Development and manufacturing of holographic AR displays and holographic optical elements (HOE) for vehicles and infrastructure
WayRay SA
Zurich (R&D center)New on Amplifa
About WayRay
WayRay is an industrial deep-tech company based in Zurich that develops and manufactures holographic augmented-reality displays based on holographic optical elements (HOE). Its vertically integrated value chain covers optics and holography, hardware and electronics engineering (analog and mixed-signal circuits, FPGA, PCB design and assembly), software engineering (AR rendering engine, SDK, firmware), chemistry and materials research for glass lamination, as well as design and quality assurance. In Zurich, the company operates a laser laboratory, holography laboratories for HOE recording on photopolymer film, an experimental production facility with CNC machines, vacuum casting and painting, as well as testing laboratories for climate-change and vibration testing. Applications are in automotive (holographic AR head-up displays), transport and heavy machinery, agriculture, air mobility and infrastructure (smart glass). Investors include Porsche, Hyundai Motor, Alibaba Group, China Merchants Capital and JVCKENWOOD.
- Site
- Zürich
- Processes
- Holographic Optical Elements (HOE) Recording, Optics & Holography (Optical Engineering, Laser Research, Optical Design), Custom Laser Design & Development (blue laser technology), PGU Optical Design (Picture Generating Unit), Hardware Engineering (CAE, Mechanical Design, Prototyping, Assembly), Electronics Engineering (Analog/Mixed Signal Design, FPGA Design, Power Supply, PCB Design), PCB Assembly (Prototypes, MCU, CPU, Memory), CNC Machining (Experimental Production)
- Materials
- Photopolymer Film, Glass (windshields / smart glass), Plastics (optical and structural elements), Photopolymer film, Glass, Plastics (optical & structural)
- Certificates
- In-house QM system (Quality Policy), Climate and vibration testing, Optical metrology/HOE verification, ISO 9001 certified
- Employees
- 200
- Industries
- Automotive, Transport and commercial vehicles, Heavy machinery/construction machinery, Aviation (air mobility), Agriculture, Infrastructure/smart glass
- 01
Optics & holography development (laser laboratory, HOE recording)
- 02
Chemistry & materials research (glass lamination)
- 03
Hardware engineering & prototyping (CNC, vacuum casting, painting)
- 04
Electronics engineering & PCB assembly
- 05
Software engineering (AR rendering engine, SDK, firmware)
- 06
Assembly & system integration
- 07
Climate and vibration testing & optical metrology
- 08
Quality assurance
Materials & Processes
Photopolymer film
Thin transparent film for recording holographic optical elements, integrable into curved windshields.
Glass
Used as windshields and smart glass with embedded holographic AR functions via lamination.
Plastics (optical & structural)
Injection-molded optical and structural components including in-house tooling; prototypes via vacuum casting.
Sites
Zurich
CHHQ, R&D center and experimental production (deep-tech hub, optical laboratory)
- Lot size
- Prototypes, experimental production
- Materials
- Photopolymer film, glass, plastics
- Laser laboratory (laser assembly and testing)
- Holography laboratories (HOE recording, optical quality inspection)
- CNC machines
- Metrology equipment
- Vacuum casting equipment
- Painting equipment
- PCB assembly
- Climate and vibration testing laboratories
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holographic Optical Elements (HOE) RecordingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Optics & Holography (Optical Engineering, Laser Research, Optical Design)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Custom Laser Design & Development (blue laser technology)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| PGU Optical Design (Picture Generating Unit)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hardware Engineering (CAE, Mechanical Design, Prototyping, Assembly)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Electronics Engineering (Analog/Mixed Signal Design, FPGA Design, Power Supply, PCB Design)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| PCB Assembly (Prototypes, MCU, CPU, Memory)Assembly | – | – | – | – | PCB |
| CNC Machining (Experimental Production)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vacuum CastingCasting | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Painting (Prototype Painting)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Glass Lamination / Hologram Film LaminatingJoining | – | – | – | – | Glass, Photopolymer Film |
| Plastic Molding (Optical & Structural Elements, Molds)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Climatic and Vibration Testing (Simultaneous Vibration and Temperature Tests)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Metrology (Optical Quality Verification)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Software Engineering (AR Rendering Engine, SDK, Firmware, Backend)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quality Assurance (Hardware & Software Testing)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Generative Design & Topological OptimizationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chemistry / Materials R&DEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
8 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC Machine | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| Metrology Equipment | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| Vacuum Casting Equipment | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| Painting Equipment | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| Laser Laboratory / Laser Assembly & Testing | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| Holography Laboratory (HOE Recording) | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| PCB Assembly Facility | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
| Climatic and Vibration Testing Laboratory | – | – | – | – | Zurich |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
A documented quality management system oversees the development of the AR systems in Zurich. Quality assurance includes hardware and software testing, simultaneous vibration and temperature testing, as well as optical quality verification of the holographic elements.
| Evidence | Zurich |
|---|---|
| In-house QM system (Quality Policy) | |
| Climate and vibration testing | |
| Optical metrology/HOE verification | |
| ISO 9001 certified |
History
- 2018
$80M funding round led by Porsche at a valuation of approximately $500M
- 2020
Listed in Fast Company 'Europe's most innovative companies 2020'