Kopin Microdisplay Delivers Critical Imagery to Public Safety Divers Wearing the Shearwater NERD 2

Kopin Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), a leading developer and provider of transmissive and reflective active matrix liquid crystal and organic light emitting diode (OLED) microdisplays used in military, enterprise, industrial, medical and consumer products, today announced that its CyberDisplay WQVGA LVS display/backlight module and A230 Driver IC are incorporated into the Shearwater wearable NERD 2 diving computer, which enables public safety divers to perform life-saving search and rescues while having crucial dive information continuously available hands-free and without interruption.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210310005208/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

Shearwater Research, based in Richmond, BC, Canada, is a leading underwater diving equipment company who has built a reputation for offering some of the highest quality instruments on the market.

Shearwater’s NERD 2 (Patent No.: US010921597B2) is the market leading near-to-eye display for underwater divers, providing constant availability of critical dive information such as depth, dive time, compass and breathable gas levels without the need for stopping to check gauges. This allows divers to remain focused on their critical work. Public safety divers can mount and secure the NERD 2 on their diving masks to be in their line of sight. Kopin’s microdisplay and backlight, in combination with the Shearwater optical lens, generate images on the NERD 2 that appear as if you were looking at a 25” television from a 12-foot distance. NERD 2 features include Bluetooth wireless capability, two-button interface, a rechargeable battery with an average life of 18 hours and the ability for the user to log dives.

“The innovative technology of the NERD 2 allows for flexibility, reliability, efficiency and a higher level of safety for divers everywhere,” said Jim Hartt, CEO, Shearwater. “Kopin’s LCD and ASIC are key elements of our NERD 2 design because they deliver visual information at a glance. This is especially critical for public safety divers who are often working rapidly to save lives, and who need both hands free in order to rescue their victims.”

"We are delighted that our products have been incorporated into the NERD 2 which helps public safety divers in their rescue missions,” said Greg Truman, Head of Kopin’s Industrial and Enterprise Display Business. “We have seen considerable expansion of the market for public safety wearables products over the past several years. Heads-up thermal imaging displays for firefighters, monocular optical modules for police officers, and now head mounted second screens for public safety divers are just a few of the vertical markets that fall under the larger umbrella category of public safety wearables. Our WQVGA microdisplay, which is used in the Shearwater NERD 2, is a popular display in this market because it offers users a bright, clean, easily readable image in a small form factor. To know that our WQVGA display has aided in successful rescue efforts, and played a role in saving peoples’ lives, is very rewarding.”