U.S. Army awards Microvision $1.1 million addition to $3.3 million contract.

Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS), a leader in light scanning technologies for personal displays and imaging solutions, has announced that it has been awarded a $1.1 million addition to an existing $3.3 million development contract from the U.S. Army's Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC), Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC).

The contract, originally announced on December 20, 2002, is to continue the next phase of development for a mobile wireless personal display system for medical applications.

The contract supports the objectives for the Army's INFOMEDIC concept--a mobile medical system that will enable military surgical personnel and medics to access, read, and transmit critical medical data via a head-worn display, wearable computer, and wireless network. Microvision will design, integrate, and test a head-worn mobile display solution based on its unique retinal scanning display technology to meet the Army's medical system specification.

Based on Microvision's patented light scanning technology, the Nomad Personal Display System is a high-resolution, head-worn display that presents images and information to the user on a see-through virtual 17-inch screen. This unique precision display instrument enables hands-free access to information such as diagrams, instrumentation, maintenance records, moving maps and interactive training manuals, superimposing the information on the user's view and creating "augmented vision." The Nomad System features full daylight-readability, allowing users to view high-contrast images in even challenging ambient lighting conditions. High-quality, Super VGA resolution makes the Nomad System immediately compatible with a broad range of existing applications and content.

"Microvision's contract with TATRC underscores the company's objectives for the ongoing development of a family of personal displays based on the Nomad product," noted Rick Rutkowski, Microvision's CEO. "This effort is expected to pave the way for subsequent additions to the Nomad product line that will feature enhancements in overall ergonomic design, form factor, and performance--enhancements that we believe will benefit a variety of military, medical, aviation and industrial applications. The INFOMEDIC concept represents the future of battlefield medicine, and indeed the future of personal information display. We are excited about the opportunity to demonstrate the advantages that our display technology can bring to this critical aspect of military operations."

This release refers to U.S. Army Award Number DAMD17-02-2-0005. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014, is the awarding and administering acquisition office.