Vuzix

Key takeaways

Vuzix belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vuzix to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vuzix from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vuzix Corporation () is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Rochester, New York and founded by Paul Travers in 1997. Vuzix is a supplier of smartglasses and augmented reality display technology. Vuzix manufactures and sells computer display devices and software. Vuzix head-mounted displays are marketed towards mobile and immersive augmented reality applications, such as 3D gaming, manufacturing training, and military tactical equipment. On January 5, 2015, Intel acquired 30% of Vuzix's stock for $24.8 million. The company has offices in New York, Japan, and the UK and is the current market leader for video eyewear. Forte was a pioneer during the mid-1990s developing immersive head mounted displays for virtual reality and video gaming applications. Vuzix's displays are based on optical waveguides.

History Paul Travers founded Vuzix in 1997 in Rochester, NY, under the name Interactive Imaging Systems, purchasing the assets of the virtual reality company Forte Technologies. The company started with products for the military and U.S. Defense, but then developed consumer virtual reality systems. In 1997, the company was hired as a subcontractor to Raytheon, designing display electronics for a digital night vision weapon sight. In 2000, the VFX1 Headgear was featured in a commemorative US Postal Service stamp collection celebrating the 1990s. The VFX1 was replaced by a higher resolution system dubbed the VFX3D in mid 2000. In 2001, Vuzix launched its first consumer electronics product, the iCOM personal internet browser. In 2005, Vuzix provided a custom high resolution handheld display system that created the 3D imagery for Hitachi's pavilion at the 2005 World's Fair in Aichi, Japan. The Hitachi Pavilion allowed users to interact with computer generated models and dioramas of endangered species in a Mixed Reality ride. In 2005, the company changed its name to Icuiti. Later that year, Icuiti launched its first product designed specifically for consumers, the V920 Video Eyewear. In 2005, Icuiti was awarded its first military R&D contract to develop a high resolution monocular display device for viewing tactical maps and video. This development would lead to the Tac-Eye product line, which began rate production in 2009 and was used in many major military programs including the Battlefield Air Operations kit. A re-branding in 2007 changed the company's name from Icuiti to Vuzix. In 2010, Vuzix introduced the first production model see-through augmented reality glasses, the STAR 1200. It was released in August 2011 for $4999. Vuzix was under contract with DARPA to design and build a next generation heads up display for military ground personnel. In January 2013, at CES, Vuzix Corporation demonstrated working models of its new M100 Smart Glasses. The product was given a CES Innovations award. The Vuzix Smart Glasses M100, shipped in the first financial quarter of 2013, enabled wearers to remotely access data and content from an iOS or Android smartphone. In January 2015, Intel invested $25 million in the company, gaining 30% ownership of the company. In August 2017, Vuzix and BlackBerry became partners to deliver smart glasses for the enterprise.

Innovations

Video Eyewear Vuzix created the first video eyewear to support stereoscopic 3D for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Augmented Reality Eyewear In 2010, Vuzix showcased the first commercially produced pass-through augmented reality headset, the Wrap 920AR. The Wrap 920AR was equipped with two VGA video displays and two cameras that provided a live view of the surrounding environment. During the Consumer Electronic Show in 2011, Vuzix announced their transparent AR display prototype, codenamed Raptyr. It was intended to be the first product of its kind. It was never officially released under the Raptyr name, instead being sold as the STAR 1200. The prototype received a CES Innovation Award in 2011. The STAR 1200 was the first mass-produced augmented reality system with a transparent display. It was intended to mimic glasses, and was able to fit over a user's own eyewear in lieu of offering prescription lenses. The display was connected to a user's computer via a VGA or DVI cable. The Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 were commercially released in early 2013. Unlike previous models, the M100 was able to wirelessly connect to mobile devices, and came with an on-board Android OS.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vuzix

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vuzix claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vuzix before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vuzix ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vuzix

In research: Vuzix appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vuzix in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vuzix is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Companies based in New York (state), Companies formerly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, Companies listed on the Nasdaq, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vuzix outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Vuzix in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vuzix means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vuzix out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vuzix in simple terms?

Vuzix Corporation () is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Rochester, New York and founded by Paul Travers in 1997. Vuzix is a supplier of smartglasses and augmented reality display technology.

Why does Vuzix matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vuzix?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vuzix.