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To say the team at Wearality knows a thing or two about virtual reality (VR) optics is a grand understatement. The Silicon Valley-based company with research and development offices in North Carolina and Florida has spent the last five years developing patented world-class VR technologies at Lockheed Martin for the defense and aerospace industry.
Now, Wearality is translating this cutting-edge and patented technology into consumer and commercial wearable displays that are light, portable and affordable. The company’s forthcoming Wearality Sky device represents what it calls the next-generation of VR wearables, effectively 3D glasses for smartphones with a massive 150-degree field of view – blowing away even the most immersive IMAX experience.
Wearality develops its displays using Autodesk Fusion 360 for its entire product workflow, including design, product renderings, machining, 3D printing and more. For its pioneering technology, Wearality is being recognized as the Autodesk Inventing the Future recipient for May.
Autodesk seeks Inventing the Future candidates each month from its manufacturing customer base through a brief Q&A interview on a company or individual addressing their business, products and inventive spirit. Here is what Wearality CEO and former Google chief technology advocate Michael Jones had to say about developing his products leveraging Autodesk software:
Autodesk: What does your company develop, and why is it important for the world? Jones: Wearality develops world-class technologies for VR with optics that are unmatched in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Our VR optics for consumer and commercial head-wearable displays are the lightest, most portable and cost effective devices available, offering the world’s most immersive VR experience. This is due in part to our double Fresnel lens technology that provides users with incredible crystal clear focus with little to no color distortion.
In fact, we just finished a highly successful Kickstarter campaign for our Wearality Sky headset that will be the first product among many from Wearality. In addition, the reasonable price point of our products will create a demand for VR content that has been keeping the industry from reaching its full creative potential.
Get a glimpse of the Wearality Sky in action, and hear more from founder and CTO David Smith.
Autodesk: How has adopting technology helped your company evolve?
Jones: Wearality has invested in ultra, high quality lenses that give us a platform from which to develop the most technologically advanced, appealing and user-friendly VR products on the market today. We fully expect architects to integrate our products in their work in order to give customers a preview of what their vision for construction will look like when it becomes reality. We are confident in this evolutionary trajectory of our business, as our advanced design and technology help us produce industry-leading products in a cost effective manner.
Autodesk: What Autodesk software do you use and why? Are you a subscription customer?
Jones: At Wearality, we use Fusion 360 software as a subscription customer. We chose this option for its benefits to our company as a startup. We experienced high value without a large upfront cost or any long-term commitment. We use Fusion 360 for design, product renderings, machining, 3D printing and more. Having all of these capabilities in one environment proves incredibly beneficial to our workflow, since its ease of use gives anyone the ability to quickly learn the software and efficiently and effectively complete their work.
Autodesk: How do you see your company five years from now? In 10 years?
Jones: In five years, we plan to continue expanding our VR innovation reach to work with the world’s largest phone manufacturers and retailers. These partnerships will help us deliver 100 million units per year at an exponentially expanding rate.
In 10 years, we see utilizing these partnerships to develop technology that positions us as a global leader not only in VR, but also in responsible corporate citizenship as our technology will improve lives far beyond our current sphere. With the world’s top technological talent on our team today, we are well on our way to achieving these goals.
Autodesk: What does being a CEO mean to you?
Jones: Being a CEO means promoting a mission and vision that keeps company initiatives strategically aligned with desired business outcomes. In addition, this means maintaining a strong focus on implementing manufacturing, distributing and service solutions to keep our company on a path of sustainable growth that enriches the lives of employees and customers alike.
Wearality was created with a vision to move the VR world from 2D to an immersive 3D experience and, as CEO, I am highly invested in engineering our business objectives to reach this philosophical end. Through thought leadership, proactive technological development and creative vision, I use my position to continue Wearality's technical leadership at the top of the VR/AR industry.
Do you think you have what it takes to be recognized by Autodesk for Inventing the Future? If so, send in your submission to inventingthefuture@autodesk.com.
