Microvision's Expert Mechanic Package Will Increase Productivity and Reduce Costs for Automotive Maintenance
DETROIT--March 4, 2002--Today at the Society of Automotive Engineers conference in Detroit, MI (March 4-7), Microvision, Inc. unveiled the Expert Mechanic Package featuring the Nomad(TM)Personal Display System.
Microvision is demonstrating the system at booth No. 1625. The system is being targeted to automakers and fleet operators who wish to reduce maintenance and warranty expenses by increasing the automotive mechanic's productivity.
The Expert Mechanic Package is built around the Nomad System, the world's first high brightness, head-worn, see-through display. The system increases the productivity of service technicians and mechanics by allowing head up, hands-free access at the point of task to images and information such as automotive service manuals in electronic format. The Nomad display superimposes technical data and procedural instructions in the worker's field of view, according to Bruce Ridley, Microvision marketing manager for industrial applications.
A recent field trial done in the service department of an ambulance and emergency vehicle company -- where minimizing downtime is critical -- proved that the Expert Mechanic Package increased efficiency and provided on-the-job (or at-the-task) training. The trial resulted in a total efficiency gain of 45 percent. Experts decreased their repair time by 27 percent and novices decreased 63 percent.
Of particular significance, noted Ridley, was that novice task time and expert task time ended up almost equal, proving that "information at the point of task can help train employees of all levels."
As a result of recent demonstrations of the Expert Mechanic Package, Microvision expects to begin field trials with one or more automobile manufacturers within the next ninety days. The company also expects to attract fleet, airline and other large maintenance operations and is also in active discussions with content and service providers while at the SAE conference.
"We think this application of the Nomad System has enormous potential," added Ridley. "With each model year automobiles are becoming increasingly complex while customers' expectations for reliability and a satisfactory service experience are rising. It's nearly impossible to adequately train service technicians and the result can be escalating warranty costs for automakers."
By providing interactive electronic support for maintenance and repair procedures, the Expert Mechanic Package can improve quality and productivity to help automakers control those costs. Service technicians and mechanics will perform more accurate diagnoses and spend less time looking for information with a system designed to display relevant information at the worker's point of task.
Microvision's Expert Mechanic Package includes the Nomad Personal Display System, a wearable computer, voice activated software, and an optional wireless communication feature that enables hands-free access to a remote server. The Expert Mechanic Package bundle retails at approximately $16,000.
Based on Microvision's patented light scanning technology, the recently introduced Nomad Personal Display System is a high-resolution head-worn display that presents images and information to the user on a see-through virtual 17-inch display. This unique personal display enables hands-free access to information such as diagrams, instrumentation, maintenance records, moving maps and interactive training manuals, superimposing the information on the user's view and creating "augmented vision." The Nomad System features full daylight-readability, allowing users to view high contrast images in even the most challenging ambient lighting conditions. High quality, Super VGA resolution makes the Nomad immediately compatible with a broad range of existing applications and content.
From flight paths to factory floors, surgical suites, and more, the Nomad System can deliver major improvements in productivity, quality and safety for virtually any type of manual task. The company is targeting applications for workers in four vertical markets -- industrial, aerospace, medical, and military --- that enable customers to keep information in front of people engaged in manual tasks or on the move, allowing access to information at the point of task and information, anywhere.
About Microvision: www.mvis.com
Headquartered in Bothell, Wash., Microvision Inc. is the developer of the patented retinal scanning display technology and a world leader in micro miniature optical scanning technology for display and imaging applications. The company's technology has applications in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer information products. Nomad is a trademark of Microvision, Inc.
Forward Looking Statement
The information set forth in this release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. Certain factors that realistically could cause results to differ materially from those projected in the company's forward-looking statements are set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.