Press Release – Monterey, CA (Sea Otter Classic Booth #590) – April 20, 2018 – Kopin Corp. (NASDAQ: KOPN) SOLOS®, a unit of Kopin Corporation, is proud to announce it has renewed its partnership with USA Cycling through the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games as the official smart glasses partner. SOLOS smart glasses, the first augmented reality sports performance glasses developed with the USA Cycling team, were used by the Women’s Pursuit Team who won silver medals at the Rio Olympic Games. Once again, SOLOS will serve as a tool for the team’s training and insights as the team races toward success in Tokyo 2020.
SOLOS Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Tom Futch, said, “This partnership with USA Cycling is an amazing opportunity to connect directly with an incredible group of people who are passionate about cycling. We look forward to working closely with USA Cycling athletes and members to elevate their experience over the next several years through groundbreaking technology, support and initiatives.”
“SOLOS smart glasses continue to play a key role in our team’s performance as we look towards Tokyo 2020,” said Scott Schnitzspahn, Vice President of Elite Athletics at USA Cycling. “Our Women’s Pursuit Team brought home the silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the gold at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships last month. As we explore ways to utilize the smart glasses across additional disciplines, we are looking forward to working with SOLOS to find the best ways for our National Team athletes and coaches to use the technology for winning medals at the highest levels.”
“The USA Cycling team relationship has been invaluable during the development of SOLOS smart glasses,” said Ernesto Martinez-Villalpando, Head of SOLOS and Advisor to Kopin’s CEO. “We worked closely with the team and coaches to discover how SOLOS could impact speed, power output, endurance and far more. The design and functions of SOLOS are deeply rooted in athletes’ feedback, and the insights we gained from the team positively impacted our new generation of SOLOS smart glasses.”
“I’m excited that SOLOS is extending its relationship with USAC to go beyond the track and introduce this amazing technology to cyclists on the road, cyclocross and mountain bike, as well,” said Phil Gaimon, SOLOS athlete and 2017 USAC National Hill Climb Champion (pictured above).
As part of this partnership extension, SOLOS is proud to offer a $100 introductory discount to USA Cycling members. This will allow athletes at any level to equip themselves with Solos Smart Glasses and its innovative technology as well as the aerodynamic smart glass design. USAC members should log in to their membership portal and visit the “Benefits” tab to learn more and take advantage of this offer.
Mike’s Thoughts: Technology will be on full display during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as Japan will use international attention to demonstrate its latest generation of products. Electronics manufacturer Kopin with its SOLOS unit recently announced a new partnership with USA Cycling – through the Olympics in Tokyo in a couple of years – and will serve as the team’s official smart glasses partner.
Connected products geared towards athletes are becoming more common, though smart glasses certainly aren’t for every rider.
