With an impressive portfolio of customers – including the likes of Shell, Goodyear, Mars, Colgate-Palmolive and BMW – RealWear is a big deal. If you're involved in the world of extended reality (XR), chances are you're already familiar with this Vancouver-based technology firm.

RealWear is described as a "knowledge transfer platform company". It's a global frontrunner in providing safety and connectivity solutions to industrial workers with its voice-controlled, head-mounted assisted reality devices.

Today, 41 of the Fortune 100 are RealWear customers. However, around seven years ago, the company was just a concept.

Join us as we take a look at where it all started for RealWear and discover a little more about this trusted brand. 

In the beginning

In 2016, RealWear co-founder, Chris Parkinson, approached Andy Lowery with his design for what would become RealWear's flagship product, the HMT-1.

Dr Parkinson, who was previously the CEO of WearNext and software lead at Kopin Corporation, specialises in wearable devices – including software and hardware – and has a special interest in hands-free computing solutions. 

Luckily, Lowery (now CEO) agreed with his teenage children who thought the head-mounted computer idea was "pretty cool". And so they got to work. 

The duo quickly began reaching out and securing a team of experts to support the development of their product – meaning that, suddenly, this brand-new business had a foundation based upon years of experience.

Just like that, RealWear was born.

The HMT-1

The RealWear HMT-1 is a pioneering product in the world of hands-free assisted reality wearables. It was purpose-built for instant knowledge transfer and guided workflow for light and heavy industrial work. 

By the time RealWear was established, Dr Parkinson had been working on the design of HMT-1 for over 10 years. The new company was able to quickly put together a prototype and began selling the product in 2017. 

The RealWear team was able to take the HMT-1 from prototype to beta product release in only eight months – and moved from beta to mass production in an impressive six months. 

By 2018 they had shipped thousands of units to more than 200 customers around the world and obtained type approval in 35 countries. Type approval is only granted to products that conform to an extensive series of regulatory, technical and safety requirements.

RealWear's strategy for growth

One of RealWear's main objectives for the future is building a solid ecosystem around the industrial XR market.

Within the first year of its release of HMT-1, the company had already developed 75 partnerships with software and services providers.

It is certified in more than 55 countries, operates in 14 different languages and has over 200 solution partners within its ecosystem. To date, RealWear has 5,000+ end-user customers with 70,000+ units deployed. 

All in all, we think it's fair to say that RealWear has come a long way since its humble(ish) beginnings only a few years ago. 

Up to now

Today, RealWear has extended its product range to include the HMT-1Z1 and Navigator 500 headsets. 

The former is the only globally certified Intrinsically Safe (IS) Zone 1 assisted reality wearable, being ATEX Zone 1 and CSA C1/D1 cleared. This means it's designed to eliminate the risk of sparks and explosions – making it safe for high-risk industrial environments like chemical or petrochemical plants. 

The Navigator 500, meanwhile, is a ruggedized XR solution that's designed to "elevate the modern frontline worker". It's operational at -20 to 55 degrees Celsius and can withstand a mean two-metre drop. The Navigator 500 brings hands-free connectivity to industry workers across the board.

The latest release

The RealWear Navigator 520 is the latest device in the Navigator 500 Series. It offers all of the features of the 500 but also comes equipped with an enhanced HyperDisplay. The bigger screen size and higher resolution camera make the 520 the perfect choice for more detailed, intricate tasks.

At the end of last year, RealWear announced the launch of the world's first voiced-controlled thermal camera. Designed to enable faster and easier problem-solving, the new thermal camera modules are compatible with both the 500 and 520 models in the Navigator series. Venturing into this previously unexplored avenue of XR marks an exciting time for the company.

Connectivity

RealWear hasn't just been developing hardware. The company has recently launched the RealWear Cloud – a software platform that helps businesses manage all of their RealWear devices from one easy-to-use interface.

The service allows managers to easily carry out updates across the board and deploy new devices with minimal downtime. RealWear Cloud also collectively analyses device data and provides live troubleshooting – helping managers understand device usage clearly and providing real-time technical support should you need it.

The future for RealWear

In February of this year, RealWear announced there were some changes on the horizon. The team has entered into a "definitive business combination agreement" with Cascadia Acquisition Corp (CCAI), resulting in RealWear becoming a publicly traded company. 

The transaction still requires the approval of shareholders from both RealWear and CCAI's side but is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023. Upon completion, the combined company value is estimated to be worth around $375.5 million.

Speaking of the upcoming transition Andrew Chrostowski, Chairman and CEO of RealWear, said, "This combination with CCAI will accelerate our ability to deliver new assisted reality products, services, and solutions at scale that transform the way people work today, tomorrow and into our sustainable future".

Here at Expand Reality, we stock the latest and best XR devices to help accelerate your digital transformation. If you liked what you read about RealWear's XR technology, you can visit our online shop to learn more or purchase RealWear headsets.