Microvision to Join Optical Display Consortium; Rockwell-Led Team Focused on Pursuing Advanced Retinal Scanning Displays.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 1999--

The Integrated Small Precision Optics Manufacturing Technology Consortium (ISPOMT) has announced that Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq/NM:MVIS) (Nasdaq/NM:MVISW) will join as a consortium member.

The goal of ISPOMT effort is to define, develop and insert advanced small precision optical component technologies into advanced retinal scanning display systems. The consortium is led by the Rockwell Science Center (RSC) (NYSE:ROK) and partially funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research as a Dual Use Application Program (DUAP).

Microvision, a recognized leader of Virtual Retinal Displays (VRD)(tm) technology, will provide crucial system integration and commercialization capabilities to the consortium. With Microvision the ISPOMT team will be positioned to address advanced display needs in the military, consumer, medical and professional markets.

Other members of consortium include the University of Washington/Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL), Polaroid Corporation (NYSE:PRD), Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), and New Interconnection and Packaging Technologies, Inc. (NIPT). The U.S. Office of Naval Research assisted in bringing the ISPOMT team together.

"We are extremely pleased that Microvision is now a member of the ISPOMT consortium," said Joe Longo, Rockwell's corporate vice president for research and vice president and general manager of the Science Center. "Microvision brings to the ISPOMT team the capability to commercialize the technical advances of the other ISPOMT team members. This technology has the potential to achieve breakthrough advances in cockpit situation awareness, manufacturing plan design and operation, medical diagnostics and surgery."

Rick Rutkowski, Microvision president and chief executive officer said, "The combined strength of this team in advanced optics and optoelectronics is truly formidable. This partnership gives us direct access to highly advanced optical component technologies. The consortium also provides an excellent avenue for developing new application concepts and reaching new customers for Microvision's technology."

The ISPOMT consortium has selected the retinal scanning display as an enabling technology for future advanced cockpit concepts, where helmet mounted displays replace head-down and heads-up displays to provide navigational, sensor and target information.

The retinal scanning display provides unprecedented brightness, resolution and contrast by using red, green and blue modulated lasers to create an image directly on the viewer's eye. Combined flight information is projected over the helmet wearer's field of view augmenting the real world image. Information is displayed in a highly intuitive manner to provide better situational awareness and to aid decision making by the flight crew.

About ISPOMT and Its Members

The ISPOMT consortium is structured to optimally leverage the capabilities of its university and commercial members. Members provide innovative display and human computer interface concepts as well as design and fabrication of precision optical components such as micro-optics, rugate filters, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and diode lasers.

The ISPOMT effort was initiated in 1996 as a DARPA Technology Reinvestment Program (TRP) developing manufacturing technologies for small precision optical components. The team developed micro-optics, filter, laser diode and human computer interface concepts which were inserted into advanced missile warning sensors, imagers, laser printers and rear vision system prototypes. In 1998 ISPOMT became a DUAP focusing on advanced retinal scanning displays.

The Rockwell Science Center is the principal research laboratory of Rockwell, performing research in the physical and information sciences for Rockwell's businesses, the U.S. Government and various commercial customers. RSC researchers, at two sites in Thousand Oaks and Palo Alto, California, work on projects ranging from innovative technologies intended to catalyze new business opportunities to technology application and transition to existing businesses. New areas of growth and expansion are advanced displays, MEMS, software processes, model-based diagnostics, multimedia systems, imaging, and human-computer interface.

Rockwell is a $7 billion electronic controls and communications company with global leadership market positions in industrial automation, avionics and communications, and electronic commerce. The company employs about 40,000 people at more than 450 locations serving customers in more than 80 countries.

The Human Interface Technology Laboratory is a joint research unit of the University of Washington and the Washington Technology Center. It conducts R&D in advanced human-machine interface technology with the goal of transferring the resulting products and processes to industry. HITL pioneered the virtual retinal display and licensed the technology to Microvision for commercialization.

Microvision, headquartered in Bothell, Wash., provides personal display products and imaging display technology in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer applications. Its Virtual Retinal Displays(TM) technology 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.

Polaroid designs, manufactures and markets worldwide a variety of imaging products. These include instant photographic cameras and films, digital imaging systems, conventional films and light polarizing filters and lenses. Its products are used in amateur and professional photography, industry, graphic arts, science, medicine, government and education.

Ford Motor Company is a world leader in providing automotive products and services. It supports the ISPOMT consortium through its Research Laboratories.

NIPT, located in San Diego, provides innovative design and fabrication tools for diffractive optical elements. The company pioneered gray scale lithography that allows for the production of arbitrary shaped optics in virtually any material.