A head mounted display is a device for viewing pictures and images, worn on the head like glasses or helmets. They are largely classified into the "immersive" type, in which outer views are shut out and only the display images are visible, and the "see-through" type, in which a real-world view is visible in combination with the display images. The immersive type is often used for playing games and watching movies, as it facilitates the wearers to give themselves over to the virtual world. The see-through type is expected to be used in combination with AR (augmented reality) technology, for such functions as showing the way to destinations and recognizing human faces to display information on them. Moreover, the see-through type has started to be applied to supporting operations at manufacturing plants and in medical scenes.
Head mounted displays were much talked about in the latter half of the 1990s when various manufacturers launched them as devices for consumer use. They did not become very widespread, however, as their functions and performance were limited. Subsequently, with the progress made in miniaturization and AR technologies, manufacturers have announced new products one after another since entering the 2010s. This again brought attention to head mounted displays. In the face of the current situation in which the information volume has expanded in every scene of daily life and business activities, there should be strong demand for hands-free devices from which information can be obtained. As such, head mounted displays are expected to find a wide range of fields for application.
