google glass Still not dead. so it seems. Search giant Google has reportedly spent a billion on a company that develops tiny light-emitting diodes for displays to be used in augmented reality.a R) and mixed reality (MR) devices. According to a report in The Information, Google has signed a deal to buy five-year-old startup Raxium. According to the report, the acquisition indicates that Google is looking to own more physical components needed to develop such devices.
The report further states that although the terms of the deal are not known, Google is likely spending $1 billion on Raxium. “Raxium is on the cutting edge of bringing about monolithic integration, the foundations underpinning Moore’s Law for MicroLED, enabling a new range of smaller and more powerful display products, ranging from augmented and virtual reality micro-displays to life- Sizes include panel-based lighting. Field arrays,” says the description on the company’s page.
Google Glass was first launched in 2013 for select buyers. The company announced a wider release in 2014. The price tag of $1500 and fears of privacy invasion resulted in the failure of the product. Google has stopped all work on this glass project in 2015. In 2017, Google resumed work on an enterprise version of Glass called Glass.
what is microLED
MicroLED is similar to OLED in that it does not use a backlight, instead each pixel emits its own light. The only difference here is that unlike OLED displays, MicroLED displays use inorganic materials, which also bring the advantages of ultra-low black levels, but with higher peak brightness. Most mainstream LED panels are actually LCD panels with LED-based back or edge lighting. MicroLED panels do not require separate backlighting which means blacks are darker and whites are brighter without the light bleed that is typically associated with most LED-backlit TVs.
Making MicroLEDs small enough for head-wearing devices has been a challenge. This is where Ruxium comes in. The company claims that it has achieved pixels as small as 3.5 microns, which is much smaller than normal OLED pixels.
What Rivals Apple, Microsoft and Facebook Are Doing
Google’s Raxium purchase follows similar acquisitions and business deals made by its rivals Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Snap for the same type of technology to develop AR glasses or headsets. Apple has been betting big on AR technology for years. Apple Glass is also claimed to be the company’s next big product. Microsoft has the HoloLens 2, an enterprise-focused mixed reality (MR) headset that costs $3,500. Facebook, now called Meta, has the Oculus Quest 2, a consumer-oriented VR headset, which starts at $300. It’s now called the Meta Quest VR Headset.