Dr. Chris Parkinson, Original Inventor Of RealWear HMT-1® Extended Reality Headset For Frontline Professionals, Named RealWear CEO

RealWear, the pioneer of industrial extended reality (XR) wearables, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Parkinson as RealWear’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

HMT-1® flagship headset

Dr. Parkinson, Co-Founder, and former CTO of RealWear®, is the visionary mind behind the HMT-1® flagship headset that started the RealWear story in 2016.

The HMT-1 was RealWear’s first industrial head-mounted tablet computer on the market and catapulted RealWear into the spotlight for delivering an Extended Reality (XR) solution that worked for frontline teams who required the use of both hands to do their work and whose operations demanded 100% equipment uptime. 

Gesture-controlled user experience

His specialty lies in developing hands-free computing built on high accuracy, noise-robust speech recognition

Dr. Parkinson brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion to his new role as CEO. As the primary inventor of the RealWear HMT-1 headset and the driving force behind its hands-free user experience, Dr. Parkinson has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the way frontline professionals interact with technology.

His specialty lies in developing hands-free computing built on high accuracy, noise-robust speech recognition, and gesture-controlled user experiences.

“Golden-i” series of head-mounted computers

Before co-founding RealWear, Dr. Parkinson led the technology development of the groundbreaking “Golden-i” series of head-mounted computers, which laid the foundation for RealWear HMT-1 as well as the current flagship product.

This transformative work for Kopin Corporation covered 9 years of research and development and resulted in more than 100 patents around head-worn computing and 5 generations of headset devices. 

In 2015, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, forming the company that eventually became RealWear, to realize his ambitions of introducing ruggedized hands-free computing to the world.

Dr. Parkinson's education

Dr. Parkinson holds a Bachelor’s degree (with honors) in Chemistry from the University of Manchester, UK, and a Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry and Molecular, also from the University of Manchester. 

Moving to the USA in 1996, he has remained a prominent figure in the Northwest, currently residing in the Tri-Cities area in Washington state.

XR wearables and AI-driven solutions

To empower frontline professionals with XR wearables and AI-driven solutions that enhance their productivity"

In a statement regarding his new position, Dr. Parkinson said, “I am deeply honored and excited to have been appointed as the CEO of RealWear."

He adds, "Our mission is clear: to empower frontline professionals with cutting-edge XR wearables and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions that enhance their productivity and overall work experience. It is essential to provide them with the same or even better level of technological support that has been enjoyed by knowledge workers for years.”

Enhancing RealWear’s offerings

Dr. Parkinson’s vision for RealWear centers around a commitment to delivering solutions, not just hardware, that effortlessly integrate into the everyday routines of frontline professionals in manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare.

With an unwavering focus on company growth and innovation, he is determined to continue enhancing RealWear’s product offerings and expanding the company’s reach in various industries.

AI and sustainability

“Two of my biggest priorities will be incorporating AI and sustainability into everything that we do,” stated Dr. Parkinson, adding “We will do this through our engineering teams and through our many incredible partners who are participating in our growing App Marketplace.”

Safer, efficient, and productive work environments

Under Dr. Parkinson’s leadership, RealWear is poised to strengthen its position as an industry partner and deliver XR wearable solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of frontline professionals, promoting safer, more efficient, and more productive work environments.

Dr. Parkinson succeeds Mr. Andrew Chrostowski, who has retired from his position. The board of directors expresses its heartfelt appreciation to Chrostowski for his exceptional leadership and dedication.