OptoFidelity Articles

As every year, we have a number of summer trainees at OptoFidelity, who have actively supported us in our work this summer and learned a lot of new things in the process. In 2022, eight new summer trainees worked with us for several months. In this blog, some of them will talk about their experiences at OptoFidelity and tell how their time with us was.

AR and VR are quickly becoming critical toolsets in the medical field. One of the earliest uses was in training surgeons. Medical professionals use AR to create a three-dimensional model of the patient's body that they could view from different angles, which allows surgeons to practice surgeries before performing them on an actual patient. From training to surgical procedures, AR and VR are used to improve medical treatments' quality and accuracy. Using AR/VR in medical applications has expanded beyond training purposes. Some current trends include:

Since OptoFidelity launched FUSION robot for functional testing of smartphones we have been constantly developing it to meet the needs of our customers. Over the years FUSION has been used to test millions of smartphones with excellent repeatability.

With the ramp-up of head mounted display (HMD) production, there’s an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage through manufacturing efficiencies. Waiting to solve these problems in the production stage no longer serves you. We suggest moving testing into the earliest stages of product design. Integrating performance test engineering into your mass production process can help discover bottlenecks and challenges before and during production.

What are the implications of implementing earlier testing, like labor requirements, equipment, and the additional time to market? Automated optical metrology testing systems can help to alleviate these barriers and solve performance issues before they even appear. We have identified a few steps that you can take to make sure you can improve productivity and establish world-leading quality and performance in your optical technology.

Steps to improve and maximize your HMD production process:

1. Gain end-to-end system performance visibility with the shift-left approach
2. Get performance improvement recommendations based on comprehensive statistical analysis
3. Apply technology-agnostic testing strategies suitable for any device, form factor, or use case

Technology drives our economy, and its leaders can shape its impact on climate change. The world has finite resources, so adopting and promoting a circular economy will advance the reuse of resources to benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment. What is a circular economy, exactly? Today’s linear economy takes finite resources from the Earth, which later become waste. A circular economy aims to develop products that can be reused over again, either as the same product, or using the parts for a new byproduct. The concept of a circular economy is changing our approach to product design, production, and brand promise, while in many cases, opening opportunity for new lines of revenue and margin improvement.

With the development of the metaverse moving at an accelerating pace, the expansion of AR, VR, and MR, is inevitable. The pandemic has acted as a catalyst in creating a virtual world where we can experience many of the same social events and interactions that we enjoy in the real world. Company investments are shifting – and the performance of head-mounted displays (HMDs) and other smart device technology will progress with it. Recent statistics show the forecast of the market and are drivers behind the increased investments in AR/VR/MR technologies.

OptoFidelity is dedicated to enabling the future of technology by contributing to performance standards of smart devices. Our dedication combined with our presence on three continents allows our team of experts to assist with testing challenges on a global scale. To help understand if our testing solutions and offering are the right fit for your project, our team has gathered a list of commonly asked questions discussing our value proposition, products, and more.

Before high-scale production, developers of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices need to address any performance gaps. Comprehensive testing is the solution to close the disparity in performance. There are several components used in AR/VR systems that require performance measurements, such as sensors, cameras, processors, GPS, displays, and a microphone. Performance is vital, but turn-key solutions for automated testing are limited.

Robotic precision in display technologies is the ability to use automation to create accurate calibration to achieve a certain performance. Precision also includes the concept of repeatability, which is the ability to sequentially attain the desired performance. Precision robotics is the key to enabling innovation in many major industries. Some industries, specifically consumer electronics, are required to have exceptionally precise measurements due to the end-use of the technology. Increasing accuracy and precision in testing robotics is creating value through product design and ultimately customer satisfaction.

Throughput and uptime are absolutely imperative for your facility, making service an important consideration in the purchase of industrial automation for testing. In addition, global companies demand global support.

An automotive head-up display system, or HUD, aims to improve passenger safety by projecting information such as navigation, warnings, and points of interest, to the driver’s visual field, ideally in real-time. The intention is to keep the driver’s focus on the road by reducing the eyes-off-the-road time and increasing situational awareness. Conventional HUDs produce a 2D image with a fixed, or static, projection. However, Augmented Reality (AR) HUDs produce a 3D image that adds depth and curvature to conventional HUD imagery and features a variable, or dynamic, projection.

With more than 15 years of experience, OptoFidelity is the global leader in designing and manufacturing automated test systems for measuring the optical and tracking performance of AR/VR systems. We always achieve the highest possible accuracy and repeatability with our turn-key solutions and measurements, combined with human-like fitment and ease of use.

In our previous blog, we discussed about factors impacting the growth of refurbished smartphone market, and the current practices utilized in the field. There are multiple factors like lower prices and more sustainable consumer habits that contribute towards the growth. There is room to improve the quality of the refurbishment and grading process, and one of the keys to success is automation.

Apple CEO Tim Cook in his keynote speech while accepting Ceres' Sustainability Award opines that Refurbishing smartphones is the way of the future. At OptoFidelity, we have been providing several automation/grading products and solutions to smartphones' refurbishment industry for over 5 years. We have noticed that practices utilized in the refurbishing processes are sub-optimal. There is a lot of potential for improving quality of the refurbishment process and customer satisfaction, which will lead to faster adoption of refurbished smartphones.  

End consumer experience with new technologies and products is paramount for their successful adoption. Head-mounted displays (HMDs) such as Sony, Pico, DPVR, HTC Facebook's Oculus, and others promise an immersive experience in augmented and virtual reality. For delivery of the promised experience, many factors are critical including motion-to-photon (MTP) latency. Poor performance of motion-to-photon latency leads to spatial disorientation, motion sickness and dizziness. In this post, we explore the importance of motion-to-photon latency, how to measure it and optimize HMD performance.

Labor savings and quality improvements are the most considered benefits of automation when planning an automation project in refurbishment industry.

OptoFidelity testing approach 

OptoFidelity through its history has been mimicking human perception by designing sensors and actuators to “replace” human senses and touches. For example, in area of touch testing there has been fingertips with specific materials to mimic softness or capacitance of fingertip or added sensors to sense force or haptics. Sometimes the requirement has been to press touch screen with 1g force in 10um accuracy in XY location or recognize setting icon or read Arabic text. 

Touch screens

Touch screens are devices that recognize the presence of contacts and generate responses. The presence can be delivered via touch gestures or stylus. The response can be various such as haptic, visual, audio, etc. Hence, touch screens are input/output devices.

OptoFidelity Automotive Test Suite simulates human interaction inside a vehicle. The testing expertise covers the following areas:

Growing into a professional in the field of technology means striving with studies and engaging oneself in the industry. For many students, this means working as a part-time summer trainee at a company. Among all the positive experiences, the responsibilities can sometimes prove to be quite an ordeal during work and studies. This is where the support of the employer plays an important role.

Display Color Properties

Displays of all kinds are the main channels for human interaction with various devices. Whether it is a mobile phone, tablet, PC, cars, home appliances, info screens, or machine controllers, displaying information and content on display is the most natural way to interact with people. As the variety and usage of displays increase, the color optics of display performance grows in importance. Can the user see the content clearly from various angles? Are the colors vivid and natural at the same time? Are there unevenness or visible defects on display? Do the colors of two in-device displays match when it comes to dual-screen devices?

Humans are gifted with five senses namely sight, hear, touch, taste and smell. These senses help us perceive the world and get the best of the experiences. Technology has certainly adapted to give us best experience by the means of touch. From phone to a watch, from car to fridge, from ATMs to POS, everything is embedded with a touch capacity for human interaction. Delivering such interactive technology comes with a requirement of quality assurance to keep the product consistent and enhance the customer experience. Having shipped a poor quality of touch panels in any device has a significant impact on the quality of device. This certainly affects the device brand and the future of the product. Having a thorough testing cycle in R&D as well in manufacturing line, improves the quality of production, which helps getting better business yield.

Consumer VR headsets have been available since 2015, when a large number of companies announced their own versions of the products. By 2016, more than 230 companies were working on their own VR HMD projects. Most of these projects have since ended and companies have gone bankrupt, but some keep releasing new products, both stand-alone and tethered versions, on an almost annual basis. Oculus (Facebook) released new Quest and Rift devices in 2019, while HTC came up with a new VIVE and Valve announced their Index glasses. Then there is Varjo, a company that keeps amazing their fans with human-eye resolution products, as well as numerous new Chinese companies that are also catching up fast in product design and performance. In CES 2020, there were dozens of new players and products coming to both the VR and AR markets. ^{[1] [2]}

The testing process during R&D of a new smart device involves many aspects. In this blog I will showcase some of the most important areas where we are the best in the world.

When it comes to the development of physical mass products, we work with most of the top-rated companies in the world. Why? Our competence in testing and our ability to help the customer in the early stages of new product innovation makes us unique. The competence of our metrology teams, especially our optical and imaging-related knowledge, combined with extensive knowledge of high-precision robotics, is unique in the world. An example of our competence in component testing is described in the blog Characterizing Diffractive Waveguides. Add an exceptional team and the ability to help customers to solve their problems and that is what OptoFidelity stands for.

We work with our customers as well as further down the line during manufacturing and after sales. For further information please have a look at further details at the Production Testing blog posting or, for tailored solutions, at the OptoFidelity Competencies site.

Production is the key process in bringing the end user products into the market. For our customers, this involves production technology validation, traveling to the factories, meeting tight line ramp-up deadlines and ensuring that production costs are within the business case for the product. In a later phase, the focus moves into production line efficiency improvements and maintaining the systems. Equipment vendor capabilities and level of experience has significant influence on the level of required effort. This blog is outlining our experience for how to create successful projects, a checklist for the key ingredients.

We at OptoFidelity are enthusiastic about the accuracy of our test and measurement systems. In order to pursue the highest possible accuracy and repeatability, we have integrated several technologies into the TOUCH test system, such as purpose-built mechanics, linear motors, multi-axis synchronized motion, machine vision based positioning, robot calibration methods, and camera calibrations.

Smart devices are electronic devices which integrate various sensors and actuators which enable product features. Smart devices are generally connected to other devices or networks and can operate to some extent interactively and autonomously. Development of a smart device starts from component and technology selection and continues with product R&D, manufacturing and after sales. End user experience is the key differentiator for any smart device product. It is built from well performing components and skillfully integrated product hardware and software.

Each year we seek enthusiastic, bold and open-minded Trainees to join our troops. This summer was no different and we were excited to have overall six new OptoFidelitians. We promised that these Trainees will have a summer with cool robots, awesome colleagues and unique projects – how well did we succeed with this promise? Let’s find out from the authors themselves: Sini, Joonas, Olli-Pekka, Ismo and Juho!

Sini and Joonas, you worked as Software Trainees, what did you get to do here?

Sini: During the summer I got to do a lot of work directly related to my education and interests. This was the most important thing for me, since as someone mostly focused on users, UX and UI design back-end coding is not inspiring to me. I was surprised how much people here were eager to hear my opinions and how much those really affected the outcome of the projects.

I designed and made prototypes of a few user interfaces and got to develop one from start to finish. In the university I hadn’t learned a lot about UI programming and the experience from here is patching up important holes in my know-how.

What really made the summer enjoyable here was my project team. The average age of the team was probably somewhere in the mid to late twenties, which helped us connect and have fun too on the side of work. I look forward to continuing as a part-timer when I start my studies again!

Diffractive waveguide gratings are one of the most promising display technologies for head-mounted augmented reality (AR) devices. Verifying the quality of these gratings requires extremely accurate optical measurements, a key expertise at OptoFidelity.

We at OptoFidelity are happy to introduce a new image quality testing solution for AR/VR head mounted devices – OptoFidelity™ GoldenEye HMD IQ!

Industrial XR will be the breakthrough area, Finnish leaders say. A lot has happened in the AR&VR ecosystem in the last few months. Industry leaders from Finland’s AR&VR ecosystem had a virtual roundtable discussion, and the key comments were collected for this article. The Finland AR&VR ecosystem includes leading global companies such as www.varjo.com, www.dispelix.com, www.optofidelity.com, www.leonidasoy.com, www.futuremark.com, www.immersal.com, and much more. An additional AR technology highlight is, that Microsoft has Hololens development activities in Finland. Finland is a true global focal point in AR&VR development.

OptoFidelity CTO Kimmo Jokinen, Kari Peltola, the Chairman of VR Finland and CEO of Leonidas, CMO Jussi Mäkinen from Varjo, CEO Jufo Peltomaa from Immersal and industry pioneer Steven LaValle from the University of Oulu all share a common view, namely that industrial XR solutions will make a breakthrough during 2019.

Is it safe to buy a refurbished smartphone? This is one of the most common questions written to Google when a consumer is considering buying a used smartphone. “Are they any good?” “Will they function well?” “Can I trust that it works?” The answer is a resounding “Yes,” if you ask OptoFidelity. “Based on our experience from the reverse logistics of smartphones, the quality of second-hand phones for sale is excellent, especially if you buy them from established suppliers in the business,” Hans Kuosmanen, SVP from OptoFidelity, confirms.

Maturity of AR/VR/MR devices is improving significantly during 2019. In order to offer seamless UX for consumers, more comprehensive testing methods are needed. A novel content tracking method for AR/VR/MR testing purposes is introduced by OptoFidelity, the leading test solution provider for HMD UX testing.

In 2019, we can expect a wealth of exciting virtual and augmented reality devices arriving: for example, Oculus is going to release the standalone Quest headset, and Nreal raised $15M of funding to produce a sunglass-sized AR headset. In CES 2019, there were almost a hundred exhibitors in the AR/VR Gaming category.

Quick development of the new technology gives rise to the need to verify performance in product development as a part of continuous integration. This post focuses on measuring head tracking accuracy, which is comprised of many measurable elements: drifting, jitter, motion-to-photon latency, cross-axis coupling… you name it!

Kick-start for HMD UX testing was done in 2017, when OptoFidelity's first offering BUDDY-1, previously known as VR Multimeter was launched. BUDDY-1 is a solution for benchmarking the motion-to-photon latency with one degree of freedom. Our BUDDY testers are equipped with a smart camera which captures and analyzes the frames displayed on the headset. BUDDY-1 tracks the optical flow of a target pattern placed in the virtual world and compares that to the physical rotation angle over time, yielding motion-to-photon time. BUDDY-1 is a good work horse for basic motion-to-photon latency measurement e.g. to catch some fatal performance regressions.

OptoFidelity worked in co-operation with University of Jyväskylä, Department of Physics. Our co-operation was related to academic research in the area of HMD testing technology. Our interest was to find new optical measurement technologies and methods for VR headset tracking performance. As an end result, we developed a novel technology for testing HMD´s. If tracking performance of HMD is poor, it will effect drastically to end user experience. OptoFidelity has been working with user interface testing for years. As HMD´s are getting more and more popular, we believe better testing technology is needed as well.

OptoFidelity™ GoldenEye Display Test Solution and sample data

OptoFidelity GoldenEye is an automated display test system that is scalable and capable of producing reliable and consistent display quality data. It is capable of testing MURA / MURA detection, uniformity but as well particles within display stack and display surface dust detection. The OptoFidelity™ GoldenEyE software is used with different camera and hardware setups and integrated to RD and factory testing environments. You can read more details about the solution from OptoFidelity™ GoldenEye solution page.

Sample data in the end of this article: includes MURA detection, luminancy uniformity and dust detection samples

Refurbished smartphone testing is not possible with traditional testing approach. Novel technology and thinking is needed in order to overcome the challenges. Especially you can see the problem, when you are trying to automate Android functional testing for refurbished phones.

There are 2.3B Android smartphones in use globally (*). And more and more smartphones are getting a second life as well. This means reselling the phone to another user when the primary user wants to get an upgrade. This reverse logistics business requires testing as well. If you want to sell it with a good price, the phone must work well.

We have been delivering smartphone testing solutions for years. It has been part of our company offering from day one. The testing of smartphones includes quite a lot. In this blog I will showcase some of the most important areas where we are the best in the world.

First of all, I believe it might be good to split the value chain of the smartphone business a little bit. In our company we are defining four major segments in the smartphone business: 1) Component validation, 2) Product development, 3) Manufacturing and 4) After-sales.

OptoFidelity was nominated by Photonics Finland as the Photonics Company of The Year. We are very pleased and proud of this nomination. We took the opportunity seriously and had a little celebration at our office the other day. While having a glass of sparkling wine with our team, we also discussed some recent experiences with photonics and its relation to testing. We have been investing in the photonics industry for years. And a few truly interesting cases were brought up by the team. ”How do testing and photonics, and specifically test robotics and photonics, fit together?” you might ask.  

OptoFidelity’s US offices had some exceptional visitors the other day. Check out their video to see what happened!

– do you know what your customers thinks about your QoS?

I was invited as a speaker to the OLED (organic light emitting diode) technologies summit in Berlin, November 23-24. This was the first time that I had the opportunity to attend this type of venue, with top scientists discussing the very niche area of OLED technology. What I heard and discussed there was truly eye-opening.

“Values are personal and reflect the vibe around the company”

I had the opportunity to be an invited speaker at the SID Display Week symposium in Los Angeles. Display Week is one of the largest venues of the display industry, gathering more than 400 speakers/authors and 6,000+ professional visitors together for a whole week.

Creating a new product concept from scratch is like a thrilling voyage. It’s  at least a combination of a vision of the destination, good itinerary, guts and good luck. And the final result, alive and kicking product, can be as rewarding as the dream journey. When developing and launching one of our latest products, OptoFidelity^TM Fusion, I really thought it was like winning the Amazing Race. And that’s a lot to say – for a Finn.

Virtual reality (VR) allows a person to interact with a three-dimensional image or environment through the use of display, optical and sensor technology, in connection with powerful graphics and CPU. Wall Street has high expectations for the market potential of VR; much depends, however, on the results in the sales report. I would like to discuss the reasons behind the figures of the User Performance (UX) of VR HMD. However, this is not a formal study but rather a light recollection of personal experience, observations and interviews.

”UI is a fork. UX is feeling full.” – Whitney Hess

After I have been chewing over the SLUSH experience for couple of days, I can align that the leading start-up event in Europe was an overall positive experience for a first-timer. The event is not only about matchmaking for start-ups and financiers, but it has become “the event” for high tech companies in particular, where you can find first-rate presentations, discussion and networking opportunities all in one. Maybe it’s because the event is intended for start-ups, but the entire SLUSH population is open and ready to listen to what others have to offer. Everyone is a potential partner for your business, one way or another. This open willingness to communicate makes the event stand out among ordinary trade fairs.

The ongoing evolution of smart devices means endless, and sometimes also sleepless, R&D hours for our test automation developers. We have to have a good radar to sense what will be the new trends and features on phones or any multimedia device – and we have to head our expertise and solutions to meet the expectations. Most preferably we have to do that before customer can define what this means from testing aspect.

”As a company, we don’t define ourselves by our output, but by the challenges we solve”