(VARIETY) — Google has taken a stake in Himax Display, which produces microdisplays for head-mounted devices including Google Glass — indicating the Internet giant expects to ramp up production to more than 2 million units per year, according one Wall Street analyst.
Google has agreed to invest in the company, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Himax Technologies, to fund production upgrades, expand capacity and enhance production capabilities for liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) chips and modules used in applications including head-mounted displays like Google Glass. Under the pact, Google will purchase a 6.3% interest in Himax Display, with the option to increase its stake to up to 14.8%.
Google Glass includes has a small screen embedded in the right lens and lets users search the web, watch video, pull up maps, read text messages, take photos, and execute other functions. Some predict head-mounted computing will be a game-changer, while at the same time the Google Glass project has been widely mocked as making users look silly and also has stoked fears about invasions of privacy.
