Glasses-free augmented reality (AR) 3D display has attracted great interest in its ability to merge virtual 3D objects with real scenes naturally, without the aid of any wearable devices. Here we propose an AR vector light field display based on a view combiner and an off-the-shelf purchased projector. The view combiner is sparsely covered with pixelated multilevel blazed gratings (MBG) for the projection of perspective virtual images. Multi-order diffraction of the MBG is designed to increase the viewing distance and vertical viewing angle. In a 20-inch prototype, multiple sets of 16 horizontal views form a smooth parallax. The viewing distance of the 3D scene is larger than 5 m. The vertical viewing angle is 15.6°. The light efficiencies of all views are larger than 53%. We demonstrate that the displayed virtual 3D scene retains natural motion parallax and high brightness while having a consistent occlusion effect with natural objects. This research can be extended to applications in areas such as human–computer interaction, entertainment, education, and medical care.
Recommendations on the viewing distance of light field displays
