AR-enabled glasses have been one of the most talked techs of 2018. It all started with google lens concept and Microsoft’s HoloLens. For Google, the idea still remains as it is, but HoloLens have achieved on the AR side of things.
However, we have not yet seen AR glasses that truly stick to the design of the common spectacles. The design we have seen in the products are big and chunky, nowhere near portable for everyday commute. However, a deal between two companies may very well change that!
WaveOptics, An AR optics maker has signed a manufacturing deal with Goertek, a China-based VR manufacturer to bring their AR glass, WaveGuides, into production by 2019. What we are seeing here is a business deal between a technology company and manufacturing company to bring their designs into life and then to stores.
The Deal That Actually Makes Sense!
WaveOptics have captured the attention of the world’s AR market with their waveguide technology. Their implementation of AR, called Waveguide, allows the viewer to experience AR with optics that are the size of regular spectacles. Hence there is no need for heavy casing or complex electronics, ensuring that the form factor of the end product closely resembles an ordinary spectacle
Goertek is a Chinese VR manufacturer who currently has a 2 billion market capitalization. They are well versed in the manufacturing of optics and has the capability to push out large volumes of products at low price heads. These are the qualities that WaveOptics needed in a manufacturing partner because, at the end of the day, large-scale manufacturing results in a lower price per product for the customer.
We have just signed an exclusive partnership with Goertek. This unlocks global mass production of our patented optical #waveguides – the key ingredient in making enhanced #AR #wearables a reality. Read more about the news and what this means here: https://t.co/8oTAptZpvu pic.twitter.com/MwpEgBDuHY
— WaveOptics (@Wave_Optics) November 28, 2018
“This exclusive partnership with Goertek 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. Goertek is one of the leading global manufacturers in AR/VR. Its experience, global positioning, capability and knowledge is integral to the partnership and this agreement is an endorsement of our technology.” Stated David Hayes, CEO of Waveoptics.
The WaveGuides are slated for a 2019 release with a price tag of $600. If WaveGuides can live up to the promises, then its surely going to change the AR landscape and drive new innovations among itself and its competitors.
