Facebook has shown off a new proof-of-concept virtual reality headset. It has a completely different design than most other VR devices on the market today.

Facebook claims they have a field of view that’s’comparable to today’s consumer VR products’. They’re very thin, with a screen thickness of less than 9mm.

The proof-of-concept glasses are n’t just thin for looks. They apparently beam images to your eyes in a way that’s different than standard VR headsets on the market today.

Our holographic optics are a recording of the interaction of laser light with objects, but in this case the object is a lens rather than a 3D scene. The result is a dramatic reduction in thickness and weight.

The proof-of-concept headset also uses a technique Facebook calls’polarization-based optical folding’.

This GIF from Facebook helps visualize how both techniques work together. This is the latest GIF from the Facebook GIF.

Facebook’s research team has written a blog post about the future development of lightweight, comfortable, and high-performance AR/VR technology. It’s unclear if they’ll ever come to market.

Glass-Like AR/VR headsets combine the best of both technologies into a single device. But it usually ends up as a bulkier VR-centric headset that uses outward-facing cameras to perform light AR.

Google just bought AR glasses company North, an acquisition that may allow the company to revive its dream of a consumer Google Glass-style heads-up display. More companies are now working behind-the-scenes to make a smaller, truly hybrid device a reality.

Facebook is showing off could offer a glimpse at what such a device might look like at some point in the future. The proof-of-concept Facebook will release AR/VR glasses.