Vuzix® Corporation, a leading supplier of Smart-Glasses, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies and products for the consumer and enterprise markets, is pleased to announce that the Company is partnering with Amimon, developer of the industry’s first all-digital HD drone vision system – the Connex ProSight, to sponsor an international drone racing team. This team will compete in select racing events worldwide using Vuzix iWear Video Headphones combined with the Connex’s ProSight latency-free wireless vision system.
The first major event will be the 2016 US National Drone Racing Championships being held at Governors Island in New York City on August 5-7, 2016. This event is scheduled to be broadcast and streamed by ESPN, as the companies’ products may be seen by nationally. The event marks the first time an all-digital zero latency vision system will be used in a sanctioned racing event.
During select events, both racers and judging officials will wear Vuzix iWear products and the drones will be enabled with the Connex ProSight system. In product testing, the Vuzix eyewear combined with the Connex ProSight wireless solution delivered an unprecedented first person view (FPV) HD experience that provides superior vision performance, image quality and usability for racing pilots, as well as spectators. The crisp digital images, latency-free transmission and larger iWear display along with an extremely wide field of view can enable pilots to make quicker decisions while flying through a competitive race course at speeds in excess of 80 MPH.
Featured pilots at the Drone Nationals include: US #7 Christian Peterson (FPV_Provo), US #8 Mackenna McLure (McFly), US #12 Steve Zoumas (Zoomas), Vince Murdzak (Aerial_Engineer), and Ricky Martinez (Aerial_Advantage); with a few other leading pilots expected to join in the coming months.
The advantages of the Vuzix iWear combined with the Connex ProSight include an all-digital solution with zero latency. The Vuzix iWear Video Headphones delivers one of the largest fields of view at 60-degree, which is comparable to watching a 125″ screen in your living room, with the display floating in front of the racers’ that virtually transports the wearer into the cockpit of the drone. The sharp HD image the iWear delivers helps to create an immersive experience for pilots, enabling them to make the rapid decisions necessary in this fast paced competitive sport. The iWear provide a comfortable wearing experience for the pilot and also works with prescription glasses. Built-in batteries allow the pilot to participate in the sport for hours of racing.
The ProSight system – consisting of a combination of a real-time HD camera, transmitter and receiver, are all based on proven technology from CONNEX – featuring uncompressed 720P High-Definition over a digital link, a transmission range of up to 1000 feet and latency free, real-time video at all operating ranges. The solution addresses head on issues that have plagued first generation analog FPV products, including unclear images, and jammed frequencies caused by multiple simultaneous users.
“We are excited to sponsor this team together with Amimon in a new sport that is quickly gaining fans and participants. Combining the Connex ProSight solution with the Vuzix iWear Video Headphones will maximize the experience and competitive advantages for the drone racing pilots on the Vuzix team,” said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vuzix.
“Both companies are committed to enhancing the FPV experience for pilots and fans alike and this is a synergistic combination that brings the sport to a new level. Partnering with Vuzix will further accelerate the adoption of the Connex ProSight all digital product in the drone enthusiast market by delivering a great way to maximize the benefits of our wireless transmission system,” said Ram Ofir, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amimon.
To see the iWear and ProSight in action visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qksCGP-DL9A
