XR时代的到来，可能比预期还要早。
3月13日，据外媒报道，虽然苹果公司的设计团队觉得更为成熟的AR头显还需要推迟几年，但CEO蒂姆·库克与运营总监杰夫·威廉姆斯坚持在今年发布。
其实以iPhone、AirPods、Watch切入赛道的时间点分析，苹果公司从来没想过做行业首发的创新者，而是市场红利收割者。因此，从库克强硬且着急的态度可以看出，XR金矿已经显现。
“10年内会有超10亿人戴上AR眼镜。” Nreal创始人兼CEO徐驰认为，AR/VR 是一个复杂的交叉学科，跟空间感知、云计算渲染、显示等技术的突破，以及规模量产能力落地密切相关。
产业链一片沸腾。不过据潮电智库了解，目前XR生产制造行业普遍存在自动化产线布局组建方面的困扰，急需装备制造商助力。
康泰达智能科技研发副总经理赵永岗说，“现在XR行业呈现百花齐放的特点，并没有标准化的产品形态，这对于装备制造业来说是新机遇也是新挑战。”
据悉，作为XR智能设备代表厂商，康泰达已经与歌尔、舜宇、耐德佳等数家头部企业建立长期深度合作关系，用于XR生产的AA设备市占率超过30%。
01XR量产难题
手机是过去15年最成功的智能终端，但人类体验仍受限于二维空间和屏幕大小，被视为打开元宇宙大门钥匙的XR代表着未来，近两年吸引各路企业加入。
在前不久的2023MWC展会上，XR眼镜力压智能手机和智能穿戴，成为最大的热点。小米、华为、OPPO、影目科技、创维、雷鸟创新、联想、努比亚、歌尔、三星、高通、HTC、tooz等厂商纷纷展示了自己在XR领域的技术成果。
明争背后，是供应链与生产体系的暗战。有品牌厂商直言，“先不论XR产品方案的优劣，仅落地量产环节就会难倒一批产业玩家。”
据潮电智库了解，除了歌尔、龙旗、华勤、闻泰等传统ODM阵营，欧菲光、舜宇、蓝思等供应链大厂也从去年开始实施XR智能眼镜终端的整机制造计划，成为XR制造新势力。
XR大致会经历硬件量产、好工具出现、快速形成内容、生态繁荣这四个阶段。行业专家分析认为，虽然内容交互是核心，但硬件量产才是基石与保证，包括单/双目镜、尺寸、精度、光学和校正、一体/分体等，只有这些技术要点都做到极致，才有可能打造出爆款硬件。
已于国内上市的O公司将XR整机制造定位为未来战略性业务之一，其事业部负责人亮哥表示，大家基本处于同一起跑线，比拼的是光机、立体显示和传感器技术，以及最核心的上下游资源、品控和自动化生产等能力。
有研究机构最新报告显示，虽然2022年全球XR出货量低于预期，但由于苹果MR头显、Meta Quest 3等关键产品的带动，2023年XR出货量将达到2400万台，同比增长67%，销售额达到11.5亿美元。至2030年，将有10亿台XR眼镜和传感设备投入使用。
作为全球最大的手机制造国，中国在过去孕育的庞大供应链、人才生态、制造经验让XR硬件的规模化量产成为可能。有行业观点乐观的认为，与手机行业不同，中国XR会跑在世界的最前面。
02市场技术双先发
为了快速掘金XR赛道，去年年中，深圳某大型ODM工厂斥巨资上线整套自动化生产系统，但碰到一大棘手难题：原有AA设备并不适配，市面上可选方案和供应商非常少。
历经一番周折，该工厂最后采购了康泰达的全自动AA产品，难题迎刃而解。
根据潮电智库了解，包括歌尔、舜宇和耐德佳等知名企业在内，目前国内至少有四家一线XR光机大厂均康泰达建立了长期深度合作关系。
据专业人士介绍，XR AA、光学测试设备核心技术在于，人眼相机光学取像系统和高效的图像底层算法，以及高精度、稳定可靠的运动机构集成设计。
作为中国最早布局XR领域的自动化设备企业之一，康泰达在元宇宙概念尚未盛行时，便已决定调整产品结构和战略路线，进入消费电子新蓝海，并成功形成了XR技术设备与市场的双先发优势。
赵永岗表示，依托10年以上精密光学光电行业设备开发设计制造经验，康泰达自主研发的多款高解析度人眼相机系统，已满足AR/VR/MR以及各种主流光学方案的终端产品AA及测试需求，结合自研底层算法套装软件，实现AA设备和光机、整机光学测试设备的测项灵活配置。
分享在行业“首吃螃蟹”的滋味，赵永岗说，“因为是全新的产业形态，没有太多的经验和模式可以借鉴，刚开始时是摸黑前行，也踩过坑，但蹚过之后才能迎接光明。”
对于以自动化AA为切入点的原因，赵永岗解释称，一是AA存在较高的技术门槛，可以此打造护城河；二是AA设备中标准化的应用模块较多，便于以后其它设备方案的兼容导入。
根据康泰达的发展规划，后续将形成XR光机、整机全自动化生产线，其中包括部件组装、半成品、成品测试设备等产品全矩阵，持续提升与扩大综合竞争力优势。
潮电智库认为，作为下一代移动平台，XR赛道足够宽广，以康泰达为代表的智能设备企业将会尽享产业红利。
Deep cooperation with leading manufacturers such as Goer, Sunny, and Nedglass, and Kangtaida’s first breakthrough XR Intelligent Manufacturing
The arrival of the XR era may be even earlier than expected.
On March 13th, according to foreign media reports, although Apple’s design team felt that a more mature AR headphone would need to be delayed for a few years, CEO Tim Cook and Operations Director Jeff Williams insisted on releasing it this year.
In fact, based on the time point analysis of iPhone, AirPods, and Watch entering the market, Apple has never considered becoming an industry first mover innovator, but rather a market dividend harvester. Therefore, from Cook’s tough and anxious attitude, it can be seen that XR Gold Mine has already emerged.
Over 1 billion people will wear AR glasses within 10 years, “said Xu Chi, founder and CEO of Nreal. AR/VR is a complex interdisciplinary field closely related to breakthroughs in technologies such as spatial perception, cloud computing rendering, display, and the implementation of large-scale production capabilities.
The industrial chain is boiling. However, according to the Chaodian Think Tank, there are currently widespread difficulties in the layout and establishment of automated production lines in the XR production and manufacturing industry, and equipment manufacturers are urgently needed to assist.
Zhao Yonggang, Deputy General Manager of R&D for Kangtaida Intelligent Technology, said, “The XR industry is now characterized by a hundred flowers blooming, and there is no standardized product form. This is a new opportunity and challenge for the equipment manufacturing industry.
It is reported that as a representative manufacturer of XR intelligent devices, Kangtai Da has established long-term and deep cooperative relationships with several leading enterprises such as Goer, Sunny, and Nedglass, with a market share of over 30% of AA equipment used for XR production.
XR mass production challenges
Mobile phones have been the most successful smart terminals in the past 15 years, but the human experience is still limited by two-dimensional space and screen size. XR, seen as the key to opening the door to the metaverse, represents the future and has attracted various enterprises to join in the past two years.
At the recent 2023MWC exhibition, XR glasses became the biggest hotspot, surpassing smartphones and smart wearables. Manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Yingmu Technology, Skyworth, Thunderbird Innovation, Lenovo, Nubia, Goethe, Samsung, Qualcomm, HTC, Tooz, and others have showcased their technological achievements in the XR field.
Behind the open debate is a hidden battle between the supply chain and production system. Some brand manufacturers have bluntly stated, “Regardless of the quality of XR product solutions, just implementing mass production will be difficult for a group of industry players.
According to the Chaodian Think Tank, in addition to traditional ODM camps such as Geer, Longqi, Huaqin, and Wentai, major supply chain manufacturers such as Oufeiguang, Shunyu, and Lansi have also implemented the complete machine manufacturing plan for XR intelligent glasses terminals since last year, becoming a new force in XR manufacturing.
XR will roughly go through four stages: hardware mass production, the emergence of good tools, rapid content formation, and ecological prosperity. Industry experts analyze and believe that although content interaction is the core, hardware mass production is the cornerstone and guarantee, including single/double eyepieces, size, accuracy, optics and correction, integrated/split, etc. Only by achieving the ultimate in these technical points can we create explosive hardware.
Company O, which has been listed in China, has positioned the manufacturing of XR complete machines as one of its future strategic businesses. The head of its business unit, Liang Ge, stated that everyone is basically on the same track, competing for optical machinery, three-dimensional display and sensor technology, as well as the core upstream and downstream resources, quality control, and automated production capabilities.
The latest report from a research institution shows that although the global XR shipment volume in 2022 was lower than expected, driven by key products such as Apple’s MR headsets and Meta Quest 3, the XR shipment volume in 2023 will reach 24 million units, a year-on-year increase of 67%, and sales will reach $1.15 billion. By 2030, 1 billion XR glasses and sensing devices will be put into use.
As the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, China’s vast supply chain, talent ecosystem, and manufacturing experience nurtured in the past have made large-scale production of XR hardware possible. There is an optimistic industry view that, unlike the mobile phone industry, China’s XR will be at the forefront of the world.
The First mover of Market & Technology
In order to quickly dig into the XR track, a large ODM factory in Shenzhen invested heavily in launching a complete automated production system in the middle of last year, but encountered a major challenge: the original AA equipment was not suitable, and there were very few options and suppliers available on the market.
After some twists and turns, the factory finally purchased Kangtai Da’s fully automatic AA products, and the problem was easily solved.
According to the Chao Dian, including well-known enterprises such as Goethe, Shunyu, and NedJia, at least four top tier XR optical and mechanical manufacturers in China have established long-term and deep cooperative relationships with Kangtai Da.
According to professionals, the core technology of XR AA and optical testing equipment lies in the optical imaging system of the human eye camera, efficient image underlying algorithms, and high-precision, stable and reliable integrated design of motion mechanisms.
As one of the earliest automation equipment companies in China to layout the XR field, Contida decided to adjust its product structure and strategic route before the concept of the metaverse was prevalent, entering the new blue ocean of consumer electronics, and successfully forming a dual first mover advantage in XR technology equipment and the market.
Zhao Yonggang stated that relying on more than 10 years of experience in the development, design, and manufacturing of precision optical and optoelectronic industry equipment, Kangtai Da has independently developed multiple high-resolution human eye camera systems, which have met the AA and testing requirements of terminal products for AR/VR/MR and various mainstream optical solutions. Combined with self-developed underlying algorithm suite software, it has achieved flexible configuration of test items for AA equipment, optical machinery, and overall optical testing equipment.
Sharing the taste of being the first to eat crabs in the industry, Zhao Yonggang said, “Because it is a brand new industrial form, there is not much experience and models to learn from. At the beginning, it was to move forward in the dark, and also to step into the pit, but only after wading through can we welcome the bright future.
For the reason why automation AA is the starting point, Zhao Yonggang explained that firstly, AA has a high technical threshold, which can be used to create a moat; Secondly, there are many standardized application modules in AA devices, which facilitates the compatibility and import of other device solutions in the future.
According to the development plan of Kangtai Da, a fully automated production line for XR optical machinery and complete machines will be formed in the future, including a full matrix of products such as component assembly, semi-finished products, and finished product testing equipment, to continuously improve and expand comprehensive competitive advantages.
Chaodian believes that as the next generation mobile platform, the XR track is wide enough, and intelligent device companies represented by Kangtai Da will fully enjoy the industry dividend.
