SBIR Phase I: High-performance, ultra-compact 3D sensor enabled by metasurface flat optics

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响在于开发了一种轻便、超紧凑的3D传感器，与当前最先进的产品相比，提供了更高的性能。消费电子设备上现有的传感器，如增强/虚拟现实耳机上的传感器，其感知精度和检测范围有限，导致用户体验不佳，这限制了它们的实施。该项目开发的技术旨在解决这些问题，为用户创造真正无缝和身临其境的交互体验。该技术还可能促进增强/虚拟现实技术在教育、远程办公、医疗保健、工业设计、虚拟会议、娱乐等许多领域的采用。这项技术有可能在这些领域创造新的就业机会，增强人机交互，并改善社区内部和社区之间的联系。这一努力还支持国内的光电子制造和组装行业。这个SBIR第一阶段项目将寻求开发一种新颖的3D传感器设计，承诺比最先进的设备性能更高。该项目建立在专有的平板光学技术基础上，可能会导致3D传感器模块具有全景视觉、显著的空间分辨率改进、增强的信噪比以及适合低成本制造和组装的紧凑、轻便的架构。该项目有两个主要目标：1)展示3D传感器原型并对其性能进行实验验证；2)开发利用标准微加工技术制造平板光学组件的可扩展制造路线。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project lies in the development of a lightweight, ultra-compact 3D sensor offering enhanced performance compared to the current state-of-the-art. Existing sensors on consumer electronic devices, such as those on augmented/virtual reality headsets, are limited in their perception accuracy and detection range resulting in a poor user experience, which has limited their implementation. The technology developed in this project seeks to address these issues to create a truly seamless and immersive interaction experience for users. The technology may also improve the adoption of augmented/virtual reality technologies in fields such as education, telecommuting, healthcare, industrial design, virtual meetings, entertainment, and many others. The technology has the potential to create new jobs in these fields, enhance human-to-machine interactions, and improve connections within and between communities. This effort also supports domestic photonics manufacturing and assembly industries.This SBIR Phase I project will seeks to develop a novel 3D sensor design that promises performance enhancement over state-of-the-art devices. Building on a proprietary flat optics technology, the project may lead to a 3D sensor module featuring panoramic vision, significant spatial resolution improvements, enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, and a compact, lightweight architecture amenable to low-cost manufacturing and assembly. The project has two main goals: 1) demonstration of a 3D sensor prototype and experimental validation of its performance and 2) development of scalable manufacturing routes for fabrication of flat optics components leveraging standard microfabrication technologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.