing workflows and global supply chains.
Just as importantly, every Lumus optical engine is built around a single waveguide. This architectural consistency holds true whether the goal is a 30-degree, 50-degree, or even wider field of view optical engines. That uniformity offers meaningful advantages across the board: it reduces the number of components required, simplifies optical alignment, improves yield, and enables lighter, more compact glasses form factors.
This architectural simplicity also translates to real advantages at the system level. By reducing the number of discrete components and alignment steps, Lumus waveguides help streamline overall device assembly, lowering total bill of materials costs and accelerating time to market. For OEMs navigating tight form factor and cost constraints, that’s a critical advantage.
One waveguide. One process. One platform, built to scale – these are foundational advantages that pay off in every aspect of the manufacturing process.
High-Yield Production Through Trusted Partners
One of the most persistent misconceptions about reflective waveguides is that they’re inherently difficult to manufacture. In reality, recent advancements in automation and process refinement have dramatically improved the scalability of this architecture.
Our long-standing manufacturing partners – SCHOTT and Quanta – have invested heavily in dedicated production lines for reflective waveguides, representing a shared commitment to scaling high-performance AR optics through state-of-the-art, high-yield manufacturing processes.
In fact, the vast majority of Lumus waveguides have been produced in just the past five years – a period that has seen marked improvements in manufacturing efficiency and consistency. And because we’ve built our process to accommodate a single, scalable waveguide, every new generation of product benefits from the same high-efficiency infrastructure. Whether producing 30-degree, 50-degree, or even larger fields of view, all variations are developed using the same core manufacturing lines.
Proven Capability, Ready for What’s Next
Today, the most relevant question isn’t whether reflective waveguides can scale – it’s who is scaling them effectively, and how reliably? This underscores a broader point that often gets lost in the FOV, brightness, and form factor discussion: no display innovation matters if it can’t be built at scale.
At Lumus, we’re just getting started. As demand grows for more immersive AR experiences – with wider fields of view and sleeker glasses-like form factors – the requirements on optical components will only intensify.
We’re ready for that future. Our existing manufacturing lines are already producing next-gen architectures. Our partnerships are mature. Our yield curves are strong. And our technology roadmap ensures that even as the field of view expands, the simplicity of our architecture – one waveguide, one process – remains intact.
Reflective waveguides have always been a compelling choice on paper. Now, they’re a proven solution in production.
For more information about Lumus technology, please contact [email protected].