SALIH SARIKAYA LAS VEGAS 2018 – This year CES show was a little bit under expectations all the same like last year. Everywhere was full of 3D/VR helmets. But I have seen a new technology, called Simulated Reality (SR) which was developed by KDX Group. And they are really sure that all the helmets will go away with this new technology. Because you can enjoy 3D without glasses. And even better you can feel the scenes, with interactive sensitive technology. So I wanted to talk with the name behind this technology, Biao Zhang, Vice President of KDX 3D Display Business Group.
Biao Zhang (Vice President of KDX 3D Display Business Group):
An expert in innovative technology, KDX has launched its “3D+” strategy during CES. This strategy has three goals: to create an integrated man-machine interaction, to present a mixed reality experience and to build a brand new 3D eco-system. This new system will include 3D displays, 3D content and Simulated Reality (SR) experiences, which will support its world-leading glasses-free 3D display technology in combination with leading technologies in depth perception and spatial interaction.
Can you please tell me what is the difference from last year in 3D technology?
This year we have combined the 3D technology with interactivity. When we look at the 3D technology, we are combining this 3D technology with virtual reality technology to provide the people with Simulated Reality experience. It is really going beyond traditional 3D technology. We are adding more interactivity, more sensing to it.
Simulated reality means virtual reality without glasses. It is very cool. Like real jungle experience, you can do everything in reality. We have created this new technology called SR, which is Simulated Reality. This year our big thing is simulated reality, to make people really enjoy it. Right now we are interviewing here, but in the future we can still sit at home and can still shake hands with sensing technology.
What is the difference from your competitors?
We do have competitors but we are adding interactivity to 3D with virtual reality and experience. All the VR helmets will go away with this new technology. If you don’t have to wear anything, this is much better. This is what we are trying to do this year. With the new technology your interact is with the inner also. Important thing this year is extended 3D technology with interactivity and sensing technology.
What is your target market in 3D technology?
KDX is a Chinese material technology company which positively carries out 3D display layout worldwide. Up to now, KDX has already mastered the world most advanced glasses-free 3D display technology and also has started to be appreciated by the international first- and second-tier customers from America, Europe and Korea, etc. in the market.
What are the industrial advantages of glasses free 3D display?
At present, KDX is the unique owner of complete set of 3D technology patents and the unique glasses-free 3D manufacturer with whole industry chain layout in the world;
- In January 2016, KDX acquired Netherlands-based Dimenco Company and established 3D Display R&D Center in Europe; in January 2017, KDX signed strategic agreement with Netherlands-based Royal Philips and established the 3D Technology Patent Sharing Pool, and KDX hereby became the unique holder of complete set of more than 1,000 most complete 3D technology patents in the world.
- KDX also establishes Optical Field Display R&D Center in America and positively arranges the next generation of 3D holographic display technology.
- KDX owns the world largest and unique whole-industry-chain and whole-series optical film industry cluster (in Zhangjiagang, with total land area of 71 ha.), has strong industry chain integration and manufacturing capacity in aspects of optical design, ultra-precise mould processing, film forming technology, material development, general lenticular lens technology, switchable lenticular lens technology, 3D alignment full-fit technology, 3D evaluation and measurement system, image interleaving algorithm, eye tracking software, left/right eye multi-view software, etc., connects the whole industry chain of 3D module, 3D chip, 3D algorithm and 3D content, and constructs the complete 3D ecology.
- KDX has already successfully constructed and operated the first 2D/3D switchable 3D module production line, i.e., K3 demonstration line.
- Glasses-free 3D products cover whole-series dimensions from 5″ mobile to 85″ large-screen as well as 3*3 165″ video wall.
- Glasses-free 3D perfectly supports all the mainstream 3D formats, like 3D left and right format, 2D+Z and multi-tile.
What kind of technical advantages your 3D technology will bring to the industry?
- Glasses-free 3D of KDX adopts the second and third generations of lens technology, with leading technology and outstanding effect. At present, glasses-free 3D has been capable of achieving such outstanding advantages as being thinner, better transparency (the light transmittance is more than 92%), higher definition, regulable depth of field, wide viewing angle (the viewing angle reaches 150°), eye tracking and no moire.
- Glasses-free 3D owns excellent image interleaving algorithm, multi-view conversion algorithm and eye tracking algorithm;
- Glasses-free 3D is provided with 2D/3D switchable chip technology and mass production of switchable chip has been realized;
- High-precision alignment full-fit technology is adopted to ensure the high-quality presentation effect of glasses-free 3D.
What kind of cooperation you have with Samsung in 3D technology?
On September 6, 2017, KDX and Samsung concluded the strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing, China. Both will conduct joint research and development and launch multiple glasses-free 3D terminal products in the future. It is the first in-depth cooperation of KDX glasses-free 3D technology with international brand in the world, marking the formal coming of large-scale commercial use era of glasses-free 3D.
On November 1, 2017, i.e., the Double Eleven in China, Samsung launched the first glasses-free 3D laptop named “TONG 3D”, with the booking volume exceeding 4,400 up to the fourth day since being launched.
You have created the first carbon fiber lightweighting ecological platform in the World. What industries are effected by your development?
Carbon Fiber material is so light and strong. When they start using carbon material in the cars, it definitely brings much better experience to cars. In cars body the carbon fiber can be used. And also airplane industry it can be used. Light and strong.
Supported by its leading light carbon fiber ecology platform, KDX combines the core technologlies (emerging smart display and window film) and Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing capability in a organic way to create the new enegry vehicle ecology platform which is engaged at making automobiles lighter, smarter and more low-carbonized. KDX has conducted the cooperation with over 30 international and domestic motor makers like Beijing Automotive and NEXTEV, targetting at joint development, design and mass delivery of light carbon fiber parts; KDX also conducts the cooperation in window film business with 70% of domestic top 100 4S firms, and become the film supplier serving world-known motor makers like BMW and Audi; additionally, KDX is scheming future smart motor applications like head-up display and smart cabin.
KDX SR Defines the future of 3D technology by Launching 3D+ Strategy
Xu Shu, CEO of KDX declared, “At this year‘s CES, KDX just announced “3D+” strategy which combines KDX‘s world–leading 3D display technology with depth sensing and interactivity, and building the fundamental platform of SR, combining technologies, sharing experiences and leading in innovation is what the Simulated Reality Alliance (SRA) represents. The Simulated Reality future will be shaped by connecting and partnering with industry leaders that contribute and endorse the goals of the SRA.”
The Simulated Reality experience defines the future of KDX’s “3D+” strategy. Through the delivery of SR, KDX will create a MR platform based on glasses-free 3D displays, to give the user a “materialized” experience featuring virtual reality in combination with an illusion of reality. This interaction breaks the traditional boundaries between virtuality and reality and realizes a medium-free fusion of the virtual digital world and the real physical world. SR, an impactful supplement and application upgrade to MR technology, requires no peripherals for viewing 3D and realizes a “seamless” connection of the virtual and real worlds. In contrast to MR, which is restrained by devices like helmets and glasses, SR has more extensive application values.
KDX’s “3D+” strategy: Opens up a new full smart devices and application scenes 3D age
In recent years, global tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Google and Samsung have intensely focused on the layout of 3D in aspects of smart devices. These include content and applications such as driving 3D images and videos in different routes. These actions mean that the 3D age is coming fast, and new historic opportunities are presenting themselves for KDX.
Based on the conditions above, KDX is launching its forward-looking “3D+” strategy. On the one hand, this strategy will deliver SR-based MR experiences to support frontier technologies like AR, VR and MR enhanced by depth perception and spatial interaction technologies. These enhancements will produce an upgraded 3D ecosystem within a complete innovation platform featured in vertical integration and transverse opensharing across multiple ecologies and industrial links, aiming at promoting the communal development of all industrial chains while bringing users unprecedented experiences and values.
“3D has been continually innovative and iterative in the last 20 years and is now more mature. Its market applications originate from the replacement of 3D glasses by glasses-free 3D. By combining spatial interaction and depth perception technologies with frontier technologies AR, VR and MR, 3D has come to a new full smart devices and full application scenes age,” said Ms. Xu Shu, CEO of KDX, when talking about the launch of KDX’s “3D+” strategy.
SR makes a breakthrough in MR to create a brilliant fusion of virtuality and reality
MR is an important technology in the 3D field with automatic drive, crypto-currency and artificial intelligence, and it is valued by insiders as one of the four key technologies to drive future development. KDX’s SR technology is orientated at building a free and open platform based on VR/AR/MR, and releasing users from head-mounted constraints. SR also provides a seamless integration of the virtual world and the real world as well as by providing a complete set of immersed MR solutions in support of its world-leading glasses-free 3D display technology, depth perception technology and spatial interactive technology. At this CES, KDX presents to global consumers the two latest SR interactive experiences “Jungle Adventure” and “Aerodone”. These impressively immersive experiences with a natural mode of interactivity will attract numerous consumers.
“SR integrates multiple technologies including optical imaging and display design, environmental/spatial perception technology, man-machine interactive integration and artificial intelligence. SR can create a ‘materialized’ experience distinguished by a combination of virtuality and reality. This phenomenon provides communication and interaction with virtual objects in a natural manner via eye movements, hand postures, touch, sound, etc.,” said Zhang Biao, president of KDX’s 3D Display Business Group.
Industry analysts said that SR, like MR, combines VR and AR strengths, while building a vast industry chain that spans hardware, systems, platforms, development tools, languages, application apps, and consumer content. This integrated system has enormous business value. Without glasses, SR can be openly and freely used in full on smart device and application scenes. SR can also be widely applied in many fields like games, education, scientific research, military, medicine, unmanned vehicles, navigation, security, outdoor commercial advertising and commercial performance. It will promote the innovation of production, consumption experience and business models in various industries. According related predication, the overall income of VR/AR/MR will reach a hundred billion USD and MR/SR production value will reach tens of billions USD in 2020.
Establishment of SR Alliance: To build a brand new 3D ecology encompassing 3D displays, 3D content and SR experiences
On the afternoon of January 10, KDX with 20 major companies in control of global SR industrial chains present, will hold the SR Alliance initiation ceremony at CES. 3D display technology originator Phillips, world-famous 3C electronic companies Haier and AOC, global 3D sound effect leader Auro3D, famous body-sensing controller company Leap Motion and other well known corporations will attend the ceremony and make speeches. The representatives of devices and channel companies like Samsung, TCL, Huawei and Jingdong plan to attend and witness the establishment of the world’s first SR alliance.
Centering on the top strategic planning and design in the SR industry, KDX will develop wide cooperation with the leading global corporations involved in 3D technology. This collaboration will build an open and innovative 3D ecology platform featuring integrated resources and information sharing to create a world-leading technology platform.
According to reports, for its SR/MR technology, KDX has developed a substantial cooperation with major international AR, VR and MR companies. This outstanding collaboration will support its world-leading 3D display technology and powerful industrialization advantages. It will also create rich applications at full smart devices and application scenes under its “3D+” strategy to build a MR platform (SR) based on glasses-free 3D displays, and delivering a brilliant combined vision of virtuality and reality.
COMPANY PROFILE: Profile of KDX Group
Established in August 2001, Kangdexin Composite Material Group (KDX) is a material technology firm mainly engaged in development, production and sale of high polymer materials. KDX, listed (stock code: 002450) in Shenzhen small and medium-sized enterprise stock market in July 2010, involves such three major material fields as prefilming material, photoelectric material and carbon material, and presents a leading position in the global competition. In August 2017, KDX ranked as the 47th in 2017 Top 100 Global Innovators issued by Forbes, and became the global unique material firm with the capability and possibility to raise the next round of innovation change in the world.
Through continual strategic upgrade, market extension and business ecology building, KDX has developed to an international enterprise group that sets up three core material platforms (prefilming material, photoelectric material and carbon material) and three business ecology platforms (emerging smart display, internet application and new energy vehicle), and forms a “dual engine” strategic pattern in which the platforms of these two kinds reinforce mutually. KDX with a market value of over 80 billion owns four major business clusters, over 30 subsidiary companies, 9 R&D centers in 8 countries and regions, and the global marketing network across over 80 countries and regions.
As the global prefilm industry leader, KDX insists on continual technology and poducts innovation and builds up the prefilming material business clusters across continences and all industrial chains, targetting at delivering a full series of green filming solutions to the global printing and packaging industry. KDX, as the unit that develops the national green printing standards, owns complete intellecture properties of prefilm and has been certified in accordance with multiple international standards like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FDA and SGS. Based on paper-plastic lamination, KDX jointly with HP develops plastic-plastic lamination and promotes this new technology in the globe, wildly extending the application area of prefilm. Now KDX is delivering over 100 products lines including printing substrate and green prefilm to over 80 countries and regions. KDX’s brands like “Kangde Flim” and “KDX” have become famous prefilm brands both abroad and home.
As the global optical film industry leader, KDX owns the world unique and biggest optical film industry clusters across full industrial chains and products series, the seven key divisions (display material, coating material, window film, big touch screen, decorating material, extruded material and flexible material), the three major manufacturing centers (sputtering, moulding and resin), as well as the complete set of core technologies from optical design, ultraprecise mould machining, optical film manufacturing to special material development. The firm can deliver 240 million square meters of optical film annually. KDX makes product innovation cover multiple material fields like display, decoration, heat insulation and explosion proofing and upgrades the Chinese photoelectric material industry from import substitution to development leading in the world. By virture of the strong competitive power of the vertically-integrative and large-scaled industry clusters, KDX provides tiers 1 and 2 clients with photoelectric materials at home and abroad which are wildly used in the industries like display, decoration, motor vehicle, building and 3D smart display, and therefore bcomes the international key supplier of high-end photoelectric materials.
In the carbon material field, KDX with its controlling shareholder Kangde Group creates the global unique and leading carbon fiber ecology platform which integrates the whole industrial chains across development, design and manufacturing of precursor fibers, carboloy filaments and carbon-fiber composites. In Europe, KDX takes a series of actions: it invests 30 million Euro to build the composite material R&D center with 3,000 square meters lab area and global-top equipment on the basis of the former TU Munich laboratory level R&D center, and the new R&D center can support development, trial manufacturing and small lot production of carbon fiber auto parts; KDX together with LEVDEO establishes the KDX-LEVDEO Light Vehicle Design Center; and it aligns with GFG and SGL for the technical cooperation of mass and automated production. In China, KDX also takes a deal of initiatives: it builds up the Industry 4.0 manufacturing plant with the annual capacities of 50,000 carbon fiber vehicle bodies and 1.5 million carbon fiber parts; it develops the upstream and downstream relationship with Kangde subsidiary ZhongAnXin that is capable of delivering 15,000 ton of precursor fibers and 5,100 ton of high performance carboloy filaments annually; in 2017, it jointly with Beijing Automotive and Changzhou Government establishes the Industry 4.0 East China Comprehensive Base (investment 12 billion) with the annual production of 6 million carbon fiber parts; KDX jointly with Kangde Group and Rongcheng Goverment establishes the “Kangde Carbon Valley” with the productive capacity of 66,000 tons of high performance carbon fiber….. By a series of forward-looking arrangement, KDX breaks through the international monopoly that blocks it for years, drives the Chinese carbon fiber industry to make a great leap to an international advanced level, and fully satisfies the high performance carbon fiber demands in new enegry vehicle, civil aviation and high-end industry.
To Pursue Superexcellence and To Attain Perfection. KDX continues the strategic arrangement in the emerging material fields: its invention patents in flexible materials account for 91% in the world, taking a global first mover advantage; aqueous vapor barrier film line has been put into operation successfully, and its WVTR value reaches 10-6g/m2/d, having the world greatest performance in this aspect; jointly with DOW Chemical, KDX firstly launches cadmium-free quantum dot film; in addition it overtakes 3M in window film market share…… Based on a series of continual strategic upgrade, market extension and business ecology building, KDX integrates emerging material technologies by modularized and systematized solutions into multiple fields, taking the “Kaleidoscope Effect”. At present the three business ecology platforms for emerging smart display, internet application and new enegry vehicle have been built up.
Emerging smart display. As the global unique holder of a full set of 3D technology patents, the full-industrial-chain manufacturer and the full series product solution provider, KDX are applying global leading optical film material technologies to the emerging smart display industry, builds the smart display ecology intergrating glassesless 3D, big touch creen and space interaction, and is dong something for future display technologies like AR/MR, light field, flexiable display and holographical display. Now KDX with Phillips sets up 3D patent pool and builds up the global first 2D/3D-switching 3D model line (K3 demonstration line), through which, KDX can produce ultra-low-resistivity high-transmittance ITO membrane-capacitance touch screen. 3D Dongdong developed by KDX has developed to the domestic biggest glassesless 3D content creating and distribution platform, and forms the glassesless 3D mobile game alliance with Jingdong…… From display terminal, content terminal to application terminal, KDX’s products are wildly applied numerous application scenarios like mobile phone, Pad, computer, television, movies, entertainment, retail, culture, medical service, advertisement, education, hotel, smart community and smart scenic area. KDX is expected to cooperate with more global copartners to lead the global visual revolution and create a more beautiful life.
Internet application. By virtue of global-leading and emerging smart display core technologies like glassesless 3D and big touch screen, supported by smart industry clusters like photoelectric material, optical design and ultraprecise mould machining, KDX creates an internet application ecology based on internet intelligent terminal solutions, applies itself to make breakthrough at ends of “Smiling Curve”, properly integrates new material development and user demand, focuses on the four major core scenarios “new retail, new media, new commerce and new entertainment”, and delivers integrative hardware technology and scenario application solutions to clients in fields. Through the internet application ecology platform, KDX has successfully released core smart hardware products including Toucharm smart vending machine, LOHO magic mirror, big glassesless 3D screen, big outdoor advertising screen and big ITO screen which are used in many fields like retail, education, medical service, culture, fitness, advertisement and exhibition, and also created the immersive pan-entertainment interaction brand Deepub which integrates smart display hardware, featured scenario content and innovative field properly.
Contribution and dedication. In July 2017, proposal “KDX Future City” is finalized to host in Zhangjiagang, and this proposal is raised as “Now Location of World High Polymer Material Industry” and “Pool of World High-end Material Talents”. Concentrated on new material ecology, “KDX Future City” adheres to global innovation and platform operation. KDX is striding forward boldly to the prospect “World-class Ecology of State-of-the-art High Polymer Material”, and acting as the leader practicing the transfer from Made in China to Created in China, as well as the pursuer, practitioner and witness for the China Dream.
