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Technology Stocks : Boeing keeps setting new highs! When will it split? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ian who wrote (2159)	3/9/1999 8:08:00 AM
From: Neil H	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3764

Tuesday March 9, 6:30 am Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: Microvision, Inc. Microvision and Boeing Awarded "Virtual Cockpit" Contract by U.S.Army Contract Follows Recently Announced Collaboration Between the Two Companies SEATTLE, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq: MVIS - news, MVISW - news) today announced it has received a contract from the U.S. Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) in Fort Eustis, Va. to begin work on the design of an advanced helmet-mounted display and imaging system to be used in the Virtual Cockpit Optimization Program (VCOP). The contract under which Boeing Phantom Works, the advanced research and development arm of The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA - news), will be the key subcontractor to Microvision, follows the recently announced collaboration between the two companies. Microvision's display, which will incorporate the company's patented Virtual Retinal Display(TM) (VRD(TM)) technology, will be integrated with Boeing's software to create an innovative way to present information and images to rotorcraft pilots. Microvision's display was selected for its ability to present high-resolution images that are fully ''readable'' over a daylight background, and for its ability to add color capabilities in this challenging environment. Under the terms of the contract, Microvision and Boeing will identify and analyze operational, functional, performance and interface requirements for an advanced VRD helmet-mounted display (HMD) for the Army, based upon the VCOP concept. The companies anticipate completing this work within 120 days. Microvision and Boeing also intend to develop a pre-production prototype HMD by the end of this year and to seek further Dept. of Defense funding as part of their collaborative effort on virtual cockpit applications. ''We are pleased that the Army places confidence in the partnership between Microvision and Boeing,'' said Rick Rutkowski, Microvision president and CEO. ''The Army has a powerful vision. The ability of a helmet-mounted display to overlay flight reference data, sensor imagery and weapons symbology on the outside world can provide a very powerful performance boost to both aircraft and pilot. When you can also enable a pilot to see the normally invisible 'bloom' of a radar signature, or to project a 'pathway in the sky' in front of them, and to superimpose wireframe or 3-D imagery onto the terrain it becomes even more powerful. By teaming with Boeing, we have combined the capabilities of the world's largest manufacturer of military helicopter, and a leading innovator in crew systems technology with those of a rapidly emerging innovator in display technology to provide these benefits.'' The Army's vision of the virtual cockpit also includes a ''what you see depends on where you look'' concept that can be achieved by combining Boeing's software and Microvision's advanced display technology, with position tracking. As the pilot looks up and out of the cockpit, various types of targeting, navigational or terrain overlays would appear. When pilots look in a downward direction, they may see ''virtual'' instruments projected onto the eye that literally replace many of the existing dials and multifunction displays that are in cockpits today. Replacing alphanumeric data with graphical visual elements arranged within the pilot's field of view relieves the strain of information overload. This makes operating the aircraft more intuitive so that the Virtual Cockpit concept offers the potential to increase the effectiveness of both pilot and aircraft and to eliminate a lot of costly hardware in the process. Microvision estimates that as many as 9,000 rotorcraft in the U.S. fleet are candidates for Virtual Cockpit upgrades. The company also envisions that the Virtual Cockpit concept could be utilized in newer helicopters and in a variety of other military and commercial aircraft and even in ground vehicles. About Boeing Phantom Works Boeing Phantom Works, the advanced research and development organization of The Boeing Company, pursues breakthrough improvements in the affordability, quality and performance of aerospace systems. With major locations in St. Louis, Seattle and Southern California, Phantom Works engineers and scientists typically work in small, integrated teams that can be quickly formed and mobilized to help customers meet their toughest technical challenges. The organization is committed to finding better, faster and cheaper ways to design, develop, manufacture, test, operate and support both current and future systems. Additional information can be found at the company's website at boeing.com. About Microvision Headquartered in Seattle, Microvision, Inc. is the developer of the patented Virtual Retinal Display(TM) (VRD(TM)) technology that uses a rapidly scanned beam of light to project images on the eye's retina, allowing the viewer to see large, full-motion images without the need for a conventional display screen. Microvision's objective is to be a leading provider of personal display products and imaging technology in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer applications. The company was founded in 1993. Additional information can be found at the company's website at mvis.com. Neil