Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. is set to expand its camera module business into the robotics and mobility sectors and commence mass production of all-weather camera modules within this year, according to the company.

During a showcase of its camera module products on Thursday, the company unveiled plans to diversify its camera module business in anticipation of increased demand in robotics and mobility. Discussions with customers regarding humanoid sensing cameras and more are underway, the company said.

An emphasis was placed on next-generation hybrid lenses, which are expected to find widespread use in robotics and mobility. Leveraging unique packaging technology, the company touted its hybrid lenses, which combine low-temperature-sensitive but costly glass with cheaper plastics that pose expansion and contraction issues at different temperatures, offering a solution to these material characteristics.

Highlighting heating and coating performance, Samsung Electro-Mechanics aims to launch camera modules capable of maintaining optimal performance even in harsh weather conditions this year.

“The water-repellent coating of existing products wears off in six to seven months, but our products can last for over three years with more than 1.5 times the abrasion resistance,” the company said.

It also claimed success in reducing lens heating time to less than 1 minute, a significant improvement over the 8 to 10 minutes required for existing products.

Furthermore, the company introduced camera modules equipped with an iris for automotive use, heralded as the world‘s first all-weather camera module featuring an iris that adjusts the amount of light, according to Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

By Seong Seung-hoon and Chang Iou-chung

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