SPIE Prism Awards 2026
LightTrans International Wins SPIE Prism Award 2026 in XR Technology
Our VirtualLab Fusion has won the 2026 SPIE Prism Award in the XR Technology category, recognized for breakthrough optical software solutions enabling next-generation AR/VR optics. The award honors the company's groundbreaking development of an Optical Digital Twin for diffractive lightguides, a critical enabler for Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Head-Up Display (HUD) systems.
The award-winning "Lightguide Twin" demonstrates the core strength of LightTrans's approach: overcoming the interoperability barriers that traditionally block system-level optical simulation. As an intelligent Optical Digital Twin, it fully encapsulates the optical behaviour of a lightguide in a single, smart agent that seamlessly integrates with any other simulation component on the VirtualLab Fusion platform.
This integration is crucial for XR development. Engineers can now accurately simulate the entire optical path of an XR device in one environment – from the microdisplay or imager optics, through the complex nano-structured lightguide, to the final image formed in an eye model. This eliminates the need to manually stitch together incompatible specialized tools.
"This award is a profound validation of our mission to break down the walls between different optical simulation models," said Prof. Dr. Frank Wyrowski, Founder and President of LightTrans International. "Our Lightguide Twin embodies our philosophy: by providing a unified platform where all components can communicate through the common language of electromagnetic fields, we empower engineers to innovate at the system level. It is this foundational interoperability that makes true multiscale simulation – from nano-structured gratings, metalenses, to full-system behavior – not just possible, but practical for cutting-edge XR applications."
The SPIE Prism Awards are among the most prestigious honors in the photonics industry, celebrating commercially available products that demonstrate significant technological advancement. The award was presented at a gala during the SPIE Photonics West conference in San Francisco.
This award-winning technology for XR development is integral to VirtualLab Fusion and will be further enhanced in the upcoming 2026.1 release, featuring the new Digital Twin Hub for streamlined access to simulation agents.