What They Say
Apple is to invest $410 million in II-VI a US maker of optics and lasers that will allow the firm to boost its manufacturing capacity. The firm makes VCSELs that Apple said are used to power Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and Portrait mode selfies. Apple also said that it works with II-VI to manufacture lasers used in a LiDAR Scanner.
What We Think
As I pointed out in my Display Daily last week (3D is Back on the Menu), the easy acquisition of accurate image depth data is important for a lot of different applications involving the real world and mapping virtual worlds onto it, in automotive, AR/VR and other applications. I’m convinced that it won’t be long before every camera has some kind of depth map capture as it allows you to do so much with the image.
The investment is part of the Apple Advanced Manufacturing Fund. BR)
Apple has been working with II-VI’s facility in Sherman, Texas, since 2017 to produce laser technology used in iPhone.
