Tech Convergence Will Spur Demand for New ADAS Technology

Visionary technology



Visionary technology

Virtual retinal display has state jobs potential

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The ocean is real, but the fake highway stripe painted on the surface shows where to steer the ship.

The Army soldiers are real, too, but the helicopter and explosions aren't. A laser beam bounces images of the helicopter and explosions off a small mirror onto the eye to train for actual warfare.

Welcome to the startup company Information in Place, where little is as it appears.

Information in Place has developed a small device that clips to a hat or headband [well, they didn't exactly develop it... -- Ed.] and software that flashes stripes on water, explosions and other images.

"This is an emerging industry that's on the verge of taking off," said Chief Executive Officer Sonny Kirkley. "Why shouldn't we be the hotbed for this technology?"

"It's a really interesting company," said Kleber. "The technology they're trying to use is pretty cutting-edge. It's one of the things you think about when you watch a science-fiction movie."

Information In Place, Inc. (IIPI) is an example of a company founded to develop applications that leverage Microvision technology. There will be a whole lot of companies like this who do systems integration and software development for augmented reality applications -- and you can expect each one of them to pick Nomad as the AR display of choice, just as IIPI has done.

I first reported on IIPI back in April of 2004.

To folks who are worried that IIPI is trying to 'rip us off' (which is understandable considering the author of the article claims that IIPI developed the virtual retinal display as well as invented mixed reality -- did they invent the integrated circuit too?), we're prominently listed on the IIPI Partner Page.

It doesn't matter who takes credit for inventing what in newspaper articles -- if IIPI has sales success bundling Nomad with their homemade software it's all to the good.

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