Prescription, Development, and More!
almost 8 years ago – Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 12:33:47 AM

Prescription Update

Hey everyone, a bit of practical business to start this update off. We mentioned in the previous update that we were planning to charge for upgrades and add-ons. We're going to hold off on charging for these items until we are closer to shipping. We think this is the most responsible way to treat this additional pledge money, so that in the unlikely worst case scenario that we are unable to deliver, we have the ability to return the funds. We know that in rare instances, backers have had bad experiences with other projects, so we wanted to articulate to you that we're taking that unlikely scenario seriously. 

We will still move forward with collecting prescriptions, which will occur on March 17th, 2017. The prescription survey will be sent out via email in waves, so it may take a few days for it to show up in your inbox. If you still have not completed your BackerKit survey, you will not receive a prescription survey. You must complete the BackerKit survey before we can send you the prescription survey. Below are some images of the questions you will be asked. Please check them out to get a sense of what type of information you will need. 

Note the opening sentence in the survey, which indicates which pair of Vue you are editing. This is especially important for backers that chose multiple pairs—this will indicate which frame you are providing prescription for. 

If you did not order progressive lenses, leave Question 2 blank. It is for progressive lenses only. If this is done incorrectly it may cause delays in your shipment when the frames are sent to the lens lab. 

Depending on whether your Pupillary Distance (PD) was given to you as one or two numbers, you will be taken to a different page where you will enter the values. See the image below. 

Please reach out to us directly via email or Kickstarter message if you are unsure about your values or if they are in a different format. We will keep this survey open for at least two months for you to make updates, and will notify you in advance when we anticipate closing it. Please note that this email will arrive via SurveyMonkey—make sure it is not going to spam!

Data Privacy

We are using SurveyMonkey because they are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a US privacy standard which mandates certain practices when collecting health information. We take the collection of prescription very seriously, and want to ensure that we are using a safe, secure, and compliant platform to store your information. Finding the right HIPAA-compliant tool and setting it up has actually taken a considerable amount of work, but it was the right thing to do for this stage of the process. 

Development! 

And now on to some exciting development news. Let's start with the biggest updates first.

1. Charging case

In an earlier update we talked about design for manufacturing (DFM) and evaluating our prototypes to make sure they could be more easily manufactured and assembled. During our reviews, we saw an opportunity for improving the charging case. The previous case was heavy and large. A larger footprint for the case would make it less convenient for you to carry around. As this case is meant to be portable, we concluded that it was of paramount importance to make sure this case was smaller and more analogous to a traditional glasses case. We made the decision to change the design to reflect this, and we are really happy with the results. 

The new charging case design is smaller, lighter, and more closely resembles a traditional glasses case. Check out the video below, where Tiantian can be seen opening and closing it, with the glasses inside. The Vue logo is seen engraved on the top, and the case features a magnetic latch which ensures the case remains shut when you're on the go (which is great for times where it might roll around in a backpack or purse). 

In this design, the frames are set into a slot (as seen in the video) where the glasses rest against the charging contacts. This design change was critical and will greatly improve the user experience of Vue, particularly as it relates to portability and charging. 

2. Mechanical design

We began noticing variability in the way the arms were folding. Certain frames had asymmetrical folding, which resulted in the arms interfering with each other such that one arm would not fold down, as seen below. 

The problem had multiple root causes, primarily being that the hinge-design could not accommodate the thickness of the arms. Because of tolerance variations in previous prototypes, the problem was not always present. We redesigned the hinge so that the arms now lay flush and no longer interfere, as seen below. These are good problems to sort out early, as it would cause headaches and delays if the problem was not identified before mass production. 

In addition to mechanical fixes, we've been working on the the more subtle design elements of the frames. Seen below is the Vue logo engraved into the inside of one of the arms. 

We've also added a "Designed by Vue" engraving toward the front of the arms.

3. Hardware

We also decided to source new bone conduction transducers. Our previous supplier was having consistent quality issues which resulted in a few problems, including wire detachment. We've since sourced new transducers that are much more reliable. Even upon visual inspection, the difference in quality is easily discernible. In the side-by-side image below, you'll notice that the old transducers (left) have jagged edges and the metal has disfigurements, whereas the new transducers (right) are cleaner cut and smooth. 

We also decided to change from a 1.3W amplifier to a 2W amplifier, primarily based on real-world feedback that we received (in part from backers!) at CES and elsewhere. Our 1.3W amplifier was simply not yielding volume that was loud enough, which exacerbated the problem of bone conduction being hard to hear in louder environments. We'll be testing our new 2W amplifier to see how it impacts volume. 

Work on the printed circuit board has been moving along nicely. In future updates, you'll start to see all of these hardware pieces coming together—at which point we can begin talking about FCC/CE testing, which are critical milestones for consumer electronic products. Below, while not very exciting, is a glimpse of what it looks like to design electronic component layouts on a computer. 

4. Firmware/Software

Although there aren't as many in-process images with this topic, things have been progressing as scheduled. We've finished designing our Bluetooth protocol so our mobile app and device can talk to each other, as well as designed the chip protocol which defines how the Bluetooth and audio chip talk to each other.

Outside of this low-level software, we've also made great progress on our iOS app (don't worry—we'll be doing Android as well!). The app design is constantly being iterated and improved. Below are some of the newest screenshots of the UI. 

We're also beginning to design the pairing instructions, which is one of the first ways that you will interact with your pair of Vue. Below are some mockups showing the various screens that you will be guided through in order to pair your Vue with your phone. 

Onward

As we mentioned in our campaign, manufacturing is a dynamic process. We are constantly evaluating our work to make sure that we can deliver a product that we are proud of and that you will love. The changes discussed in this update are exciting and we believe firmly they are going to yield a better product and experience for all of you! As mentioned previously, we tried to build in some buffer time into our timeline to allow for changes like this. This early, it's difficult to see if there are going to be major impacts on delivery. Our schedule is tight and aggressive, but our progress has been steady and diligent. If anything changes, we'll let you know right away.

In the meantime, please review the images of our prescription survey so that you are prepared to provide us the correct information. 

with love,

the Vue team

Surveys are coming!
almost 8 years ago – Wed, Feb 01, 2017 at 11:24:03 PM

Hey everyone—surveys will be sent out over the next few days. We are using BackerKit, which is an awesome platform that makes it easy for you to customize your Vue frames and ensure they get shipped to the correct address! 

BackerKit = Frames

Because of certain regulations related to storing prescription information, there will be two parts to our survey. The first part will be via BackerKit, and will allow you to customize your frame's style, color, and lenses as well as provide us with your address. You can also change your pledge, adjust your lens type, or add items like extra charging cases. 

The second survey will come later, and will collect your prescription only. You will have approximately one month to complete the frame surveys on BackerKit, after which we will send out surveys to collect your prescription for your frames. That survey will be sent out on a HIPAA compliant platform that ensures our prescription data collection meets regulatory requirements.

How will I get the survey?

BackerKit surveys are sent out via email—so please check your inbox and spam to ensure that you are getting it. Please note the following important info regarding the surveys:

• A message will be sent to the email you have associated with your Kickstarter account, the same email where you receive these updates.
• If you used Facebook to login to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey link will be sent to the email you used for your Facebook account. If you have another email you prefer it to be sent to, please message us.

How does it work?

When you get the survey you'll be able to see the reward you pledged to and the amount you personally pledged. You'll be asked to select your frame style, frame and temple color, and the lenses that you want. If you choose lenses for which you did not pledge enough money, your price will update, and you'll be able to pledge the difference by using your credit card. 

If you wish to change your pledge to a completely different level, you are able to do this by clicking the "Want to switch your pledge level?" button pictured below. 

Please note that if you change your pledge or choose lenses for which you didn't already pledge money for, your pledge total will change and you will need to pledge more money via a credit card to make up the difference. 

We also have additional items you are able to back, pictured below. These items include additional Vue frames, charging cases, and t-shirts. 

Also pay special attention to the lens options. If you select a lens that includes the phrase "non-corrective" it means that there will be no corrective/prescription strength in the lens. That means you will not receive a follow-up survey to collect your prescription. 

Questions?

If you have questions regarding the survey, BackerKit, your order, or anything else please don't hesitate to reach out. You will have a while to fill out this info, and we will be here to walk you through it. Message us directly on Kickstarter or at [email protected].

Chinese New Year

As many of you may know, many people around the world have been celebrating Chinese New Year. This is a huge national holiday in China, and as a result our vendors, partners, suppliers, and more have been on holiday. Things will be booting back up over the next week or so, at which point we'll be back to work with them.

We've still been hard at work preparing this survey and working on the glasses. We'll have some exciting updates coming your way in February. Stay tuned!

with love,

the Vue team

CES 2017 Roundup
almost 8 years ago – Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 11:08:36 PM

Hey backers! As mentioned in the previous update, we had the chance to exhibit at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We wanted to post a quick update to showcase our experience!

For those that are unfamiliar, CES is an annual trade show that showcases new products and technologies in the consumer electronics industry. It's always a busy and chaotic event, with more than 170,000 people attending from around the world. We were in the Eureka Park area of the Venetian hotel, alongside many other startups. 

Booth

Backers!

A few of our backers also managed to stop by to chat. It was so great meeting some of you face-to-face. Below are some images as well as a few brief videos where backers provided us with their impressions of the Vue prototypes!

Awards

The Vue team was honored to receive the SVIEF Innovation Award while at CES. It was a great opportunity—and we received an awesome plaque to go with it!

Onward 

Now that CES has ended, it's back to business as usual. We're getting closer with the survey, so expect to see that relatively soon! Conversations with manufacturing partners have been continuing, and we'll be on the ground in the next few weeks to continue DFM improvements to get closer to production.

More to come soon!

Cheers,

the Vue team

Happy New Year! Ready for 2017!
almost 8 years ago – Tue, Jan 03, 2017 at 11:27:48 PM

Happy New Year!

To all our backers from around the world, we wish you a very happy new year! We're off to a solid start in 2017 and wanted to share how things have been going post-campaign and over the holidays. As we mentioned previously, we got to work directly when the campaign ended. Here's an overview of what we have been working on, as well as exciting upcoming activities. 

Manufacturing

Jason and Tiantian flew to China to participate in design reviews with our manufacturing partners. Seen below, Jason and our partners are discussing our latest prototype. This phase is often referred to as Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and involves reviewing and tweaking product designs in order to ensure manufacturability. 

As these meetings continue and improvements come to fruition, we'll share photos with you. Expect some exciting images as we get further into the process!

Lenses

In addition to reviewing the design of the frames, we've been evaluating the various types of lenses that will ship in each pair of Vue. Tiantian even had her own prescription lenses manufactured and installed in her pair of Vue so that she can test out the full experience each day. 

Just this past week, we received and inspected sample lenses. We also toured a lens surfacing line to better understand how the lenses are made. Check out some of the cool videos below to see how what it looks like when your lenses are being made!

Events

Whenever we travel to China, we work out of a co-working space through the HAX accelerator program. It's a busy place, and whenever we arrive there seems to be something exciting going on. Most recently, HAX held a Demo Day where alumni companies (including us) had the opportunity to present their product to a crowd of Asia-based investors. Tiantian gave a brief pitch and demo to the crowd pictured below.

CES

We'll be at CES 2017 in Las Vegas! We'd love to meet some of our Kickstarter backers face-to-face. We will be part of the HAX booth on January 7th at Eureka Park 51639. Swing by to chat with us and see the prototypes. Feel free to shoot us an email if you are there and looking to connect! If you're around, keep an eye out for the flyers below, which we've designed for CES.

Hiring

The Vue team is growing! We're looking for experienced and enthusiastic people who are excited about smart glasses and new wearable technology. Check out the opportunities below and shoot us any recommendations you have to [email protected].

• Production Lead
• Software Engineer (iOS)
• Software Engineer (Android)
• Electrical Engineer
• Firmware Engineer

Kickstarter Survey

We're hard at work preparing your survey. Because we are collecting sensitive prescription information, we have to abide by regulatory standards that most projects do not have to deal with. More specifically, some organizations that collect Protected Health Information (PHI) must adhere to standards defined in the HIPAA Privacy Rule (a US regulation). Unfortunately, the rules are dense, so we've had to consult with lawyers to make sure we are compliant. Moreover, not every software vendor is able to collect this data, meaning we've had to abandon, evaluate, and test out other tools before building the survey. 

We also have quite a few customization options, which makes each order complex. Although the survey may look straightforward as you move through it, on the backend we need to make sure that all the data is clear and organized so that we can export it in a workable format for our manufacturing partners. 

Because of these extra requirements that we must deal with, the survey requires a lot of work and time—but we're almost there! The challenges will not affect project timelines, but they are tedious! We're putting the final touches on the survey and will have it ready soon. We are targeting early January for release. We will post an update here and email backers directly once it is ready, so keep an eye out for that!

2017

Throughout this journey, we'll aim to post a minimum of one update a month on Kickstarter so you can keep track of our progress. Moving forward, updates will get progressively more technical and manufacturing-focused, especially as we start to evaluate units with our manufacturing partners. We're excited to share the process with you!

As always, don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.

With love,

the Vue team

FUNDED! We did it! Thank you!
about 8 years ago – Sat, Dec 10, 2016 at 11:15:19 PM

THANK YOU

A sincere thank you to all of you who made this happen. We wanted to let you know that we are humbled and in awe of this support. To know that so many of you pledged to make this product a reality is inspiring. It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on shipping Vue!

Tiantian and Jason are flying back to our office in China tomorrow morning to continue work on preparing Vue for manufacturing. There are design improvements to make as well as some exciting design for manufacturing activities in the near future as we begin to work with contract manufacturers to ramp up for production. Expect regular updates from the team to highlight progress, technical information, and any challenges along the way.

Again, we extend our gratitude to all of our backers for believing in this project. We're excited to get to work!

With love,

the Vue team