Recently, Liard Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. announced that it intends to acquire a 100% stake in the US optical giant NATURALPOINT, INC (hereinafter referred to as NP) for 850 million yuan. Liad, who is committed to becoming a pioneer in virtual reality business applications, has revealed the important signals of the VR/AR industry.
Optics is one of the three pillars of VR
Since the beginning of this year, Liard has successively participated in many VR companies such as Black Crystal Technology and Xinfu Technology, and the business areas of the NP company to be acquired this time are significantly different from the business areas of the previous acquisition targets. According to the data, NP provides high-quality 3D optical motion capture software, hardware and services for educational institutions, government agencies, commercial enterprises and home game enthusiasts.
NP's main products include OpTITrack, TRICKIR and SMARTNAV. OpTITrack is a full-body motion capture system, including dedicated high-speed, high-resolution tracking camera and optical tracking software. It is the core and most competitive product of NP. It is widely used in North America, Europe and China and can be widely used. Research and application in VR games, digital film production, drones, biomechanics and life sciences, simulation and training, vehicle visual design, sports motion analysis, industrial measurement, etc. TRICKIR is an optical motion tracking game controller that tracks the user's head movements. As the head movement changes, the user can accurately control the field of view in the game and free his hands. The SMARTNAV is a hands-free mouse. The user naturally moves the head and the mouse's infrared camera tracks the head movements to achieve complete control of the computer.
Li Nannan, deputy general manager of Liard, told reporters that NP has the world's leading 3D optical motion capture technology, and its 3D optical tracking technology and motion capture products are in a leading position with great market influence. Prior to the acquisition of Black Crystal Technology, Xinfu Technology, VIRTUIX, Magic Leap and other AR companies, the company will complement NP's technology, resources, customers, regions and other aspects to achieve synergy and expand market share. "This acquisition is based on the original virtual reality business field, further expanding the virtual reality business segment, which will help to strengthen the company's virtual reality business strength and increase new profit growth points." Li Nannan said, "This acquisition is in line with Liard. Strategic planning for the development of VR/AR - the leader of virtual reality business applications."
For this acquisition, the interpretation of Dr. Cao Yu from the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is more intuitive. "The virtual reality industry involves not only VR helmets, but also related technologies such as panoramic image acquisition, motion capture, spatial positioning, etc., and optical design plays a decisive role in these general VR technologies." Cao Yu said in an interview. "Optical device design and high-volume processing and manufacturing are crucial for the future development of China's VR/AR industry. Optical devices, display screens and processors together constitute the three pillars of the future VR/AR industry."
VR optics design is difficult
Cao Yu specifically analyzed that for VR helmets, the optical design directly affects the final VR experience, and the thin optical lens can effectively reduce the size and wearing weight of the VR helmet. For example, current mainstream manufacturers such as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift use double-bonded Phillips lenses. Microsoft HoloLens and other AR glasses use optical waveguide technology, the purpose of which is to reduce the weight of the product, but there are still distortions, chromatic aberrations, and FOV. Obvious problems such as narrow (viewing angle). In order to improve the experience of VR and extend the wear time of users, there is still a lot of work to be done in optical design.
Previously, Liard had invested in the famous Magic Leap, which is dedicated to the development of digital light field augmented reality technology, which belongs to the display optical part of VR/AR, and the acquisition of NP company is to achieve VR/AR action. Capture the tracking optics. NP's OpTItrack product uses passive infrared light technology to achieve motion capture. Cao Yu pointed out the importance of optical design: In order to reduce the number of infrared cameras, it is necessary to design a large-angle lens. In order to extend the range of the receiver's activity, the lens has a larger lens. Imaging depth of field.
From a cost perspective, the cost of optical devices is relatively low in ordinary VR helmets, and the cost of two lenses is between a few dollars and tens of dollars. However, in AR glasses, the cost of optical devices is high, and the price of two optical waveguide modules can be as high as a thousand dollars. However, as shipments increase, prices are expected to continue to decline in the future.
The design of VR optics is very difficult. Cao Yu pointed out that the overall performance of the lens of the domestic VR helmet is not as good as that of the foreign mainstream VR helmet. The design of optical devices in AR glasses is more difficult. At present, the optical waveguide technology of Israel Lumus and Microsoft HoloLens is relatively good. Fortunately, domestic optical design companies are also catching up in optical waveguide technology, such as Beijing Nidejia.
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