Paul Travers (Vuzix) on Enhancing Real-World Engagement with Smartglasses

AR Show with Jason McDowall

Paul Travers is the Founder and CEO of Vuzix, a pioneer in wearable computing, augmented reality, waveguide optics, and display engines.

Prior to Vuzix, Paul was an engineer at Eastman Kodak, innovating the future of digital cameras. He went on to become a serial entrepreneur, having started multiple hardware technology companies, including in sound cards for PCs and USB connectivity products.

Vuzix was formed more than 25 years ago, and through it, Paul has seen spatial computing technology evolve from the early days of VR in the mid-1990s to the highly capable AR smartglasses of today.

In this conversation, Paul highlights the potential of their new OEM platform technologies, as embodied in the recent Z100 developer edition glasses. As Paul describes, these glasses utilize Vuzix’s own light engine and waveguide optics, and they are designed for all-day wear.

We go on to discuss:

- Vuzix Z100 Smartglasses reference design,
- consumer and enterprise applications and use cases, including captioning and language translation,
- AI Integration,
- the new OEM strategy and some strategic partnerships,
- recent advances in optics,
managing the stress and challenge of running a public company, and
- advice for entrepreneurs.

The conversation starts with the recent solar eclipse.

You can find all of the show notes at thearshow.com.

Links From The Episode

- Article: [Vuzix Ultralight Innovation Award at CES](https://www.ces.tech/innovation-awards/honorees/2024/honorees/v/vuzix-ultralite-s.aspx)

- Press Release: [Vuzix Z100 Introduction](https://ir.vuzix.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/2060/vuzix-introduces-z100-smart-glasses-to-seamlessly-connect)

- Article: [Vuzix Shield: Revolutionary Smart Glasses Promising Safety And Game-Changing Technology](https://www.ibtimes.com/vuzix-shield-revolutionary-smart-glasses-promising-safety-game-changing-technology-3417126) By Nica Osorio for International Business Times

- Press Release: [Vuzix Enters into a Partnership Agreement with Quanta Computer](https://www.vuzix.com/blogs/press-releases/vuzix-enters-into-a-partnership-agreement-with-quanta-computer)

- Press Release: [Vuzix Acquires SAP Software Solution Provider Moviynt](https://www.vuzix.com/blogs/press-releases/vuzix-acquires-sap-software-solution-provider-moviynt%E2%84%A2)

- Product Page: [Vuzix Ultralite](https://www.vuzix.com/pages/vuzix-ultralite)

- Product Page: [Vuzix Shield](https://www.vuzix.com/pages/vuzix-shield)

- Book: [13 Things that Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time](https://amzn.to/4dTh0Cn) by Michael Brooks