China-based optical component and lens maker Ofilm Group has stepped into the VR/AR supply chain by establishing a metaverse business unit, as recently announced by Ofilm officially.
Specifically, Ofilm plans to supply optical lenses, imaging modules, optical engine modules for VR/AR devices, and undertake assembly of VR/AR devices or glasses, the sources said. For optical lenses, Ofilm can provide VR-use aspherical lenses, VR/AR lens modules and VR-use eye-lenses. For imaging modules, Ofilm will capitalize on its existing R&D and production of smartphone-use imaging modules and 3D sensing modules to provide FPV imaging modules, SLAM dual-imaging modules, VR-use eye-tracking modules and VR-use positioning lens modules. For optical engine modules, Ofilm will develop LCoS optical waveguide modules, bird bath-type binocular optical modules, LED optical waveguide modules and pancake optical solutions.
According to IDC, 11.23 million VR/AR devices were shipped globally in 2021, hiking 92.1% on year. Ofilm used to be a supplier of iPhone-use lens modules, but lost its place in the Apple supply chain due to alleged violations of Uyghur human rights in 2021.
At present, Ofilm has a number of VR/AR projects under fixed-point development, and some projects have been successfully in mass delivery. Customers and partners include well-known domestic and foreign manufacturers.
On May 14, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the color perspective capabilities of the company's new mixed reality headset, Project Cambria. Compared to the black and white perspective of the Quest 2, the high-end version of the Cambira features a depth sensor and camera with three times the resolution than the Quest 2 and is specifically designed for color perspective, and enables a quite convincing mixed reality experience where digital content can be Integrate with the physical environment. The headset, Project Cambria, priced significantly higher than $800, is expected to be officially announced at Connect this year.
Project Cambria's color perspective function is an unprecedented innovation in VR technology, and it caused a heated discussion in the industry when it was announced.
With the rapid growth of the VR industry, besides META, Sony and Apple are expected to launch new products successively, using high-definition Micro OLED displays to achieve breakthroughs in experience.
Ofilm emphasized in the "Strategic Plan for the Next Five Years (2021-2025)" that the company will continue to strengthen the development of products in new technology fields, and make multi-directional layouts in new fields such as smart home, VR/AR, industrial, medical, sports cameras and other optical optoelectronics business. The company will take advantage of its core advantages such as the rapidly growing industry market scale, blue-chip customers and advanced R&D capabilities to significantly increase the proportion of revenue in new fields, making it an important growth contribution area for the company in the future.