DigitalOptics enlists Lite-On for MEMS camera production
Five months after DigitalOptics' memscam module showed off its Lytro-like multi-focus feature at MWC, it has a production contract. Lite-On, the company known for budget Blu-ray drives and moldable mice, plans to start production of the speedy camera part later this year and hit "high volume capacity" sometime in 2014. We left MWC impressed by the MEMS' (microelectromechanical system) 10ms settling time and are curious where this clever contraption could wind up. Speaking of which, Lite-On assures us that its "Chinese Smartphone customers" are interested.
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Lite-On and DigitalOptics Sign Contract for mems|cam™ Production
TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DigitalOptics Corporation™ (DOC™), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tessera Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSRA), and Lite-On Technology Corp. (TWSE: 2301) (Lite-On) announced today that they have signed an agreement to produce DOC's mems|cam™ modules. Lite-On and DOC are working closely to ramp initial production in the fourth quarter of 2013, and add high volume capacity in 2014.
"Working with Lite-On to ramp mems|cam is critical to providing the capacity for the China market demand," said John Thode, president of DOC. "DOC could not have a better partner than Lite-On and we will work closely with them on technical collaboration and customer engagements."
"Lite-On is interested in providing new technology and high quality product in volume to our customers," said TC Huang, general manager of Lite-On Portable Image Display Business Unit. "Our Chinese Smartphone customers are showing interest levels in mems|cam that make joint capacity planning for 2014 between DOC and Lite-On very important."
The mems|cam solution delivers the fastest autofocus speed, at a fraction of the power of voice coil motor (VCM) autofocus camera modules, and are bundled with DOC's suite of computational imaging features (such as FaceTools™). This combination of advanced hardware capabilities from mems|cam technology plus DOC's world class imaging software will deliver camera features that Smartphone OEMs will value for differentiation.
