Vuzix Partners with Rochester Optical to Provide Prescription Frames and Lenses for M100 Smart Glasses
Strategic Collaboration Between Smart Glasses Manufacturer and Optical Company Align to Provide Enhanced Functionality and Fashion Frames for Award-Winning M100 Smart Glasses
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Vuzix® Corporation (OTCQB: VUZI), a leading supplier of Video Eyewear and Smart Glasses products in the consumer, commercial and entertainment markets, announced today a strategic collaboration with Rochester Optical to provide fashion frames and prescription lenses for M100 Smart Glasses wearers. Rochester Optical's patent pending Smart GOLD lenses will allow for M100 Smart Glasses wearers to have visual acuity gazing at the display as well at the world around them.
Although the M100 allows for flexibility with regard to where the display can be mounted, positioning of the display is critical with regards to prescription eyewear in order to generate a clear and natural image. Normal prescription lenses are not designed to optimize the visual acuity in those upper or lower gaze directions, leading to blurry image and visual fatigue.
Rochester Optical researchers have created a new digital lens design where special care is taken to remove unwanted aberrations perceived by the wearer in the directions of sight associated with the smart glasses display, allowing the wearer a clear vision of the display through the user lens while keeping the rest of their view clear and natural per their normal prescription.
In addition, Rochester Optical has signed on with Vuzix as a Value Added Reseller of the M100 Smart Glasses and will be reselling the M100 through their network of distribution partners in the eyewear professional marketplace. This new sales and marketing partnership is another development in the Company's growth strategy to expand market outreach in the fast growing wearable technology space. Vuzix will also join Rochester Optical in their tradeshow booth at the upcoming Vision West Expo in Las Vegas from September 18-20 and will showcase the M100 Smart Glasses on many different frame styles.
"We are excited by the opportunities created by this partnership and for the customers that will benefit from this technology. Over 60% of the U.S. population require prescription glasses, and our collaboration with Rochester Optical will provided a unique solution for smart glasses that not only enhance the quality of the product but also the design and style. We believe that with Rochester Optical's digitally optimized Smart GOLD lenses, we will be able to lead the charge in proliferating our smart glasses to both Enterprise and the prosumer markets," said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix.
"What a great fit, there are over 40,000 Eye Care retail outlets in the United States that would benefit from expanding into a fast growing and profitable segment of wearable technologies. Offering Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses with a custom solution using our Smart GOLD lenses makes an easy connection for customers to receive the best prescription solution for their smart glasses available today," offered Patrick Ho, President of Rochester Optical.
About Rochester OpticalÂ
Rochester Optical is a diversified manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses, eyewear, and is a full service wholesale digital optical laboratory with over 80 years of experience. They continue to serve eye care professionals and corporate customers with an eye on service and innovation.
About Vuzix Corporation
Vuzix is a leading supplier of Video Eyewear and Smart Glasses products in the consumer, commercial and entertainment markets. The Company's products include personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and virtual and augmented reality. Vuzix holds 39 patents and 10 additional patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the Video Eyewear field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2014 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (VUZI.QB) with offices in Rochester, NY, Oxford, UK and Tokyo, Japan.
Source
Vuzix Corporation
Web Site: http://www.vuzix.com
