In certain fields, employees have to wear eye protection. Fraunhofer researchers are aiming to develop smartglasses that assist their wearers at work.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology are currently working on OLED microdisplays and sensor systems as a foundation for smartglasses . The self-illuminating displays can be combined with a camera, allowing wearers to control the function of the glasses with their eyes. According to Fraunhofer, the compact displays are ideal for industrial use: “They show workers all the information they need, such as the pick location or part number,” explains Dr. Uwe Vogel, Head of the Microdisplay and Sensor unit.

Besides production, developers see logistics as one of the most important areas of application. This would free up both hands for warehouse workers to perform their actual jobs, while the glasses guide them through individual processes and show them which items have to be picked, packed or transported. Among others, Toshiba recently presented a similar augmented reality solution .