Colloquia & Guest Speakers
The Optics of AR and Where it Leads
Barry Silverstein, Director of the Center for eXtended Reality, The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester
Monday, March 16, 2026
5 p.m.
Presented in-person in Goergen 101 and on Zoom
Abstract
Smart glasses have begun to arrive in socially acceptable glasses form factors. These glasses are jam packed with integrated technologies of audio, sensing, compute, displays, and communication hardware enabling real time connection to cloud AI. This talk will highlight the existing status of what optical technologies are currently being used and where these technologies need to improve towards delivering real augmented reality. We will also discuss the Center for eXtended Reality and where the optics fits into the broader vision of the Center.
Biography
Barry Silverstein is Director of the Center for eXtended Reality (CXR) and faculty of the University of Rochester. CXR is a new transdisciplinary center that tackles the hardware, interfaces, applications, and social implications of AR/VR driven by always-on, contextually aware AI. Prior to this role Barry was Senior Director and CTO of Optics and Display in Meta’s Reality Labs, leading technology development in cutting-edge displays for Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality. Barry has been both an organizational leader and individual contributor with a focus on creating the world’s smallest and most efficient visual imaging systems. He is pushing the boundaries of what’s technologically and commercially viable. Before joining Meta, Barry was Senior Research Director at IMAX, where he won an Academy Award in Research and Technology for inventing and commercializing IMAX with Laser technology, bringing the iconic IMAX experience to the world’s largest screens. With 28 years of experience at Kodak’s research laboratory, and 100 issued US patents, Barry is a seasoned expert in laser projection, imaging/printing, space imaging, and optical recording. A graduate of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, Barry is a true visionary in the field.