NEWS AUGUST 2010
Mobile camera-phones with SMA Auto-focus modules are in the stores and selling well.
Cambridge, UK August 2nd 2010 Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd (CML) today announced that mobile camera-phones utilizing Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) auto-focus technology licensed from CML are now available in mass market retail outlets in Japan. The camera modules contained in these handsets also use CML's SMA control ASIC and SMA wire manufactured by CML's partner SAES Getters SpA. CML is unable to disclose the manufacturers and model numbers of these phones at this stage. CML's manufacturing licensees wish to see how the handsets are received in the market before making any public statements. However indications from the first 5 weeks are entirely positive, with robust sales and excellent quality levels.
SMA Auto-focus module mass production started in April, camera module integration started in May, enabling handset production in June. The first SMA camera-phones were in the stores on June 24th.
CML and its growing list of manufacturing partners and licensees are continuing development of the SMA actuator technology particularly for miniature digital imaging applications. Auto-focus modules with the best lowlight performance, smallest footprints, lowest z-heights and the fastest image capture are in advanced stages of prototyping. Part of this effort is reducing the size and cost of the already tiny SMA controller ASIC by as much as 50%. However it is CML's progress in the development of a combined Auto-focus and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) solution that is causing the most excitement in the market. The prospect of an 8.5mm footprint camera with a large lens, A-F and OIS has obvious attractions to smart-phone vendors.
"Our employees should feel very proud of their achievements" said Simon Calder, CEO of CML. "The list of companies that have taken one consumer product concept from the drawing board to the retail stores is quite short. The fact that we have taken two inventions to market and that one of those is a mobile phone application puts CML in an elite group of commercially successful technology companies".