Today we’d like to introduce you to David Tromble.
Hi David, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
ViBAN started with a critical discovery—one that identified a major scientific omission. The discovery was that, for most people, carsickness is caused by the motion outside a moving vehicle, not by the inner ear as much of the scientific literature suggests.It happened one day while my ex-wife and I were driving down I-10 toward Destin. I asked her to check the map for the next exit. She refused. Thinking she was kidding, I asked again. Her reply: “If I read that map, I’ll be sick for the next three days and it will wreck our trip.”Stunned, I began to wonder: Why would she get sick just looking at a map? She was sitting still, like she would be in a La-Z-Boy at home. It eventually hit me—the motion flashing by outside the vehicle had to be the culprit.On the way back home a few days later, I asked her to read a textbook while covering her eyes with both hands so she couldn’t see any outside motion. She refused at first, saying there was no way it would work. Eventually I convinced her to try. She was able to read comfortably without getting sick.I now tell people this is a great way to test the concept for themselves—then order a ViBAN so they don’t have to hold their hands over their eyes for hours at a time. This discovery led me to develop prototypes, which my ex-wife and others tested successfully. From there, I pursued a patent, refined the engineering, and moved into commercial production. The initial product was made in Canada, but I later moved manufacturing to Jacksonville, Florida. ViBAN is now proudly Made in the USA. Not only do commuters use ViBAN for travel, but pilots use it for cockpit training, where it is the premium product worldwide in what is known as IFR Training. Pilots use ViBAN to mimic poor weather conditions so they can learn to fly by instruments alone. The majority of small plane crashes are due to pilots lacking this training. Like JFK Jr. with his wife and her sister who crashed into the ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, MA in 1999.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building something that hasn’t been built before presents with its challenges. Engineering ViBAN eyewear was quite difficult for engineers because of the exacting demands I needed to make it a product people would want to wear. It had to look good and I wanted it to only weigh one ounce, so people would barely feel it on their face while wearing it. Eventually, the product was correctly engineered so that I created a steel mold for manufacturing. From discovery to commercial availability was approximately three years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well I’m the guy who discovered and patented that it’s motion outside the moving vehicle that makes people feel sick during travel time, especially while reading, texting, etc. I am proud to have made the discovery and following it through to production. I am one the world’s experts on motion sickness with knowledge many do not possess, which includes all the cadre at our national institutions like MIT, the University of Minnesota, NIH, and others. The government stopped funding for motion sickness 30 years ago and so I had to go it alone to make the only product that works for travelers. I also worked in Bio-pharma for 25 years. This familiarity with medicine helped me develop ViBAN.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Loving your life that you have. Not with what you think you should have but with your current situation. Shoot for the stars, sure, but be grounded and thankful. Be an inspiration to others, seeking to lift others whenever possible. Live our lives, this is our time.
Pricing:
- 39.95
Contact Info:
- Website: https://viban.com/
