Microvision Delivers Wearable Display System to Industrial Consortium

Microvision, Inc. first industrial contract, virtual retinal display manufacturer <%=company%> (Bothell, WA) has delivered of a portable head-mounted display system to ARVIKA, an international consortium led by Siemens AG. The system will be used for evaluation and application development as part of the company's market development program to prepare for commercial product launch in the first half of 2001.

Virtual retinal scanning writes an image directly onto the retina, leaving the user's hands free, and the visual field virtually unobstructed (see Retinal Scanning Leads HMD Race).

Microvision has completed the first build of 20 beta systems and has begun to deliver them to selected customers and partners for field use and application development, including development of software applications that could be adapted to a variety of medical, aviation and industrial procedures and processes. Each customer will integrate the Microvision display with application software to enable augmented vision performance support for task-oriented environments.

Focused on using information technology and distributed computing in the industrial environment, ARVIKA consists of 15 companies and five research and development institutions, including Siemens AG, Ford Motor Co., Volkswagen, Audi, and DaimlerChrysler and machine tool suppliers as ExCellO, DS-Technologie, Guhring, Huller-Hille, INDEX.

Edited by Kristin Lewotsky, Photonics Online