The partnership with Goertek, a leading global original design manufacturer in advanced consumer electronics design and manufacturing, will allow WaveOptics to cut the cost of its components
WaveOptics, a leading designer and manufacturer of diffractive waveguides, has entered into a partnership with Google supplier Goertek, for mass production of waveguides for augmented reality (AR) glasses.
The partnership with Goertek, a leading global original design manufacturer (ODM) in advanced consumer electronics design and manufacturing, will allow WaveOptics to cut the cost of its components.
Commenting on the development, David Hayes, CEO, WaveOptics, said, “We are delighted to announce this exclusive partnership with Goertek. This is another significant milestone for us, as it provides the opportunity to deliver our superior waveguide technology, at a mass market price point for AR wearables.”
“Our waveguides are now ready for mass deployment. We can supply our rapidly growing customer pipeline with mass market priced waveguides. This agreement reflects the real momentum within our business,” he added.
Volume production solution
Long Jiang, CEO, Goertek Inc, said, “As a key player in the OEM/ODM industry for VR/AR products, we have been following the development trend for AR optics. WaveOptics’ unique waveguide technology has demonstrated its superior image quality as well as manufacturing potential. We are delighted to team up with WaveOptics to provide a volume production solution of superior performance waveguides for our potential customers in the AR market.”
China-based Goertek, whose clients also include Sony and Samsung, has gradually become a key enabler, offering manufacturing services to support some of the most prominent virtual reality products in the market.
AR optics are often a major contributor to the AR headsets cost. With this partnership, the companies will be able to come up with market-ready AR headsets at a price of US$ 600 in 2019.
According to Mordor Intelligence forecasts, the global AR market is estimated to reach US$ 70 billion by 2023 and to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 51 per cent over the next five years.
