Press Release: Vuzix and Amimon Announce Joint Sponsorship of International Drone Racing Team

Nano Falcon XS - ModelFirst off, we actually have a Drone Racing Team? WHAT IN THE WORLD? When did that happen? What does the race consist? How do you qualify for the race? Can you participate if you have a helicopter like the one above? I wouldn’t qualify given I only know how to crash land my drone inside my condo. There should be a “How to fly Your Drone 1o1” class for people like me that don’t know to navigate the drone.

My only outdoor Drone experience was during the Obama keynote at SXSW. I was getting followed by the same drone everyday and it took pictures of me, how rude!

Below is the Official Press Release announced today. Good luck to those that are participating, may the force be with you!

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 27, 2016 — Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), 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

About Vuzix Corporation

Vuzix is a leading supplier of Smart-Glasses, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) 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 virtual and augmented reality. Vuzix holds 43 patents and 23 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 2016 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 and Tokyo, Japan.

About Amimon

Amimon is the market leader in latency-free wireless HD video solutions. Its CONNEX all-digital solutions are enabling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and first person view (FPV) drones with unmatched vision performance. Amimon’s flexible CONNEX systems utilize its core technology to set a new standard in creating, transmitting and viewing content on remote devices.

AMIMON is headquartered in San Jose, California, with offices in Herzlia, Israel; Tokyo, Japan; and Taipei, Taiwan. To connect with AMIMON, visit http://www.AMIMON.com. For CONNEX product information check connex.amimon.com. For CONNEX ProSight Product line please check: www.connexhd.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, among other things, the Company’s leadership in the Smart Glasses, VR and AR industry and our relationship with the Amimon and their Connex ProSight and its advanced performance for Drone racing and wireless HD video transmission in general. 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.