作為蘋果革命性的終端產(chǎn)品,大批新技術方案會與其名為“RealityPro”的首款MR智能頭顯一起走紅。
蘋果已經(jīng)官宣,將于北京時間6月6日至10日舉辦2023年度全球開發(fā)者大會(WWDC)。綜合各路消息,RealityPro將撕下最后的神秘面紗,同期發(fā)布的可能性非常大。
潮電智庫從一份疑似MR頭顯的供應鏈名單了解,RealityPro采用了pancake光學方案,占比整機總成本5%左右。這與之前天風國際證券分析師郭明錤的預測基本一致。
在消費電子領域,蘋果是寥寥可數(shù)具備定義產(chǎn)品實力的公司。如果上述名單信息屬實,pancake光學應用前景將被完全打開。目前,整個pancake行業(yè)已經(jīng)開啟躁動模式,迎來企業(yè)投融資、技術方案融合、項目訂單招標、開模生產(chǎn)等各種熱潮。
非常夸張的是,在智能手機和TWS等市場整體疲軟的大環(huán)境下,傳聞深圳華強北白牌力量已做好進入XR的充分準備,只待蘋果官宣后上新。
行業(yè)一直對蘋果首款頭顯保持高度興趣的原因,是因為它可以快速推動各種標準的建立。根據(jù)傳出的更具體消息,各路高仿產(chǎn)品也是普遍采用pancake光學方案,平均單價預測在600元人民幣左右。
專注XR領域近十年的愛幕創(chuàng)新公司董事長熊旭表示,蘋果首款MR正式發(fā)布之后,勢必會引起一波跟風潮。“目前來看,觀影體驗有可能成為率先成為產(chǎn)品最大賣點。”
愛幕創(chuàng)新聚焦VR輕薄化產(chǎn)品體驗,主攻Pancake光學系統(tǒng),是目前業(yè)內為數(shù)不多并最早擁有Pancake光學技術和相關產(chǎn)品解決方案的公司,配備完善的上下游資源。
從技術路徑分析,當前XR光學方案主要分為兩種。
一是垂直光學,即最早期的時候非球面透鏡,起著放大鏡的功能,比如cordborst、VR盒子,包括早期的VR一體機等產(chǎn)品,以及HTC VIVE、PICO NEO3、QUEST2采用的菲涅爾鏡片;二是折疊光學,也就是簡稱的Pancake,包括單片、雙片、多片等,主要是光路通過多個模片以及多個鏡片進行多次折返。
根據(jù)潮電智庫了解,在采用菲涅爾透鏡作為光學方案的VR頭顯中,meta Quest2的主機重量是503g,HTC Vive Focus3則趨近于800g,過于厚重的設備導致用戶的佩戴舒適度與體驗并不友好。
據(jù)行業(yè)機構統(tǒng)計,2022年VR新品配備Pancake 方案占比接近60%,華為、創(chuàng)維、松下等公司已經(jīng)紛紛公布了新一代Pancake產(chǎn)品。
“以meta和蘋果等頭部廠商為引領驅動,Pancake光學將成為VR的標配。”熊旭認為,相比菲涅爾透鏡而言,Pancake的光路進行了多次折返,能夠把VR體積做得更為輕薄,理論上來說只有原來的一半大,相應重量也會更輕,便于延長用戶對VR的使用時間,從而提升產(chǎn)品體驗。
據(jù)熊旭介紹,愛幕創(chuàng)新?lián)碛型暾腜ancake光學模組的自動化加工產(chǎn)線,并在該領域突破了多項生產(chǎn)工藝難題,大大提升了量產(chǎn)能力和效率,率先實現(xiàn)了高性價比的量產(chǎn)多款Pancake模組。包括用于巨幕2D/3D觀影眼鏡、便攜輕薄VR眼鏡、VR睡眠、VR眼保儀、VR教育等產(chǎn)品解決方案。
潮電智庫從VR產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈了解,除了觀影體驗,業(yè)界對RealityPro的交互方式也充滿好奇。
Apple's first MR is nearing release, Pancake Solution providers are beginning to restless
As a revolutionary terminal product of Apple, a large number of new technology solutions will become popular along with its first MR intelligent head display called "RealityPro".
Apple has announced that it will hold the 2023 World Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 6th to 10th Beijing time. based on various sources of information, RealityPro will tear off its final mysterious veil and there is a high possibility of its release at the same time.
Chaodian Network learned from a supply chain list of suspected MR headsets that RealityPro adopts pancake optical solutions, accounting for about 5% of the total cost of the entire machine. This is basically consistent with the previous prediction of Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International.
In the field of consumer electronics, Apple is one of the few companies with defined product capabilities. If the above list information is true, the prospects for pancake optical applications will be fully opened. At present, the entire pancake industry has started a restless mode, ushering in various trends such as enterprise investment and financing, technology solution integration, project order bidding, and mold production.
It is very exaggerated that in the overall weak market environment of smartphones and TWS, it is rumored that Shenzhen Huaqiang North with box is fully prepared to enter XR and will only be launched after Apple's official announcement.
The reason why the industry has always maintained a high interest in Apple's first head display is because it can quickly promote the establishment of various standards. According to more specific news, pancake optical solutions are also commonly used in various high-end imitation products, with an average unit price predicted to be around 600 yuan.
Xiong Xu, the chairman of Ai Mu Innovation Company, which has been focusing on the XR field for nearly a decade, said that after the official release of Apple's first MR, it is bound to cause a wave of following trends. At present, the viewing experience may become the first to become the biggest selling point of the product.
Aimu Innovation focuses on VR lightweight product experience, focusing on Pancake optical systems. It is currently one of the few companies in the industry that has Pancake optical technology and related product solutions, equipped with comprehensive upstream and downstream resources.
From the perspective of technical path analysis, the current XR optical solutions are mainly divided into two types.
One is vertical optics, which was originally an aspherical lens that served as a magnifying glass, such as a cordborst and VR box, including early VR all-in-one machines and other products, as well as Fresnel lenses used in HTC VIVE, PICO NEO3, and QUEST2; The second is folding optics, also known as pancake for short, which includes single, dual, and multiple lenses. The optical path is mainly folded back multiple times through multiple modules and lenses.
According to industry statistics, the proportion of new VR products equipped with Pancake solutions in 2022 is close to 60%, and companies such as Huawei, Skyworth, and Panasonic have already announced new generation Pancake products.
Driven by leading manufacturers such as meta and Apple, Pancake optics will become the standard feature of VR. "Xiong Xu believes that compared to Fresnel lenses, Pancake's optical path has undergone multiple twists and turns, which can make VR volume lighter and thinner. In theory, it is only half the size of the original, and the corresponding weight will also be lighter, which is convenient for extending users' use of VR and improving product experience.
According to Xiong Xu, Aimu Innovation has a complete automated processing line for Pancake optical modules, and has broken through multiple production process difficulties in this field, greatly improving mass production capacity and efficiency, and taking the lead in achieving cost-effective mass production of multiple Pancake modules. This includes product solutions for giant screen 2D/3D viewing glasses, portable lightweight VR glasses, VR sleep, VR eye protectors, VR education, and more.
Chao Dian Think Tank learning from the VR industry chain that in addition to the viewing experience, the industry is also curious about the interactive methods of RealityPro.