Swave Bolsters Team with Addition of Joel Kollin as Director of Optical Architecture

Former Microsoft engineer to lead development of optical systems

Swave Photonics, the true holographic display company, today announced the hiring of Joel Kollin as Director of Optical Architecture. Kollin will be responsible for exploring and implementing cutting-edge optical systems for Swave's unique technology to enable an unmatched user experience in spatial computing and immersive display.

Kollin’s focus will be on ensuring that Swave’s Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) Optical Architecture is optimized for augmented reality (AR) smartglasses. The HXR AR optical architecture is critical for seamlessly combining rendered images with the physical world, while optimizing for best-in-class size and weight to deliver a reality-first user experience.

Swave’s HXR technology is designed for slim and comfortable smartglasses that do not require a waveguide — a significant advantage reducing bulkiness of today’s waveguides which traditionally sit in front of the eye. By using the world’s smallest pixels to shape light, Swave is able to connect the human eye directly to the holographic image, but this technology requires a unique optical architecture to ensure the desired user experience.

Mr. Kollin joins the Swave team after over a decade at Microsoft, where he helped spur significant development of holographic display development as Principal Optical Architect. He built the prototype for the first scanned laser projection engine into a surface relief grating waveguide, which became the architecture adopted for Microsoft’s HoloLens 2. Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Kollin co-invented and developed the early prototype of the first holographic video display system as his Master’s thesis at the MIT Media Lab, and also the Virtual Retinal Display at the University of Washington HIT Lab.

“As wearable AI nears consumer adoption, ensuring high performance and seamless implementation of the optical architecture will be essential to delivering a top choice with this first-of-its-kind technology,” said Mike Noonen, CEO of Swave. “Joel is a seasoned innovator in our industry, and the contributions he has made throughout his career to advance holography are significant.”

Earlier this year, Swave publicly announced its HXR technology and NanoPixel Holography, which uses pixels smaller than light to shape light and sculpt dynamic holographic images, and that Swave is taking orders for HXR development kits. The company also announced the achievement of the first true color 3D holographic display technology using phase change materials — a world-first.

“Swave is innovating in a way that has the potential to reshape how people fundamentally interact with technology,” said Kollin. “I have worked with companies from proof-of-concept prototyping and patent application, to early product development, and am excited to work with Swave to bring this groundbreaking technology to everyday eyewear.”

Kollin currently holds over 60 issued US patents, with more pending, and dozens of international patents for relevant technologies.

About Swave:

Swave, the true holographic display company, develops chipsets to deliver reality-first spatial computing powered by AI. The company’s Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) display technology is the first to achieve true holography by sculpting lightwaves into natural, high-resolution images. The proprietary technology will allow for compact form factors with a natural viewing experience. Founded in 2022, the company spun-out from imec and utilizes CMOS chip technology for manufacturing for a cost-effective, scalable, and swift path to commercialization. For more information, visit https://swave.io/

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