
– A joint research team from POSTECH and Korea University develops a new moldable nanomaterial and one-step printing technology
– Opens doors to commercialization of low cost, large-scale, ultrathin metamaterials
Zombies or enemies flashing right before your eyes and the dizzying feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff using virtual reality and augmented reality (AR and VR) are no longer exclusive to the games or media industries. Those technologies allow us to conduct virtual conferences, share presentations and videos, and communicate in real time in the virtual space. But because of the high cost and bulkiness of VR and AR devices, the virtual world is not within easy reach.
Recently, a South Korean research team developed moldable nanomaterials and a printing technology using metamaterials, allowing the commercialization of inexpensive and thin VR and AR devices.
Professor Junsuk Rho of the departments of mechanical engineering and chemical engineering and doctoral student in mechanical engineering Gwanho Yoon at POSTECH with Professor Heon Lee and researcher Kwan Kim of department of material science at Korea University have jointly developed a new nanomaterial and large-scale nanoprinting technology for commercialization of metamaterials. The research findings, which solve the issue of device size and high production costs that were problematic in previous researches, were recently published in Nature Communications, a prestigious scientific journal.
Metamaterials are substances made from artificial atoms that do not exist in nature but they freely control the properties of light. An invisible cloak that makes an illusion of disappearance by adjusting the refraction or diffraction of light, or metaholograms that can produce different hologram images depending on the direction of light’s entrance, uses this metamaterial.
Using this principle, the ultrathin metalens technology, which can replace the conventional optical system with extremely thinness, was recently selected as one of the top 10 emerging technologies to change the world in 2019 at the World Economic Forum.
In order to make metamaterials, artificial atoms smaller than the wavelengths of light must be meticulously constructed and arranged. Until now, metamaterials have been produced through a method called electron beam lithography (EBL)*1.
However, EBL has hindered the commercialization or production of sizable metamaterials due to its slow process speed and high cost of production.
To overcome these limitations, the joint research team developed a new nanomaterial based on nanoparticle composite that can be molded freely while having optical characteristics suitable for fabricating metamaterials. The team also succeeded in developing a one-step printing technique that can shape the materials in a single-step process.
The team succeeded in producing an ultrathin metalens that is 100 times thinner than the strand of a human hair by using this newly developed technology. Metamaterials can be made into one-thousandth of thickness of heavy glass or plastic lenses. This is the first time in the world such ultrathin metalens was produced in a single-step printing process.
If the cost of making a metalens at the performance of conventional glass lenses were one million won (USD 8,200) per unit, this technology enables the production at about 10,000 won (USD 8), which is 1/100 the cost and 1/10,000 the thickness in a simplified process.
Professor Rho, who led the research, stated, “This one-step printing technology of nanomaterials allows the fabrication of metamaterials over 100 times faster than the conventional electron beam lithography.” He added, “These lenses can not only make the existing thick, large VR and AR lenses or glasses dramatically lighter and smaller, but can also be applied to curved or flexible panels, which facilitates the use of metamaterials in large omnidirectional invisible cloaks or in curved or bendable wearable devices at a fraction of the cost.”
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Virtual reality
- Newnan Police Department to purchase virtual reality training simulator with new grant
The department will use the grant to purchase an Apex Officer Virtual Reality Training Simulator. Apex Officer uses virtual reality technology to give officers realistic training for situations where ...
- Inside Virtual Reality's Booming Underground Sex Scene
Explicit content is banned on the popular VRChat platform, but that doesn't stop users with Bluetooth-enabled toys from indulging in hourslong erotic role play.View Entire Post › ...
- Is virtual reality a way to battle loneliness in older adults?
Carl Hortsmann found a way to take his 87-year-old father scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, go skiing for the first time and bring him on a tour of his old neighborhood in Union, N.J., where he ...
- Virtual Ventures sends players into virtual reality landscape for escape rooms, survival games and more
Virtual Ventures, which opened in July in Davenport, has seen its popularity grow quickly as groups book private parties for virtual escape rooms, laser tag and other games.
- Museum's new exhibit on virtual reality 'makes the science seem kind of magical'
The sight of an enormous blue whale swimming near a sunken vessel that looks close enough to touch is a VR experience that headset-wearing visitors encounter in "Reinventing Reality," an exhibit set ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Virtual reality
[google_news title=”” keyword=”virtual reality” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Augmented reality
- Irvine International Academy launches augmented reality tech lab to further STEAM education
Irvine International Academy announced the implementation of an augmented reality technology lab and curriculum that will be utilized by all students in the K-6 Mandarin Immersion and STEAM charter ...
- Study shows students felt more engaged by augmented reality but learned less than those viewing video
As virtual reality and augmented reality move into more prominent roles in everyday life, scholars hope to determine how effectively they could work in the classroom. A new study from the University ...
- UAB Oral Oncology among first in Southeast to use augmented reality in head and neck cancer surgery
The Oral Oncology Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is taking patient imaging beyond flat screens with the new Brainlab Mixed Reality Viewer. This new platform uses mixed reality ...
- Augmented Reality Market 2023 to 2027 Top Countries Data by Region & Research Insights in NEW REPORT
The global Augmented Reality market size was valued at USD 13995.9 million in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 37.06% during the forecast period, reaching USD 92789.21 million by 2027. The ...
- Augmented Reality (AR) in Travel and Tourism Market Size 2023 with Regional Scope, Report Coverage, Historic Data and Outlook 2028
The “Augmented Reality (AR) in Travel and Tourism Market” report provides an in-depth analysis of the size of the ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Augmented reality
[google_news title=”” keyword=”augmented reality” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]