Beyond laser safety glasses: augmented reality in optics laboratories

Blocking visibility of a laser beam after a pair of safety goggles have been worn is always an unpleasant experience. Working blindly is hard, sometimes even dangerous, and safety could be again at risk. A safe, clear view of the laser beam path would be highly desirable. This paper presents a technique for laboratory laser safety, using a smartphone's camera and display, in conjunction with an augmented reality headset to allow clear viewing of laser experiments without any risk of laser eye injury. Use of the technique is demonstrated, and strengths and weaknesses of the solution are discussed. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America