In AR, VR, and MR (XR) devices, display quality is determined by user perception of the display when observed as designed into the device. Measurement systems emulate the viewing conditions of an XR user by applying imaging with optics that position the entrance pupil (aperture) at the eye position within the headset. This viewing proximity is common across XR displays, but there is no standard guiding XR device design. Display technologies, projection methods, and headsets continue to evolve. New display measurement equipment must be developed continuously to address the unique viewing conditions of new devices—different angular fields of view (FOV), resolutions, focus ranges, and hardware form factors. Many XR devices require measurement systems with costly custom optics. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and, once designed, a measurement system is not easily modified for different use cases.

The speed of XR innovation calls for equipment that helps manufacturers deploy device-specific display measurement as quickly and easily as possible. Described in this paper, a novel optical design greatly simplifies the process of building imaging systems for near-eye display (NED) metrology. Using commercially available modular components, a variety of optical configurations can be produced and, if needed, reconfigured to match unique specifications of most XR headsets with minimal development time. Features such as electronic focus control and folded (“periscope”) geometries can be incorporated easily to accommodate different focus ranges and form factors. This paper introduces this optical design concept and provides examples of the performance of a modular system for NED measurement.