Visualant Appoints Dr. Thomas A. Furness, Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board

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“Dr. Furness is a guiding light to the Visualant team and his work has illuminated the field by bringing SPM technology to the masses, as we continue to blaze a trail and ready products for market

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) September 18, 2012

Visualant, Inc. (OTCBB: VSUL) announced today the appointment of Dr. Thomas Furness, co-inventor of the Visualant Spectral Pattern Matching (“SPM”) technology, as Chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Furness is renowned in many circles as one of the fathers of virtual reality and brings an illustrious wealth of experience to the Visualant team.

Visualant is a disruptive entity that develops a unique patented SPM technology. This technology directs structured light onto a physical substance to capture a unique Spectral Signature. When matched against existing information, the Spectral Signature can identify, detect, or diagnosis markers invisible to the human eye. SPM scanners can be integrated into a variety of mobile or fixed-mount form factors, making it possible to effectively conduct analyses in the field that could only previously be performed by large and expensive lab–based tests.

The color-based identification and diagnostic solutions rely on the unique proprietary and patented SPM technology, which Dr. Thomas Furness helped pioneer.

Dr. Furness has been instrumental in founding 25 high technology companies, two of which are traded on NASDAQ at a market capitalization of over $10 billion (USD). In 1998 he received the Discover Award for his invention of the virtual retinal display.

“Dr. Furness is a guiding light to the Visualant team and his work has illuminated the field by bringing SPM technology to the masses, as we continue to blaze a trail and ready products for market,” said Ron Erickson, Visualant Founder and CEO. “It’s an honor to know and respect such a cherished member of the scientific community and Visualant is grateful for his contributions.”

Dr. Furness is at the vanguard in human interface technology and virtual reality. He received the BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Duke University and the Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science from the University of Southampton, England.

He is the founder of the Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) at UW and founder and international director of the HIT Lab NZ at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand and the HIT Lab Australia at the University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania. He is also an Erskine Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the University of Canterbury and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania.

Prior to joining the faculty at the UW, Dr. Furness served a combined 23 years as an U.S. Air Force officer and civilian at the Armstrong Laboratory at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he developed advanced cockpits and virtual interfaces for the Department of Defense.

He is credited as a pioneer in developing virtual reality and augmented reality. Because of his vast and progressive accomplishments, Dr. Furness lectures widely and has appeared in many national and international television science and technology documentaries and news programs. He is the inventor of the personal eyewear display, the virtual retinal display, the HALO display and holds 16 patents in advanced sensor, display and interface technologies.

“My entire career has led to this moment where Visualant is the perfect extension of my previous work in the fields of augmented and virtual reality,” said Dr. Furness. “This technology has limitless applications that will bring significant contributions to consumer and enterprise markets alike, and it’s rewarding to know my work has found a home with Visualant.”

About Visualant, Inc.

Visualant, Inc. (OTCBB:VSUL and http://www.visualant.net) develops low-cost, high speed, light-based security and quality control solutions for use in homeland security, anti-counterfeiting, forgery/fraud prevention, brand protection and process control applications. Our patented and patent-pending technology uses controlled illumination with specific bands of light, to establish a unique spectral signature for both individual and classes of items. When matched against existing databases, these spectral signatures allow precise identification and authentication of any item or substance. This breakthrough optical sensing and data capture technology is called Spectral Pattern Matching (“SPM”). Visualant has a Joint Development Agreement with Sumitomo Precision Products for the development of products using the SPM technology. Additional information on SPP is available at http://www.spp.co.jp/English/index2-e.html.

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