Setex Technologies, the global leader in the commercialization of gecko-inspired adhesive and gripping products, has announced today that it has sold its industrial tape and gripping technology business unit to Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Inc., a publicly traded Japanese manufacturer of chemicals, semiconductor silicon, and electronics and specialty materials.
Continue readingSetex Technologies Partners with Flying Eyes Optics on Eyewear Designed for Aviators and Pilots
The two companies are bundling eyewear and eyeglass nose pads to enhance the comfort, grip and safety of aviators, pilots, and motorycle drivers.
Setex Technologies, a developer of patented gecko-inspired gripping and adhesive products, has begun a partnership with aviation eyewear brand, Flying Eyes Optics, to bundle Eyeglass Nose Pads with Flying Eyes’ innovative sunglasses. Under the Setex consumer brand since 2020, Setex Technologies has successfully gained a leading market share on Amazon with its anti-slip eyewear nose pads.
The partnership is a natural step forward for Flying Eyes, whose mission is to bring patented and safe eyewear solutions to pilots and motorcyclists that can be life saving, with flexible, streamlined temples and shatterproof lenses. Similarly, Setex Technologies is a tech-forward company whose platform patented material is inspired by the toe-pads of geckos, which allow them to climb up walls and stick to ceilings.
“Having our eyewear stay in place no matter what the wearer is doing, is a major reason we’re excited to be working with Setex!”, commented Dean Siracusa, CEO of Flying Eyes.
What sets Flying Eyes eyewear apart is its compatibility with helmets and headsets, ensuring an unparalleled comfortable fit for wearers in these scenarios. This patent-protected design element underscores Flying Eyes’ commitment to not only optimal performance but also ultimate comfort.
Over 204+ million (79 percent) American adults wear glasses and sunglasses but wearers often go through their day with a less-than-perfect fit or suffer from slipping eyewear, especially when the weather gets hot and humid, or during intense activities. Patented gecko-inspired Setex materials provide over 250% more grip to sweaty skin than conventional nose pads and plastic eyeglass frame materials, which can make the difference between glasses that are comfortable and fit, and having to constantly adjust uncomfortable, slipping frames.
“Flying Eyes’ unique and ergonomic design, and patented material for their eyewear, made it a natural fit for our nose pads technology,” commented Nicholas Kuhn, CEO of Setex Technologies. “Our products can tangibly affect the performance of aviators, motorcyclists, as well as athletes and casual eyewear users.”
About Setex Technologies
Setex Technologies, Inc. is a privately held developer and manufacturer of gecko-inspired gripping and dry adhesive technology used in applications ranging from eyeglass nose pads to semiconductor and glass handling to automotive upholstery fastening. The company was spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2009. It occupies over 12,000 square feet of space in Pittsburgh, PA and makes all of its products in Western Pennsylvania. For more information about Setex and Setex nose pad products visit http://www.setextechnologies.com. For wholesale information, visit http://www.setexwholesale.com. For consumer product information and purchasing, visit http://www.setexgrip.com.
About Flying Eyes
Founded by a pilot, Flying Eyes Optics is committed to providing customers with the highest quality and most comfortable eyewear for use under headsets and helmets. With a range of products designed for use in many high-performance activities, Flying Eyes Optics is the perfect choice for anyone who must also wear headsets or helmets.
Visit www.flyingeyesoptics.com for more information about Flying Eyes.
The Big, Mean, Green Machine
Mass production is rapidly moving towards sustainability, with product development relying on 3D printing technology to design green-friendly products.
Continue readingManufacturing with 3D Printing for Sustainability
Mass production is rapidly moving towards sustainability, with product development relying on 3D printing technology to design green-friendly products.
Continue readingSetex Grips & Pads – Gaming Grips, Earbuds Grips & Eyeglass Nose Pads
Published on Gadgetgram
Nowadays, most everyday items are manufactured both with their utility as well as with a user’s comfort in mind. However, while the materials used for manufacturing those items which you’d normally use throughout your daily routine can grip well to dry skin, if your skin happens to get sweaty or oily, then those same items become slippery and consequently harder to utilize, as you’re no longer able to have a solid grip on them. Now, problems with a sweaty or oily skin can include just about anyone, whether that’s console gamers who’s palms tend to become sweaty during long gaming sessions, people who wear earbuds or eyeglasses during workouts, or even people who wear those same items while working on hard jobs that require physical labor. Nevertheless, a company called Setex has recently developed the Setex Grips and Pads, which can be used to fix any slippery-grip issues related to sweaty and oily skins.
The Setex Grips and Pads consist of a range of grip-focused everyday item-attachments that all utilize a patented gecko-inspired anti-slip technology to mimic a geckos’ fibrillar microstructures in order to ultimately provide users with a natural and unprecedented grip along with the best possible comfort for everyday items like gaming grips from console controllers, a pair of earbuds, or even a pair of eyeglasses.
The company’s patented gecko-inspired anti-slip technology closely bio-mimics the microscopic fibrillar setae on a gecko’s toes, which is exactly what helps these small and unique reptiles to climb just about any surface and completely defy gravity.
By utilizing that same patented gecko-inspired anti-slip technology, Setex’s wide range of Grips and Pads are cleverly engineered to ensure people can get a maximum performance while utilizing everyday items such as gaming grips from console controllers, their earbuds, or even a pair of eyeglasses. Thanks to that, Setex’s Grips and Pads can ultimately provide you (as well as any of your family and/or friends) with high-quality, highly-gripping and super-adhesive solutions for all of your everyday items that ultimately allows those same items to stay in place so that you can use them comfortably and with perfect control.
We’ll now talk a little bit more about each of Setex’s different types of Grips and Pads, which include Setex’s Thumbstick Grips, Setex’s Controller Grips, Setex’s Earbud Grips, and Setex’s Eyeglass Nose Pads, for which the company was kind enough to send us a sample of each product for us to review.
So, without any further ado, let’s have a quick review of each product and see what each of these gripping solutions have to offer you.
Setex Thumbstick Grips – Universal Thumbgrips for PS4, PS5, Xbox and Switch Pro
Firstly, for gamers who own more than one type of gaming console, we have the Setex Thumbstick Grips, which are universal gaming thumbgrips for console controlers that can be used to add some extra height and increased radius for an improved accuracy to your thumbs’ positioning.
DESIGN & SPECS
These universal gaming thumbgrips feature a unique Soft-Sleeve Design that increases a user’s comfort while also helping the thumbgrips themselves to conform to the shape of your controller’s stock-thumbstick.
They’re fully-compatible with the latest generations of console controllers, including PS4, PS5, Xbox and Switch Pro controllers.
These universal gaming thumbgrips utilize Setex’s patented gecko-inspired anti-slip technology at their top-side surface, which makes them capable of offering approximately 356% more grip on sweaty thumbs than other competing brands, ultimately providing users with an ultra-strong grip, even on the sweatiest hands.
The Setex Thumbstick Grips are currently available in Low-Rise, Mid-Rise, and also High-Rise size models, which respectively add a 2mm height-increase for a slightly higher but still near-flat height thumb positioning, an added height of 6mm for a medium-height thumb positioning, or ultimately, an added height of 11mm for the highest possible thumb positioning while gaming.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
The Setex Thumbstick Grips come in sets of two (x2) thumbstick grips per pack, with each pack costing only $12.99. You can get them either in a pack of 2-Low Rise, a pack with 1-High-Rise and 1 Low-Rise, or a pack of 2-Mid Rise thumbgrips.
They’re available in four (x4) different color models: Black, Red, Blue, and Red & Black.
You can order yours online right now, directly from Setex’s corresponding shopping page.
Setex Game Controller Grips – Anti-Slip Controller Handle Grips
Alternatively, you can also browse Setex’s Game Controller Grips, which are non-slip handle gaming grips available in different custom designs for each specific gaming console’s controller that are meant to be applied and cover the handles of your controller, ultimately providing users that are accustomed to playing on one single console with the perfect fit and grip for their controller’s handles.
DESIGN & SPECS
These non-slip gaming controller handles are available in different custom designs for each specific gaming console’s controller so that they can fit those controller models perfectly, including either the PS4, the PS5, the Xbox, the Switch Pro, or the Nintendo Switch Joy Con.
They also utilize Setex’s patented gecko-inspired anti-slip technology at their top-side surface, which makes them capable of offering approximately 356% more grip on sweaty palms / hands than other competing brands, thus providing users with that same ultra-strong grip, just like Setex’s universal Thumbstick Grips, but at a full hand-palm level, of course.
All of Setex’s Game Controller Grips are designed to have a thickness of exactly 1mm, which makes your console’s controller just slightly thicker, while still giving you an amazing and truly unmatched grip thanks to their gecko-like grip-pad surfaces.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
The Setex Game Controller Grips also come in sets of two (x2) handle pads per pack (2-piece kit), with each pack ranging between $14.99 to $17.99, depending what type of console you need them for.
You’ll find that different console models are available either in one (x1) or a maximum of three (x3) different color models: Black, Red, and Blue.
You can get yours online right now from Setex’s corresponding shopping page.
Setex Earbud Grips
Coming in third, we have Setex’s Earbuds Grips, which are anti-slip earbuds pads for just about any pair of earbuds that provide a natural and unprecedented grip for your current earbuds, even if you happen to wear them while having a sweaty skin (such as during workouts, for example).
DESIGN & SPECS
These anti-slip earbuds pads are available for both wired and wireless versions of the AirPods (including the AirPods, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro or AirPods Pro Gen 2), as well as for other brands of wireless earbuds.
The anti-slip appliable earbuds gripping pads from Setex’s Earbuds Grips also utilize Setex’s patented gecko-inspired anti-slip technology, which ultimately ensures that your earbuds never fall out of your ears (unlike what usually happens with most brands of earbud sleeves or hooks made of silicone or latex, which solely rely on that typical rubbery surface to reduce slippage, so they tend to not work at all whenever they’re wet, as they get quite slippery).
You only require to use 3 pads per each of your earbud for maximum grip,
The Setex Earbuds Grips are designed with a thickness of exactly 0.4mm, which not only ensures that they can fit comfortably within your ears, but ultimately also allows you to easily keep your earbuds firmly in your ears at all times.
Best of all, their sleek design and reduced thickness also makes it possible for your earbuds to still fit perfectly and smoothly inside their dedicated charging case, no matter what brand or model your earbuds might be.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
The Setex Earbuds Grips come in packs with a set of twelve (x12) anti-slip appliable earbuds gripping pads, and each pack costs just $9.99, no matter what model of earbuds you need them for.
These are available solely in Black for the wireless AirPods models and other brands of wireless earbuds, but are available in three (x3) different color models (Black, Red, and Blue) for the wired Apple EarPods.
You can order yours online from Setex’s corresponding shopping page.
Setex Eyeglass Nose Pads
Last but not least, there’s also Setex’s Eyeglass Nose Pads, which consist of a set of premium anti-slip high-grip eyeglasses nose pads that can offer a super-comfortable and strong grip for your glasses nose pads / pad-arms, even on wet, sweaty, or oily skin. Whether you’re enjoying a book, taking a stroll in the park, or even if you’re working out, Setex Eyeglass Nose Pads are guaranteed to keep your eyeglasses seamlessly in place.
DESIGN & SPECS
These premium anti-slip high-grip eyeglasses nose pads are available in two (x2) different sizing options, which are Kids-Size (6mm by 10.88mm) and Adults-Size (7mm by 16 mm), for which they’re then available in three (x3) different thickness-ranges, from which customers can choose between Ultra-thin (0.6mm thickness), Standard (1mm thickness ), or Thick (1.8mm thickness).
Just like all of Setex’s other anti-slip high-gripping products, the Setex Eyeglass Nose Pads also utilize the company’s patented and proprietary gecko-inspired anti-slip technology, which is what ultimately allows for these anti-slip high-grip eyeglasses nose pads to deliver that comfortable and strong grip for any sort of eyeglasses, no matter a user’s skin-type.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
The Setex Eyeglass Nose Pads are available either in packs of 5 pairs (10 pads) or packs of 15 pairs (30 pads), which respectively cost just $9.99, or alternatively, $22.99.
You can also order yours online directly from Setex’s corresponding shopping page.
Happy Holidays and Here’s to a Greater 2023
by Uri Marcovitz
As we head toward the holidays and close out another calendar year, it’s always good to reflect on the year’s successes and even perhaps what didn’t go so well so we can improve next year. Our reflections should always include how we treat the people with whom we work and the relationships we have built with businesses across the globe
The most valuable asset any business has is people, and the strength of relationships with fellow employees can make or break a successful year. Our business relationships extend beyond our own companies’ walls out to our customers and vendors. These relationships, like those with our own people, are valuable business assets as well.
During this “season of goodwill,” consider the fact that leveraging our relationships and working collaboratively is how our best work gets accomplished. Within the context of the organization, nobody can be successful by going it alone. Knute Rockne said “The secret of winning is working more as a team, less as individuals”.
Teamwork and collaboration define Setex Technologies business philosophy. Winning performances, whether in sports or business, depend on how well a team works together and recognizes the contributions of each player!
As you identify the important people in your business and who your business works with; make a plan for recognizing the value of your relationship with them, not only during the holiday season but throughout the whole year. If it’s too late to plan and order holiday gifts this year, mark your 2023 calendar now to give yourself plenty of lead time to plan ahead for next December.
Put some strategy behind your gift giving and holiday party planning, and by all means, be inclusive. Be aware of people from diverse backgrounds who may celebrate different holidays or have unique celebration customs. Be warm and welcoming to those from less familiar backgrounds and cultures.
December happens to be a month that is rich in holiday traditions across just about every continent and region throughout the world. This fact makes the end of the calendar year the ideal time for celebrating diverse ideas about peace, harmony, goodwill, charity and love.
Whatever the cultural make up of your office, whatever the cultural makeup of your clients, it is a delight when people express their own unique ideas of the holidays. Whether it’s Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or a New Year’s celebration, we can all come together during the Holiday Season to appreciate one another.
Let’s all appreciate the unique holiday greetings offered to us by our workmates and clients and give sincere and heartfelt greetings in return.
We are grateful during this Holiday Season to our employees, clients, and vendors and look forward to sharing an amazing 2023!
Using Artificial Intelligence to Find the Perfect Eyeglasses
Artificial intelligence has made positive impacts in our lives by improving the quality of our experiences through digital assistants, predictive web searches, giving us driving directions, and more. Recent advancements show that artificial intelligence will continue to expand into business models for brands.
Tech giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple incorporate AI into various services: Amazon and Apple have created assistive technology that is responsive to human interaction with Alexa and Siri and Google and Facebook use image recognition, the ability of a computer system to identify people, places, actions, and objects. These practices have paved the way to set the standards for how artificial intelligence applications can expand business opportunities and boost customer satisfaction.
In the realm of healthcare, AI is improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing false positives. Doctors and other healthcare professionals trust AI applications to complete more serious tasks like scanning x-ray images for diseases and screening patients’ voices for early signs of Parkinson’s disease. AI has been able to advance things in medicine. In optometry, AI medical imaging is used to detect diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and more. According to the National Library of Medicine, the accuracy of detection for these diseases ranges from 75% to 91.7% because of the sensitivity of AI applications.
The eyewear industry has embraced AI for digital eyeglasses and sunglass fittings. Using facial mapping software, or facial recognition, to record a 180-degree face view and overlay 3D frames. The technology places the model of glasses on the user’s face and even allows users to adjust the positioning of the glasses. Ray-Ban, Zenni Optical, Zeelol, and other brands are using this technology to address and expand the customer service needs and experience for online stores.
Virtual try-on is a tool that many eyeglass brands are using. This feature reduces the chance of customers making returns. Ray-Ban’s Frame Advisor Technology finds the best style of glasses for customers based on their face size and shape. The technology uses face scanning technology that analyzes facial features and suggests glasses that are most suitable. The tool also allows customers to upload a photo of themselves to find the best-fitting glasses. Ray-Ban also offers a virtual try-on to see how the glasses fit.
Zenni Optical has a 3D virtual try-on tool with very simple steps. Take a 5-second, 180-degree video of your face and hold a credit card up to your forehead to ensure the size accuracy of the glasses. The tool also analyzes facial features to make recommendations for glasses that are uniquely designed for particular face shapes. In comparison, Zeelool is unique in its approach to virtual try-ons, using an AR (augmented reality) try-on tool that enables realistic frame visualization.
AI is opening the door to a myriad of opportunities in business to offer both B2B and B2C customers an enhanced, often automated experience which leverages the power of machine learning and the advanced processing capabilities of computers to deliver personalized solutions faster, cheaper and more accurately than human intelligence can.
Pittsburgh Knights announces Controller Thumbstick Grip Partnership with Setex
North American esports organisation Pittsburgh Knights has announced a partnership with adhesive product company Setex Technologies.
The deal will see the two Pittsburgh-based firms collaborate to promote a range of controller thumbstick grips.
James O’Connor, President of Pittsburgh Knights, spoke on the deal: “The Knights love to unite and celebrate all of the best that Pittsburgh has to offer from sports, entertainment, and technology. “Setex is a company that speaks to all of these things – their products are for casual and pro gamers alike and we’re proud to partner with another innovative team in Pittsburgh.”
Partnering with the organization marks Setex Technologies’ first foray into the esports industry. In recent months, the company has launched thumbstick grips and grips for games consoles alongside its existing range of adhesive products.
IIn addition to collaborating with Pittsburgh Knights, the partnership aims to ‘raise awareness of innovative gaming grips’ in the North American market. To do so, some of the organization’s content creators will endorse the products on social media channels and live streams.
Setex Technologies becomes the ninth partner of the organization. It joins the likes of lighter manufacturer Zippo and digital gaming shop Boost Gaming on its roster. The deal is the organization’s second partnership of 2022 following a deal with blockchain company Theta Labs, where Pittsburgh Knights launched an NFT collection.
Alongside securing partnerships, February 2022 saw Pittsburgh Knights announce plans to host over 200 esports tournaments across a number of titles this year. Produced by the organizations’ events arm, Knights Arena, tournaments in VALORANT, Rocket League and Apex Legends took place, with varying prize pools
Moreover, Knights Arena recently partnered with Riot Games for North America’s VALORANT Champions Tour Challengers and Game Changers leagues in 2023.
About Setex Technologies, Inc.
Setex Technologies, Inc. is a privately held developer and manufacturer of gecko-inspired gripping and dry adhesive technology used in applications ranging from eyeglass nose pads to semiconductor and glass handling to automotive upholstery fastening. The company was spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2009. It occupies over 12,000 square feet of space in Pittsburgh, PA and makes all of its products in Western Pennsylvania. For more information about Setex and Setex nose pad products visit http://www.setextechnologies.com. For wholesale information, visit http://www.setexwholesale.com. For consumer product information and purchasing, visit http://www.setexgrip.com.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
The Knights are a pro esports team and gaming lifestyle brand based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, developing innovative products to inspire competition and create community. Founded in 2017, alongside partners like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wiz Khalifa, and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin, the Knights are forging a new path in disrupting the current esports industry landscape. By championing their values of ambition, integrity, resiliency, and responsibility to the team and the community, the Knights strive to thrive as a recognized category leader. Learn more at knights.gg
My Trip to California and What I Learned from It
One thing that took me a while to fully understand is that as an engineer, you will always be learning. If it was somewhere in the fine print on my degree I must have missed it. I know this is true for all professions, and life in general.
Continue readingSetex Technologies Partners with eSports Team Pittsburgh Knights
Setex Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of gecko-inspired gripping and adhesive products, has signed a partnership with one of the most competitive eSports teams, the Pittsburgh Knights, to bring controller Thumbstick Grips to gamers across America and the world.
““The Knights love to unite and celebrate all of the best that Pittsburgh has to offer from sports, entertainment, and technology,” said Knights president James O’Connor. “Setex is a company that speaks to all of these things - their products are for casual and pro gamers alike and we’re proud to partner with another innovative team in Pittsburgh.”
Under the Setex brand since 2020, the company has successfully gained a leading market share on Amazon with its anti-slip eyewear nose pads. In 2021, Setex launched grips for gaming consoles and Thumbstick Grips, which have been getting outstanding traction in Amazon and on its own website at www.setexgrip.com.
Partnering with the Knights is a natural step forward for Setex as it seeks to raise brand awareness among gamers and the Knights are one of the most credible and reputable teams in eSports. The fact that both are Pittsburgh-based, technology-driven companies, further strengthens the narrative of the partnership.
Over 240 million Americans play video games. Gaming consoles come with all the necessary hardware, but they don’t include gripping accessories. As the game intensifies, gamers get sweaty and their controllers and thumbsticks tend to slip, decreasing gamer control of their devices. Setex Thumbstick Grips add comfort, increased height for a higher radius and accuracy, and, thanks to their patented gecko-inspired materials, unprecedented grip for users.
“The nature of gaming controllers made it a natural fit for our technology,” commented Nicholas Kuhn, CEO of Setex Technologies. “Our products can tangibly affect the performance of casual gamers, as well as athletes. And the size of the market makes for a very attractive, scalable business.”
Setex Technologies is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Carnegie Mellon University spin-off that developed patented technology that mimics the microfibrillar “hairs” on geckos’ toes, which help them stick to surfaces and defy gravity. In testing, Setex’s technology grips 356% better than any competing products, which allows players to up their game. The product is available for all the most popular controllers, including Xbox, PS4, PS5, and Switch Pro and it comes in various color combinations and three heights: two Low-Rise, two Mid-Rise, and a combination of one Low-Rise and one High-Rise. Unlike all competitors in this space, all of Setex’ products are made in the USA, powered by a rapidly-growing in-house manufacturing operation.
Paul Glass, CTO and Director of Consumer Products for Setex Technologies pointed out, “we are very excited about the early traction we’ve been gaining within the gaming community through working with influencers. Our partnership with the Knights will take our gamer outreach to the next level,by connecting with Knights fans and followers across the country and beyond.” Selected Knights athletes will be using and endorsing the product in both their social media feeds and Twitch streams. Setex is celebrating the partnership with the upcoming launch of their black and gold Thumbstick Grips, the official colors of the city of Pittsburgh and its professional sports teams, including the Knights.
About Setex Technologies, Inc.
Setex Technologies, Inc. is a privately held developer and manufacturer of gecko-inspired gripping and dry adhesive technology used in applications ranging from eyeglass nose pads to semiconductor and glass handling to automotive upholstery fastening. The company was spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2009. It occupies over 12,000 square feet of space in Pittsburgh, PA and makes all of its products in Western Pennsylvania. For more information about Setex and Setex nose pad products visit http://www.setextechnologies.com. For wholesale information, visit http://www.setexwholesale.com. For consumer product information and purchasing, visit http://www.setexgrip.com.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
The Knights are a pro esports team and gaming lifestyle brand based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, developing innovative products to inspire competition and create community. Founded in 2017, alongside partners like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wiz Khalifa, and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin, the Knights are forging a new path in disrupting the current esports industry landscape. By championing their values of ambition, integrity, resiliency, and responsibility to the team and the community, the Knights strive to thrive as a recognized category leader. Learn more at knights.gg
