Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), (“Vuzix” or, the “Company”), a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, together with Mercari, Inc., under its research and development organization Mercari R4D, are pleased to announce the start of a AI vision proof of concept shopping experience for the Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses that strives to deliver e-commerce product information privately to the user by applying XR and Edge AI.
Using a simple hand gesture and the Vuzix Blade camera, users can retrieve similar products listed for sale on the Mercari marketplace, along with product details such as selling price, without taking their phone out of their pocket. The Mercari marketplace app, launched in 2013, has been downloaded over 100 million times in Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. The Mercari AI vision enhancement shopping application, developed by Mercari’s R4D research and development arm, has been optimized for the UI/UX of the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses and will be showcased to the public for the first time at CES 2019.
“We are thrilled that Mercari will be showcasing their AI vision enhancement shopping application on the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses. This app delivers new innovative ways for individuals to comparative shop and connect e-commerce from the digital world to the real world with a simple hand gesture,” said Paul Travers, Vuzix President and Chief Executive Officer.
“We have begun a proof of concept to optimize the UI/UX of our marketplace app Mercari for smart glasses, using the Vuzix Blade® AR smart glasses. With just a hand gesture, you can get information on an item from camera images taken with the Vuzix Blade®, search for related items on Mercari, and see information such as the selling price. We are striving to eventually be able to use smart glasses to buy and sell items on Mercari. In order to respect the privacy of users, by using edge AI technology, information retrieval will be conducted as much as possible within the device and not on the cloud. Furthermore, the search is limited to only the spot to which the user points. The prototype will be available at CES 2019, so if you’re interested, feel free to stop by the Vuzix booth,” stated Yuki Hamada, CPO of Mercari.
Demonstration Registration
At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 8th, 2019, a prototype using patented technology will be available to demo at the Vuzix booth located at Tech East LVCC, Central Hall Booth #15036. To sign up for a demo, please apply using the link below as advanced registration is required:
https://goo.gl/forms/OmCOglwPn13HRBAf1
About Vuzix Corporation
Vuzix is a leading supplier of Smart-Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and products for the consumer and enterprise 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 augmented reality. Vuzix holds 62 patents and 71 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 2018 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in Rochester, NY, Oxford, UK, Barcelona, Spain and Tokyo, Japan.
About Mercari
Mercari is a marketplace app that makes it easy for people to safely sell and ship their things. Launched in 2013, the Mercari app has been downloaded over 100M times in Japan, the US and the UK. It’s now among the largest peer-to-peer selling platforms globally. From fashion to toys, shoes to electronics and beyond, Mercari’s mission is to create value in a global marketplace where anyone can buy and sell. Company Name: Mercari, Inc. Location: Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6118, Japan. https://about.mercari.com/en/
About Mercari R4D
Mercari R4D was established in December 2017, as a research and development organization under the concept of “Research” for the four D’s of “Design,” “Development,” “Deployment,” and “Disruption.” Going beyond research only within Mercari, by conducting fundamental and applied research together with other companies and educational institutions, we are striving to conduct research and development at a fast pace, turn these projects into businesses for Mercari Group, and actually implement this technology in society. We are currently conducting research including XR (AR, VR, MR), AI, quantum computing, and blockchain. https://r4d.mercari.com/
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
Certain statements contained in this news release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking statements contained in this release relate to our business relationship with Mercari along with the success of the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses and among other things the Company’s leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are generally identified by words such as “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “should” and similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based upon the Company’s beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Reports and MD&A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.
