CES 2025: ZEISS receives awards for groundbreaking Holographic Transparent Camera

Jena, Germany | 28 November 2024 | ZEISS Group

Prestigious awards for outstandingly innovative application: ZEISS receives awards in two categories of the CES Innovation Awards^® 2025 program for its groundbreaking Holographic Transparent Camera technology. The camera solution, which can be seamlessly integrated into transparent surfaces, was named “Best of Innovation” in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility category by the CES jury. This makes the application one of the 16 most valuable new products at the world's largest electronics show. The Holographic Transparent Camera was also recognized as a CES Innovation Awards^® 2025 Honoree in the Smart Home product category. ZEISS will be at CES in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10, 2025 with an all-new booth (LVCC, North Hall 10149). The holographic solutions specialist will present its entire portfolio of applications for the mobility and hometech/consumer sectors in an interactive exhibition entitled "Experience a smarter tomorrow".

"We are proud that our Holographic Transparent Camera technology was able to impress the demanding CES jury in two categories and that we are even among the best of the best in the mobility category," says Roman Kleindienst, Head of ZEISS Microoptics, continuing: "The awards underline our aim to develop user-oriented technologies that offer helpful added value and make everyday life noticeably easier."

The ZEISS Holographic Transparent Camera sets new standards in camera technology because it can be integrated almost 100-percent transparently into a wide variety of designs. This enables the complete elimination of visible lens structures in surfaces and housings, opening up entirely new design options. Aesthetic design can be invisibly combined with state-of-the-art optical-recognition sensor technology. Be it driver assistance systems (ADAS), gesture-based controls, modern augmented-reality applications or screen-integrated cameras, the Holographic Transparent Camera offers innovative solutions for a wide range of applications.

The Holographic Transparent Camera is based on ZEISS multifunctional smart glass technology, which uses holographic coupling, light guiding and decoupling elements to redirect the incident light to a concealed image sensor. The absence of notches or installation space for cameras or sensors means that glass surfaces can also be used in buildings for reliable identification of individuals at entry checkpoints. Similarly, in vehicle interiors, drowsiness assistants can support the driver invisibly in the windshield.

The ZEISS technology also provides significant added value for smartphone displays. Because the Holographic Transparent Camera can be positioned centrally on the screen, people on video calls can look each other directly in the eye in future. The transparency of the holographic film has visually no impact on the display’s brightness and clarity.

The Holographic Transparent Camera technology will be presented together with the full range of ZEISS innovations on the 200 square-meter booth at CES. In the interactive exhibition, visitors can experience first-hand the practical added value that the products bring to everyday life in a wide variety of mobility and hometech applications.

The annual CES Innovation Awards^® program recognizes outstanding design and technology innovations in 33 product categories. The top-class jury of renowned industry experts includes designers, engineers and media representatives from the consumer goods industry and selects award winners in all product categories. From the total of approximately 3,400 entries, awards are presented on two levels: "Honoree" recognizes the best products in each category. The "Best of Innovation" award is given only to the products with the highest overall score.