The Smart China Expo 2019 took place on the 26th day of this month at the Chongqing International Expo Center. At the invitation of the sponsor, AAC exhibited with its extensive range of advanced technologies and new products. For the first time, it showcased the globally exclusive WLG (wafer level glass) lenses, glass–plastic hybrid lenses, automotive lenses, camera modules and other state-of-the-art optical products to the public.
It is worth noting that AAC also brought its automotive optical solutions for the first time and set up an intelligent vehicle experience station on the exhibition floor, allowing users to visually experience the excellent results of these solutions.
Booth of AAC Photo/Daniel
Two major automotive optical solutions released
According to AAC staff, the company can currently provide ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and DMS (Driver Monitoring System) solutions for automotive lenses, which involve the following four main functions:
1. Automotive DMS: Monitors the driver’s status and provides timely alerts in case of fatigue, etc.
2. ADAS: Cameras are installed at the front of the car to monitor the road conditions ahead.
3. Surround view system: At least four cameras are placed on the vehicle for assisted parking and monitoring of the vehicle’s surroundings, etc.
4. Electronic rear-view mirror: Traditional rear-view mirrors can only see a small area and have blind spots. The introduction of cameras and algorithms can compensate for blind spots, making electronic rear-view mirrors safer and more reliable. This technology has already been applied to a certain extent, such as in BMW and Lexus cars.
Visitors experience the intelligent vehicle cockpit Photo/HC
At the intelligent vehicle experience cockpit, the audience can feel intuitively the advanced optical solutions by participating in a driving simulation. For example, the driver will be alerted by an alarm sound in the cockpit if the driver engages in behavior that affects driving safety, such as closing their eyes for a long time or talking on the phone while driving. If an emergency is detected by the camera monitoring the road ahead, the car will be automatically brought under control to a safe state. This interactive setup garnered great interest from the audience as well as other upstream and downstream exhibitors.
Exclusive WLG products released intensively to the public for the first time
According to an R&D engineer with AAC, the company has integrated Japanese and Danish optical technologies and accumulated nearly a decade of experience in R&D and manufacturing of high precision lenses, and its globally exclusive WLG technology is designed to better meet the demanding needs of future vehicle optics. AAC’s WLG products made their debut at this exhibition.
Reportedly the world’s most cutting-edge technology, optical WLG technology features multiple advantages. Firstly, it can provide a flexible optical design and upgrade path, and has a smaller size, catering to the trend of smartphones becoming thinner and lighter. Secondly, it has excellent optical properties brought by glass materials, such as low light performance and thermal stability. Thirdly, the processing technology based on glass wafers can realize multiple cavities in one mold and higher capacity by producing hundreds of lenses at the same time.
The introduction of AAC’s WLG lens, glass–plastic hybrid lens and camera module products is set to meet the requirements of thinner and lighter smartphones and high resolution images. The 5G era will see even wider applications for WLG technology in smartphones, automobiles, smart homes, IoT and other fields.
Intelligent manufacturing industrial park project launched
On June 26 this year, AAC signed a contract with Chongqing Liangjiang New Area to launch an intelligent manufacturing industrial park project, said an official from AAC. By attending the Smart China Expo, AAC aimed to showcase for the first time the progress of its high-end optical technology and products.
According to an official, at the intelligent manufacturing industrial park in Chongqing, AAC will focus on the R&D and production of optical and precision transmission-related industry chain products including WLG lenses, automotive electronics, AIoT smart wearables, smart homes, etc. In addition, it will focus on establishing an optical technology industry–university–research–application innovation research park and achievement transformation base, optical industry talent incubation and training base, and optical technology research and application display center. A planned RMB 3 billion will be invested in the first phase, with a sales revenue expected to be no less than RMB 2 billion in 2021 and RMB 10 billion or more per year from 2024 to 2030.
Following the incorporation of AAC Optics (Chongqing) Co., Ltd., a special working group has been set up by the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Management Committee to establish a daily communication mechanism with AAC for active promotion of the project.
Optical experience room Photo/DJM
Optics boom drives monthly shipments to double by the end of the year
AAC’s aggressive layout of automotive optics and the rapid advancement of its intelligent manufacturing industrial park project stemmed from the burgeoning development of its entire optics business segment. In 2018, AAC optical product shipments penetrated successfully into major global smartphone customers, with revenue surging to RMB 550 million, up 240% year-on-year.
In the first half of 2019, AAC’s optics business revenue jumped by 73% year-on-year to RMB 417 million, making it one of the top three global suppliers of plastic lenses. Average monthly shipments in the second quarter approached 30 million units as expected, doubling compared to the same period last year. By the end of the year, the average monthly shipments are expected to double to 60 million units with progressively increasing capacity utilization and market penetration.
Visitors experience the latest acoustic products Photo/HC
Numerous advanced solutions on display
In addition to optical products, AAC also have acoustic and 5G experience zones, with the spotlight shining on classic SLS speakers, AR/VR acoustic solutions, 5G Massive MIMO base station antennas, 5G millimeter wave base station antennas, mobile phone antennas, CPE antenna solutions, stepper motor modules, and 77GHz automotive millimeter wave radars for automotive intelligent driving solutions, etc.
The Smart China Expo will be held at Chongqing International Expo Center from 26-29 August, and AAC’s booth is N1019.