The priorities in global technology development in 2025 are Smart Transportation Ecosystem and Head-mounted Display (HMD) Technology. These two critical axes intertwine and evolve quickly. The former embodies future mobility, while the later explores the border of sensational experience. With artificial intelligence at the core of their development and the application of sensors, displays, power management and software platforms, systematic transformation is taking place globally in sectors such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), production and manufacture, cloud service and city governance.
The Future of AI-driven Is Taking Shape
To solve traffic congestion and reduce accidents, smart vehicles are crucial. Using various sensors to collect environmental information, computers can assist in driving decisions. This is a capability that is already seen in current autonomous driving technologies. Most new cars on the market now feature Level 2 automated driving assistance (also known as Partial Driving Automation). This level, which involves the use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), helps alleviate driver fatigue. At the same time, many automakers and tech giants are beginning to test more advanced Levels 3 and 4 autonomous driving capabilities.
The hardware required for autonomous driving includes sensors such as radar, LiDAR, cameras, infrared, and ultrasonic sensors. The vehicle’s onboard computer also needs a more powerful processor core. On the software side, a robust map system, AI algorithms, and extensive driving data are crucial. Additionally, for effective communication with the computer, smart vehicles must be equipped with interfaces such as touchscreens and voice recognition functionalities.
The development of autonomous driving goes beyond just the technology within the vehicle; equally important is external connectivity, known as “vehicle-to-everything” or V2X, such as V2V, V2I and V2P. This technology enables road safety alerts, smart traffic signals and smart highways where trucks can drive in platoons. Integrating smart transportation, computers could coordinate the optimal lanes and speeds for each vehicle, ultimately achieving the ideal of zero accidents and zero congestion.
Building on the premise of connected vehicles, the broader vision for future mobility aims to expand into “mobility as a service” or MaaS—a seamless, integrated transportation system that allows users to plan and execute all their journeys through a single platform. This concept includes not just cars but also bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, buses, trams, boats, and airplanes. Overall, the goal of MaaS is to integrate all mobility needs to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of public transportation.
Gartner, a research and advisory firm, anticipated the market value of MaaS will increase to US$372 billion by 2026, up from US$42 billion in 2018. The main factor is that the transition towards smart transportation enables more complete and highly efficient mobility services.
Smart vehicles will continue to play a key role in future mobility. In Computex 2025, the Smart Mobility area features the Smart Mobility Pavilion curated by the Taiwan Advanced Automotive Technology Development Association (TADA). It will showcase smart mobility solutions offered by various service providers, including Solid State System Company and Elan Microelectronics Corporation. The solutions, such as V2X and autonomous driving technologies, will provide easier and safer journeys for travelers.
Major Move of Focus for Next-Gen HMD Industry; Full Deployment in Lightweight AR Glasses Now Happening
Tech events at CES 2025 have showcased a plethora of new startups and well-known brands displaying next-gen augmented reality (AR) smart glasses this year. This further highlights the industry’s gradual shift towards AI-assisted AR smart glasses amidst the limitations in new applications development and the continuous slowdown in shipment volumes for virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) devices.
Eric Chiou, Senior Research Vice President at TrendForce, stated that the VR / MR market has regressed in the past year compared to the year before. He anticipated that there will be a further slowdown in shipment volumes for VR and MR devices this year as Apple is said to have ceased the production of Vision Pro by the end of last year. In addition, a cheaper version of Vision pro or updated versions of Meta products will not be launched until 2026.
A report from the Ericsson ConsumerLab in May 2024, focusing on early adopters of AR, indicated that the number of users willing to use AR glasses in conjunction with smartphones is expected to double within the next five years. Users have a strong demand for portable AR glasses, and are even willing to pay 20% more for the convenience of having them on the go.
TrendForce projects the total shipment of AR devices in 2024 to be 700K units. With the integration of AI features, AR glasses are expected to receive a significant boost in momentum. Particularly, various global startups are aggressively launching a wide range of AI-assisted AR glasses, leading to an intense ” Battle of AR Glasses ” in the market. Driven by this enthusiasm, the market is expected to further expand to 25.5 million units by 2030 at an astounding CAGR of over 67%.
Cross-discipline Technology Integration Is Promoting Comprehensive Industry Restructuring in the Future
The smart mobility industry and the HMD industry are similar in terms of technology structure. They both rely on sensors, Near-Eye Displays (NED), automotive displays, High Performance Computing (HPC) chips and power modules. Taiwanese manufacturers and the semiconductor industry are at the intersection point of these supply chains. The biaxial technology revolution is not only about upgrading wheels and glasses, but it also redefines the way of living, the way a city works and industry logic. Revolving around five trusted industry sectors, the production sector and the academic sector in Taiwan promote technology integration of AR display and automotive electronics. With their result showcased in the military industry and the security control sector, a new trend of Made in Taiwan (MIT) production and technology strength can be expected to emerge after 2030.
