WESTBOROUGH, Mass. –
Kopin® Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), a leading developer and provider of transmissive and reflective active matrix liquid crystal and organic light emitting diode (OLED) microdisplays used in military, enterprise, industrial, medical and consumer products, today announced that its CyberDisplay® WQVGA LVS display/backlight module and A230 Driver IC are incorporated into the Shearwater wearable NERD 2 diving computer, which enables public safety divers to perform life-saving search and rescues while having crucial dive information continuously available hands-free and without interruption.
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Shearwater Research, based in Richmond, BC, Canada, is a leading underwater diving equipment company who has built a reputation for offering some of the highest quality instruments on the market.
Shearwater’s NERD 2 (Patent No.: US010921597B2) is the market leading near-to-eye display for underwater divers, providing constant availability of critical dive information such as depth, dive time, compass and breathable gas levels without the need for stopping to check gauges. This allows divers to remain focused on their critical work. Public safety divers can mount and secure the NERD 2 on their diving masks to be in their line of sight. Kopin’s microdisplay and backlight, in combination with the Shearwater optical lens, generate images on the NERD 2 that appear as if you were looking at a 25″ television from a 12-foot distance. NERD 2 features include Bluetooth wireless capability, two-button interface, a rechargeable battery with an average life of 18 hours and the ability for the user to log dives.
“The innovative technology of the NERD 2 allows for flexibility, reliability, efficiency and a higher level of safety for divers everywhere,” said Jim Hartt, CEO, Shearwater. “Kopin’s LCD and ASIC are key elements of our NERD 2 design because they deliver visual information at a glance. This is especially critical for public safety divers who are often working rapidly to save lives, and who need both hands free in order to rescue their victims.”
“We are delighted that our products have been incorporated into the NERD 2 which helps public safety divers in their rescue missions,” said Greg Truman, Head of Kopin’s Industrial and Enterprise Display Business. “We have seen considerable expansion of the market for public safety wearables products over the past several years. Heads-up thermal imaging displays for firefighters, monocular optical modules for police officers, and now head mounted second screens for public safety divers are just a few of the vertical markets that fall under the larger umbrella category of public safety wearables. Our WQVGA microdisplay, which is used in the Shearwater NERD 2, is a popular display in this market because it offers users a bright, clean, easily readable image in a small form factor. To know that our WQVGA display has aided in successful rescue efforts, and played a role in saving peoples’ lives, is very rewarding.”
Kopin’s CyberDisplay WQVGA LVS is a color-filter active-matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) with a resolution of 428×240. The WQVGA LVS display utilizes high-performance single crystal silicon transistors and is the smallest (0.21? diagonal) transmissive AMLCD for the resolution. The WQVGA LVS display, backlight and A230 driver ASIC together consume less than 100 mW at a display brightness of 1000 nits, sufficient for outdoor usage. A frame buffer memory residing in the ASIC offers further power savings.
About Kopin
Kopin Corporation is a leading developer and provider of innovative display and optical technologies sold as critical components and subassemblies for military, industrial and consumer products. Kopin’s technology portfolio includes ultra-small Active Matrix Liquid Crystal displays (AMLCD), Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) displays and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays, a variety of optics, and low-power ASICs. For more information, please visit Kopin’s website at www.kopin.com.
About Shearwater
Shearwater Research designs and manufactures scuba diving computers and advanced diving electronics. Shearwater holds a leading position among companies and a reputation for some of the highest quality instruments on the market. Shearwater dive computers feature intuitive menus and interfaces that make them easy to use for divers at all development levels. Shearwater computers are designed to improve the journey for divers everywhere. For more information, please visit Shearwater’s website at www.shearwater.com.
For more information about how NERD 2 is used by Public Safety divers please view this video: https://youtu.be/nYQSoME-HkQ.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which are subject to the safe harbor created by such sections. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “can,” “will,” “estimates,” and variations of such words and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such “forward-looking statements,” which speak only as of the date made, and advise readers that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions by us that are difficult to predict. Various factors, some of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by us or on our behalf, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements that may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, we disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as may otherwise be required by the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Important factors that could affect performance and cause results to differ materially from management’s expectations are described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors; Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; and other parts of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2020, or as updated from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
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Shearwater Research
Gabriel Pineda, 604-669-9958
Director of Sales and Marketing
GPineda@shearwater.com
or
Kopin
Richard Sneider, 508-870-5959
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Richard_Sneider@kopin.com
or
Market Street Partners
Joann Horne, 415-445-3233
JHorne@marketstreetpartners.com