On October 14, the 2021 Xiaomi Demo Day themed “Industrial Investment Partner Chips to Drive the Intelligent” was held in Beijing. At the Demo Day, AAC brought a full range of intelligent automotive solutions, covering optics, acoustics, electromagnetic transmission and MEMS microphones. In total, a dozen of the latest products and solutions were showcased.
At AAC’s intelligent full-stack automotive solution booth, Mr. Lei Jun, took a detailed look at the automotive acoustics, optics, haptic feedback, and MEMS solutions, and tried the touch screen equipped with the X-axis linear motor. AAC and AAC Optics expressed their appreciation for being invited to Demo Day and expect future exchanges and cooperation between both sides in the automotive sector.
Optics
Multi-dimensional layout of automotive optics solutions
As the wave of intelligent transformation of automobiles unfolds, automotive cameras, LiDAR and other components with high optical value have seen a sustained increase in penetration. TSR estimates that the global sales and market value of automotive lenses will hit 204.5 million pieces and $1.353 billion respectively in 2023, signaling promising prospects for automotive lenses as a core component of intelligence.
Promotional video of AAC Optics’ automotive optics solution
AAC Optics has made comprehensive arrangements for its automotive segment. In terms of lenses, with a series of offerings such as front view and surround view cameras as well as electronic rear view mirrors, AAC Optics is able to realize 360-degree vehicle scene perception and accurately monitor road conditions. Notably, relying on the high-precision WLG technology, the ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) built by AAC Optics has better performance and higher accuracy, and can quickly and accurately collect data from the environment outside the vehicle, making perception sharper and driving safer. As for the system, the OMS (occupant monitoring system) and DMS (driver monitoring system) serve to protect drivers and passengers.
In terms of LiDAR, AAC Optics’ globally exclusive WLG technology featuring higher imaging accuracy, stronger thermal stability and smaller size will further fuel its burgeoning development in automotive lenses and LiDAR. As shown by AAC Optics’ on-site display data, compared to the traditional GMO process, WLG’s freeform surface can significantly improve the optical performance of LiDAR, of which the telephoto performance can be improved by 10% and the wide-angle performance by 16%. Higher performance means higher accuracy and safety, which is vital to the development of intelligent vehicles.
In this Demo Day, AAC Optics also showcased its extremely high performance plastic lens products to the public. Among others, the 8P rear main camera and 6P rear telephoto camera were also debuted, showing the lens manufacturing technology topping the industry and high precision process of AAC Optics, and laying a solid foundation for the future mass production of G+P lenses with higher specifications.
Acoustics
Ultra flagship audio solution for intelligent cockpits unveiled for the first time
At the exhibition, AAC unveiled for the first time its ultra flagship audio solution for intelligent cockpits that support up to 35 speakers. The high energy density speaker modules coupled with sound algorithms, professional tuning and multi-channel amplifiers, create a more spatial and immersive listening experience for cockpits.
Lei Jun came in person to AAC’s vehicle exhibition area for a deeper dive into the acoustic system solutions for intelligent cockpits and to experience the “surround sound,” “sky sound effect,” “panoramic sound field” and other acoustic solutions. There he expressed his hope for Xiaomi’s R&D staff to exchange more frequently with AAC’s engineers so as to develop more high-quality products and bring better experiences to users.
Intelligent sensors
Fully independent and localized MEMS and innovative design
Intelligent sensor technology with MEMS and advanced sensors at its core provides the foundation for intelligent driving. As one of the world’s most important suppliers of MEMS microphone devices and modules, AAC’s fully independent and localized MEMS and innovative design enable a stable supply of high-precision and high-reliability MEMS products for intelligent vehicles. With its highly consistent microphone array solutions with SNR ≥65dBA and AOP ≥130dBSPL, AAC delivers high-definition automotive voice control and active noise cancellation.
With technical expertise built up over the years, AAC is able to provide gyroscope chips, a key sensor chip for inertial modules, with a bias instability (BI) up to 1°/hr for L3 ADS, and gyroscope modules with a BI up to 0.1°/hr for L5 ADS in the future to ensure high precision vehicle detection and autonomous driving positioning, laying a foundation for active safety and autonomous driving of vehicles.
Haptics
Interaction experience of next-gen high-quality intelligent cockpits
As intelligent vehicles continue to evolve, there is an increasing demand for virtual feedback with a real sense of touch. At the exhibition, AAC presented its X-axis linear motor with a high-quality and easy-to-integrate full-stack haptic solution of RichTap®.
The X-axis linear motor is only 1/20 of the size of traditional ones, making it compact, easy to integrate and flexible in design. The innovative RichTap® haptic solution realizes rich and realistic haptic scenes and functions, greatly enhancing the overall high-tech and entertainment nature. The combination of software and hardware brings more accurate and powerful haptic feedback to vehicles, creating a new-gen high-quality intelligent cockpit interaction experience for users.
In addition to products and technologies applied in the automotive sector, AAC also presented an extensive range of products and solutions for cell phones, computers and TWS, including the globally exclusive SLS speakers, WLG glass–plastic hybrid lenses and X-axis touch motors for laptops, tablets, headphones, glasses and AR/VR. In terms of 5G, the MEMS antenna tuners and MEMS RF filters independently developed and produced by AAC are designed to deal effectively with insufficient antenna bandwidth and signal interference, bringing a better 5G experience to users.
Moving forward, AAC will adhere to its innovation-driven development strategy, build more differentiated product advantages and core competencies for its customers, and further expand its market to emerging sectors such as AR/VR, smart homes, industries and healthcare. By doing so, it aims to grow into a “multi value-creating company with global influence and experience solution leadership”.