Holographic Optical Systems for Aerospace Cockpit and Cabin Architecture

ZEISS is exhibiting its scalable ProSight holographic technology platform for aerospace applications at Chalet 404, Gate B, during the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, United Kingdom, from July 20 to 24, 2026. The "From Passenger to Pilot" technical showcase focuses on micro-optical systems and transparent interfaces designed for aircraft manufacturers, avionics providers, and airlines.

Aerospace Optical System Integration
The aviation industry requires advanced display solutions that do not increase aircraft weight or cockpit complexity. The micro-optical systems replace bulky traditional projector architectures with a holographic film laminated into transparent surfaces, such as aircraft windows and cockpit windshields. This technology utilizes holographic optical elements that diffract specific light wavelengths from a laser-based projector unit, achieving an ambient light transmittance level above 92 percent. By decoupling the field of view from the hardware volume, the system reduces the package volume to less than 1.5 liters per projector unit. This hardware reduction supports lightweight aircraft design and lowers system energy consumption, with holographic displays requiring approximately 18 watts to achieve 2500 nits of luminance, compared to nearly 90 watts for conventional liquid crystal display equivalents.

Cockpit and Cabin Use Cases
In the cockpit environment, wide field of view head-up display systems project critical navigation and flight data directly into the forward sightline of the pilot. The analog holography method displays an in-plane real image directly on the transparent surface, eliminating dynamic distortion regardless of the pilot's eye position within the designated eyebox. This enables pilots to maintain an outward visual focus during critical flight phases, supporting safer decision-making.

For the cabin environment, transparent display systems embed flight information, entertainment content, and passenger communication interfaces directly into cabin dividers and windows. The holographic optical elements can be engineered to restrict visibility to specific passenger eyeboxes, providing privacy and personalized content delivery without relying on physical screens or moving mechanical components.




Additional Context:
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement

In the aerospace avionics market, holographic transparent displays and next-generation head-up displays are evaluated against conventional refractive optics head-up displays and augmented reality projection systems. Aerospace technology providers such as Collins Aerospace, Thales, and BAE Systems produce compact head-up displays utilizing waveguide technology and digital light processing. Benchmark criteria for these optical systems include projector package volume, luminance efficiency, display transmittance, and resistance to dynamic distortion. The implementation of analog holography and photopolymer holographic optical elements provides a measurable advantage by achieving over 92 percent transparency, compared to the 70 to 80 percent transmittance typical of conventional waveguide combiners. Furthermore, the reduction of the projector package volume to under 1.5 liters allows for integration into space-constrained aerospace architectures where traditional refractive optical projectors cannot be accommodated.

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals editor, assisted by AI.

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