Driven to Innovate - The Lonely Pursuit of Innovation - Podcast with Steven Kersen and Ethan Vickery

In the January 9, 2026 episode of VM Products’ podcast, host Ethan Vickery sits down with Steven Kersen, president of NVision, to explore what it really takes to invent a better mousetrap—specifically, a better rat snap trap. What began as a chance lunch conversation in Southlake, Texas evolved into a collaborative engineering effort between VM, a leader in pest management innovation, and NVision, a pioneer in high-precision 3D laser scanning, reverse engineering, and CAD modeling. The discussion centers on how precise digital measurement and data-driven design can deliver significant product improvements in even the most time-tested devices.

Kersen traces NVision’s evolution from its work on Hollywood films into a go-to partner for companies that need exact digital representations of physical parts. Using advanced laser scanning, industrial CT/X-ray, and other systems, NVision captures the details of components down to hair-thin tolerances and converts them into detailed 3D CAD models. This capability allows engineers to virtually examine assemblies, analyze every component, and identify where performance or manufacturing can be improved. NVision applies these same tools across industries—from aerospace and defense to consumer products, and more—helping manufacturers verify accuracy, improve tooling, and update legacy designs.

That expertise proved critical when VM set out to improve a snap trap design that had remained largely unchanged for more than a century. Working closely with VM’s engineering team, NVision reverse engineered a wide range of traps, precisely measured springs, triggers, and impact forces, and helped build custom testing tools to quantify performance. The result was the Viper Rat Snap Trap, a redesigned solution that delivers improved strength, reliability, and integration with VM’s bait stations. As the podcast makes clear, inventing a better mousetrap isn’t about starting from scratch—it’s about applying advanced digital measurement, precision modeling, and collaboration to refine what already works.