**Singapore, April 23 2025** – XPANCEO, a deep-tech company pioneering the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, is unveiling two of its most advanced prototypes in their Asian debut at GITEX Asia, one of the region’s largest innovation showcases. These prototypes represent critical milestones in XPANCEO’s mission to merge next-generation materials science with human-centric design, paving the way for a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by the end of 2026.

The first prototype introduces a breakthrough in **wireless power transfer**, delivering twice the range of existing solutions of similar size while maintaining a flexible, lightweight, and safe form factor. Calculated radiation levels are comparable to everyday consumer wearables, such as headphones. The extended range enables the contact lens to be charged via a compact, portable companion device—a key step toward making smart lenses truly practical for everyday use.

The second prototype represents a major leap forward in augmented reality integration, featuring a **built-in microdisplay** and microprojection system. Unlike previous XPANCEO prototypes that required external image sources, this innovation projects visuals directly from the contact lens into the user’s retina, allowing the eye to naturally focus on ultra-close imagery with **a 52-degree field of view**. Exhibition visitors will be able to experience this AR output firsthand in immersive, real-world demos ranging from interactive gaming to retail scenarios.

The debut of these prototypes in Asia underscores XPANCEO’s commitment to translating visionary science into practical, wearable solutions that will reshape how people connect with technology.

Behind these innovations is XPANCEO’s team of product-driven executive leaders and world-class R&D in atom-thin 2D materials, nanophotonics, and nanooptics. XPANCEO was founded in 2021 by Roman Axelrod, an experienced entrepreneur with three successful exits, and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, a scientist with an h-index of 43 and over 9500 citations in leading international publications. Additionally, 50 percent of the company's scientific team holds a PhD degree. XPANCEO has established collaborations with distinguished scientists from renowned universities across the globe, including the National University of Singapore.

Singapore, April 23 2025 – XPANCEO, a deep-tech company pioneering the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, is unveiling two of its most advanced prototypes in their Asian debut at GITEX Asia, one of the region’s largest innovation showcases. These prototypes represent critical milestones in XPANCEO’s mission to merge next-generation materials science with human-centric design, paving the way for a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by the end of 2026.
The first prototype introduces a breakthrough in wireless power transfer, delivering twice the range of existing solutions of similar size while maintaining a flexible, lightweight, and safe form factor. Calculated radiation levels are comparable to everyday consumer wearables, such as headphones. The extended range enables the contact lens to be charged via a compact, portable companion device—a key step toward making smart lenses truly practical for everyday use.
The second prototype represents a major leap forward in augmented reality integration, featuring a built-in microdisplay and microprojection system. Unlike previous XPANCEO prototypes that required external image sources, this innovation projects visuals directly from the contact lens into the user’s retina, allowing the eye to naturally focus on ultra-close imagery with a 52-degree field of view. Exhibition visitors will be able to experience this AR output firsthand in immersive, real-world demos ranging from interactive gaming to retail scenarios.
The debut of these prototypes in Asia underscores XPANCEO’s commitment to translating visionary science into practical, wearable solutions that will reshape how people connect with technology.
Behind these innovations is XPANCEO’s team of product-driven executive leaders and world-class R&amp;D in atom-thin 2D materials, nanophotonics, and nanooptics. XPANCEO was founded in 2021 by Roman Axelrod, an experienced entrepreneur with three successful exits, and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, a scientist with an h-index of 43 and over 9500 citations in leading international publications. Additionally, 50 percent of the company's scientific team holds a PhD degree. XPANCEO has established collaborations with distinguished scientists from renowned universities across the globe, including the National University of Singapore.

Two XPANCEO’s Smart Contact Lens Prototypes Make Asia Debut at GITEX Singapore

**Independent outlets with millions of readers worldwide named the company's developments among the best at the exhibition, placing them alongside products from global technology giants such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Honor.**

XPANCEO’s innovative smart contact lenses were recognized as one of the most promising and visually striking devices at MWC 2025. Journalists and experts praised them for their technological breakthrough, original concept, and potential to shape the future of the industry. 

![photo_2025-03-11 13.10.48.jpeg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2025_03_11_13_10_48_c08055a9b1.jpeg)

- [TechRadar Best of MWC](https://www.techradar.com/tech/best-of-mwc-2025) — an annual award from one of the world’s largest online tech publications with an audience of around 34 million readers. This year, TechRadar listed XPANCEO as one of the top 10 products at MWC, alongside Samsung and Xiaomi. 
- [SlashGear Best of MWC Awards](https://www.slashgear.com/1804245/best-mwc-awards-tech-watch/) — a recognition from a trusted source that has been analyzing the gadget and tech market for 20 years. Only eight of the exhibition’s most innovative new releases made the list. 
- [Yanko Design Best of MWC](https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/03/05/yanko-design-best-of-mwc-2025-envisioning-the-future-of-communication-and-creativity/) — an award from a leading product design publication that celebrates devices blending technology with outstanding visual concepts. 
- [The Shortcut Editor’s Choice Award Best of MWC](https://www.theshortcut.com/p/mwc-2025-awards) — presented by a team led by the former editor-in-chief of TechRadar USA. The top 25 featured the most futuristic innovations in AI and mobile technology. 
- [91Mobiles Best of MWC](https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/91mobiles-top-pick-for-mobile-world-congress-mwc-2025/) — an award from India’s largest gadget portal, ranked among the top 200 websites in the country with over 20 million monthly users. 
- [House of Tech Awards Best of MWC](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/15-best-products-mwc-2025-hotdottech-fmtye/) — XPANCEO was among the top 3 Concepts of the Future , along with Lenovo and Xiaomi. 
- [Gadgeteer’s Choice of Best Products MWC](https://the-gadgeteer.com/2025/03/08/mobile-world-congress-2025-the-gadgeteers-choice-of-best-products/) — a recognition from a resource trusted by Microsoft, The Wall Street Journal, and other industry leaders for honest and insightful reviews. 
- [GearBrain’s Best of MWC Editor’s Choice Award](https://www.gearbrain.com/best-mwc-2025-awards-tech-2671283526.html) — awarded for innovation, thoughtful design, and enhanced user experience. 

**Thank you to everyone who recognized our work — we’re already looking forward to next year‘s event and aiming to surprise you even more.**


Independent outlets with millions of readers worldwide named the company's developments among the best at the exhibition, placing them alongside products from global technology giants such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Honor.
XPANCEO’s innovative smart contact lenses were recognized as one of the most promising and visually striking devices at MWC 2025. Journalists and experts praised them for their technological breakthrough, original concept, and potential to shape the future of the industry.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2025_03_11_13_10_48_c08055a9b1.jpeg" alt="photo_2025-03-11 13.10.48.jpeg">
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tech/best-of-mwc-2025">TechRadar Best of MWC</a> — an annual award from one of the world’s largest online tech publications with an audience of around 34 million readers. This year, TechRadar listed XPANCEO as one of the top 10 products at MWC, alongside Samsung and Xiaomi.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.slashgear.com/1804245/best-mwc-awards-tech-watch/">SlashGear Best of MWC Awards</a> — a recognition from a trusted source that has been analyzing the gadget and tech market for 20 years. Only eight of the exhibition’s most innovative new releases made the list.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/03/05/yanko-design-best-of-mwc-2025-envisioning-the-future-of-communication-and-creativity/">Yanko Design Best of MWC</a> — an award from a leading product design publication that celebrates devices blending technology with outstanding visual concepts.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theshortcut.com/p/mwc-2025-awards">The Shortcut Editor’s Choice Award Best of MWC</a> — presented by a team led by the former editor-in-chief of TechRadar USA. The top 25 featured the most futuristic innovations in AI and mobile technology.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/91mobiles-top-pick-for-mobile-world-congress-mwc-2025/">91Mobiles Best of MWC</a> — an award from India’s largest gadget portal, ranked among the top 200 websites in the country with over 20 million monthly users.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/15-best-products-mwc-2025-hotdottech-fmtye/">House of Tech Awards Best of MWC</a> — XPANCEO was among the top 3 Concepts of the Future , along with Lenovo and Xiaomi.</li>
<li><a href="https://the-gadgeteer.com/2025/03/08/mobile-world-congress-2025-the-gadgeteers-choice-of-best-products/">Gadgeteer’s Choice of Best Products MWC</a> — a recognition from a resource trusted by Microsoft, The Wall Street Journal, and other industry leaders for honest and insightful reviews.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gearbrain.com/best-mwc-2025-awards-tech-2671283526.html">GearBrain’s Best of MWC Editor’s Choice Award</a> — awarded for innovation, thoughtful design, and enhanced user experience.</li>
</ul>
Thank you to everyone who recognized our work — we’re already looking forward to next year‘s event and aiming to surprise you even more.

XPANCEO received eight prestigious awards from major international tech media outlets at MWC 2025

WIRED journalists attended MWC 2025 and compiled a list of the coolest, quirkiest, and most interesting products there. 

The journalists tested the prototypes of XPANCEO’s Smart Contact Lenses and called them _“the stuff of sci-fi dreams—but this kind of miniature technology is incredibly difficult to engineer”_. 

View the full list on [WIRED](https://www.wired.com/story/weird-and-wacky-gadgets-at-mwc-2025/). 

WIRED journalists attended MWC 2025 and compiled a list of the coolest, quirkiest, and most interesting products there.
The journalists tested the prototypes of XPANCEO’s Smart Contact Lenses and called them “the stuff of sci-fi dreams—but this kind of miniature technology is incredibly difficult to engineer”.
View the full list on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/weird-and-wacky-gadgets-at-mwc-2025/">WIRED</a>.

The Weird and Wacky Gadgets We Saw at MWC 2025

At MWC 2025, TechRadar journalists got acquainted with three prototypes of XPANCEO’s smart contact lenses. 

The verdict was: _“if XPANCEO can crack even one of these technologies for the mass market, it might have a major health breakthrough on its hands”_. 

Read the full article on [TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/these-smart-contact-lens-prototypes-could-convince-future-me-to-ditch-my-glasses-thanks-to-wireless-power-transfer-and-eye-health-biosensing). 

At MWC 2025, TechRadar journalists got acquainted with three prototypes of XPANCEO’s smart contact lenses.
The verdict was: “if XPANCEO can crack even one of these technologies for the mass market, it might have a major health breakthrough on its hands”.
Read the full article on <a href="https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/these-smart-contact-lens-prototypes-could-convince-future-me-to-ditch-my-glasses-thanks-to-wireless-power-transfer-and-eye-health-biosensing">TechRadar</a>.

These smart contact lens prototypes could convince the future me to ditch glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing

**Barcelona, Spain, March 3** — XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing, unveiled three new smart contact lenses prototypes at MWC 2025, including a lens with a wireless powering companion, an IOP sensor, and biochemical sensors. Additionally, the company presented enhanced versions of its AR vision and data-reading prototypes.

![10 (1).jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/10_1_54d17afd29.jpg)

The first prototype showcased by XPANCEO is the **Smart Contact Lens with a Wireless Powering Companion**. Featuring fully remote power transfer, it offers twice the range of the previous industry solutions. The lens remains flexible, lightweight, and, according to calculations, completely safe to wear, with radiation levels comparable to other common wearable devices such as headphones. The enhanced range allows the powering companion to be worn comfortably as a portable accessory, making it the world’s first smart contact lens designed for everyday use. With the extended range, the lens can be charged from a compact companion device, similar to a contact lens case, that can be carried in a purse or pocket.

![Прибор.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Pribor_f5482eb087.png)

The second prototype is the **Biosensing Smart Contact Lens**, designed to measure body parameters directly from tear fluid, eliminating the need for blood draws. The lens features an advanced biosensor that, with the aid of nanoparticles, enhances the signal of elements in the tear fluid. This technology enables high-sensitivity monitoring of key biomarkers such as glucose, various hormones such as cortisol, estradiol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, and D. Through this feature, XPANCEO enhances personal health management and enables the early-stage detection and prevention of illnesses, bolstering longevity.

![9.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/9_3fd5dfcbe9.jpg)

The **Smart Contact Lens with an IOP (Intraocular Pressure) Sensor**—the most advanced non-invasive glaucoma management system—was showcased alongside a custom eye model that accurately replicates the human eye. Using an AI-powered smartphone app, MWC participants could obtain real-time readings by scanning a nearly invisible optical pattern on the lens. This dynamic pattern shifts in response to changes in intraocular pressure, providing instant, highly precise measurements, and aiding in early glaucoma detection. With nearly 50% of glaucoma cases going undiagnosed until significant vision loss occurs, continuous, non-invasive monitoring tools like this could support early detection and better disease management, reducing the risk of irreversible blindness.

![7.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/7_b0dfd9e8d9.jpg)

Among its innovations, XPANCEO also showcased an improved **Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision**. Unlike previous models that relied on external images sources, the new one features an integrated microdisplay, which is capable of displaying images previously only possible through smart glasses or AR/VR headsets. Exhibition visitors could experience the technology firsthand through the lens without the need to wear it.

![8.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/8_04b039fb8a.jpg)

In addition, XPANCEO showcased the **Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading**, equipped with an integrated wireless data transmission antenna and mass-production-ready flexible electronics. This enables real-time data transfer from the contact lens to a companion device. The device serves not only as a charger but also as the main computational hub, allowing users to receive biometric information from embedded sensors directly on their smartphones. MWC visitors had the opportunity to interact with the lenses and test the technology, receiving real-time data directly from the smart contact lens to their phones.

XPANCEO was founded by Roman Axelrod, an experienced entrepreneur with three successful exits, and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, a scientist with an h-index of 43 and over 9000 citations in leading international publications. Additionally, 50 percent of the company's scientific team holds a PhD degree. XPANCEO has established collaborations with distinguished scientists from renowned universities across the globe, such as the Donostia International Physics Center (Spain),  the University of Zaragoza (Spain), University of Oviedo (Spain), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), National University of Singapore (Singapore), University of Manchester (UK), and Aix-Marseille University (France). 

Barcelona, Spain, March 3 — XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing, unveiled three new smart contact lenses prototypes at MWC 2025, including a lens with a wireless powering companion, an IOP sensor, and biochemical sensors. Additionally, the company presented enhanced versions of its AR vision and data-reading prototypes.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/10_1_54d17afd29.jpg" alt="10 (1).jpg">
The first prototype showcased by XPANCEO is the Smart Contact Lens with a Wireless Powering Companion. Featuring fully remote power transfer, it offers twice the range of the previous industry solutions. The lens remains flexible, lightweight, and, according to calculations, completely safe to wear, with radiation levels comparable to other common wearable devices such as headphones. The enhanced range allows the powering companion to be worn comfortably as a portable accessory, making it the world’s first smart contact lens designed for everyday use. With the extended range, the lens can be charged from a compact companion device, similar to a contact lens case, that can be carried in a purse or pocket.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Pribor_f5482eb087.png" alt="Прибор.png">
The second prototype is the Biosensing Smart Contact Lens, designed to measure body parameters directly from tear fluid, eliminating the need for blood draws. The lens features an advanced biosensor that, with the aid of nanoparticles, enhances the signal of elements in the tear fluid. This technology enables high-sensitivity monitoring of key biomarkers such as glucose, various hormones such as cortisol, estradiol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, and D. Through this feature, XPANCEO enhances personal health management and enables the early-stage detection and prevention of illnesses, bolstering longevity.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/9_3fd5dfcbe9.jpg" alt="9.jpg">
The Smart Contact Lens with an IOP (Intraocular Pressure) Sensor—the most advanced non-invasive glaucoma management system—was showcased alongside a custom eye model that accurately replicates the human eye. Using an AI-powered smartphone app, MWC participants could obtain real-time readings by scanning a nearly invisible optical pattern on the lens. This dynamic pattern shifts in response to changes in intraocular pressure, providing instant, highly precise measurements, and aiding in early glaucoma detection. With nearly 50% of glaucoma cases going undiagnosed until significant vision loss occurs, continuous, non-invasive monitoring tools like this could support early detection and better disease management, reducing the risk of irreversible blindness.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/7_b0dfd9e8d9.jpg" alt="7.jpg">
Among its innovations, XPANCEO also showcased an improved Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision. Unlike previous models that relied on external images sources, the new one features an integrated microdisplay, which is capable of displaying images previously only possible through smart glasses or AR/VR headsets. Exhibition visitors could experience the technology firsthand through the lens without the need to wear it.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/8_04b039fb8a.jpg" alt="8.jpg">
In addition, XPANCEO showcased the Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading, equipped with an integrated wireless data transmission antenna and mass-production-ready flexible electronics. This enables real-time data transfer from the contact lens to a companion device. The device serves not only as a charger but also as the main computational hub, allowing users to receive biometric information from embedded sensors directly on their smartphones. MWC visitors had the opportunity to interact with the lenses and test the technology, receiving real-time data directly from the smart contact lens to their phones.
XPANCEO was founded by Roman Axelrod, an experienced entrepreneur with three successful exits, and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, a scientist with an h-index of 43 and over 9000 citations in leading international publications. Additionally, 50 percent of the company's scientific team holds a PhD degree. XPANCEO has established collaborations with distinguished scientists from renowned universities across the globe, such as the Donostia International Physics Center (Spain), the University of Zaragoza (Spain), University of Oviedo (Spain), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), National University of Singapore (Singapore), University of Manchester (UK), and Aix-Marseille University (France).

XPANCEO Unveiled Three New Smart Contact Lens Prototypes at MWC 2025

_XPANCEO and Nobel Laureate Prof. Novoselov redefine 3D materials through 2D technology, advancing from graphene to gold_ 


**January 17, Dubai, UAE** — [XPANCEO](https://xpanceo.com/), a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing through its first smart contact lenses, in collaboration with Nobel laureate [Konstantin S. Novoselov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Novoselov) (National University of Singapore, University of Manchester), has [developed](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c04311?PubType=journals&af=R&targetTab=std&sortBy=Earliest&mi=6gv8cuj&AllField=electrochemical+sensors&target=default) an innovative method for producing biocompatible, transparent, ultrathin gold films with no area restriction. With superior electrical conductivity, these films pave the way for next-generation versatile and transparent electrodes, with promising applications in flexible displays, electronic paper, extended reality devices, electronic tattoo, implantable and wearable electronics. 

Historically, producing transparent continuous and conductive gold films thinner than 10 nm was considered impossible due to metal island formation during deposition. Traditional chemical synthesis methods, such as those behind Goldene, also failed to produce large, continuous gold films, limiting their areas to 0.000001 mm2. In contrast, XPANCEO’s graphene-inspired approach, developed alongside Prof. Novoselov, overcomes these challenges by enabling films as thin as 3.5 nm using a high-vacuum deposition system — a standard resource in research laboratories.  

_“Two-dimensional materials are no longer confined to theoretical research, they are now becoming part of real-world technology. This method allows the scalable production of gold films exceeding 1 m², leveraging roll-to-roll transfer techniques similar to those used in graphene manufacturing, which have been refined over the past 15 years. Compatible with current microelectronics processes, it allows for efficient, cost-effective production. Now, two-dimensional gold technology will be accessible in any research laboratory, unlocking new possibilities in electronics,”_ says Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Laureate for the discovery of graphene’s unique properties. 

Another advantage is that the films can be transferred to virtually any substrate, from biological tissues to microchips. The transfer process, similar to applying a sticker, is efficient and adaptable, enabling placement on sensitive surfaces with high precision. Their atomic-scale thickness, biocompatibility and chemical stability surpass traditional transparent conductors like indium tin oxide, making them suitable for brain and heart implants, neural interfaces, and wearable medical sensors, significantly reducing the risks of scarring and adverse reactions. As a result, they are ideal for use in advanced medical technologies, including neural implants like Neuralink’s brain chips. 

_“This breakthrough has potential applications in flexible optoelectronics, including foldable displays, e-paper, and wearable tech, transforming consumer devices like smartphones, tablets, and TVs, while also paving the way for entirely new categories of technology, such as smart contact lenses. In our lab, we’re already working with transparent gold films just 0.5 nm thick—equivalent to a few atomic layers—which holds promise for both cutting-edge technologies and fundamental physics research, ”_ says [Dr. Valentyn Volkov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentyn-volkov/), co-founder and CTO of XPANCEO, an internationally renowned [expert](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Y9Y4uhIAAAAJ&hl=ru) in the field of nanophotonics and advanced materials. 

![Lens with a single-pixel display 1.JPG](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Lens_with_a_single_pixel_display_1_2ba5b77bc7.JPG)

The exceptional electrical conductivity and transparency of these films are key to advancing smart contact lens technology with XR vision, health monitoring and content-surfing features. The incorporation of these ultrathin films is essential, as they allow the necessary electronic components to be embedded seamlessly into the lens structure, maintaining the thinness of current medical lenses while enhancing both functionality and comfort.

XPANCEO and Nobel Laureate Prof. Novoselov redefine 3D materials through 2D technology, advancing from graphene to gold
January 17, Dubai, UAE — <a href="https://xpanceo.com/">XPANCEO</a>, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing through its first smart contact lenses, in collaboration with Nobel laureate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Novoselov">Konstantin S. Novoselov</a> (National University of Singapore, University of Manchester), has <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c04311?PubType=journals&amp;af=R&amp;targetTab=std&amp;sortBy=Earliest&amp;mi=6gv8cuj&amp;AllField=electrochemical+sensors&amp;target=default">developed</a> an innovative method for producing biocompatible, transparent, ultrathin gold films with no area restriction. With superior electrical conductivity, these films pave the way for next-generation versatile and transparent electrodes, with promising applications in flexible displays, electronic paper, extended reality devices, electronic tattoo, implantable and wearable electronics.
Historically, producing transparent continuous and conductive gold films thinner than 10 nm was considered impossible due to metal island formation during deposition. Traditional chemical synthesis methods, such as those behind Goldene, also failed to produce large, continuous gold films, limiting their areas to 0.000001 mm2. In contrast, XPANCEO’s graphene-inspired approach, developed alongside Prof. Novoselov, overcomes these challenges by enabling films as thin as 3.5 nm using a high-vacuum deposition system — a standard resource in research laboratories.
“Two-dimensional materials are no longer confined to theoretical research, they are now becoming part of real-world technology. This method allows the scalable production of gold films exceeding 1 m², leveraging roll-to-roll transfer techniques similar to those used in graphene manufacturing, which have been refined over the past 15 years. Compatible with current microelectronics processes, it allows for efficient, cost-effective production. Now, two-dimensional gold technology will be accessible in any research laboratory, unlocking new possibilities in electronics,” says Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Laureate for the discovery of graphene’s unique properties.
Another advantage is that the films can be transferred to virtually any substrate, from biological tissues to microchips. The transfer process, similar to applying a sticker, is efficient and adaptable, enabling placement on sensitive surfaces with high precision. Their atomic-scale thickness, biocompatibility and chemical stability surpass traditional transparent conductors like indium tin oxide, making them suitable for brain and heart implants, neural interfaces, and wearable medical sensors, significantly reducing the risks of scarring and adverse reactions. As a result, they are ideal for use in advanced medical technologies, including neural implants like Neuralink’s brain chips.
“This breakthrough has potential applications in flexible optoelectronics, including foldable displays, e-paper, and wearable tech, transforming consumer devices like smartphones, tablets, and TVs, while also paving the way for entirely new categories of technology, such as smart contact lenses. In our lab, we’re already working with transparent gold films just 0.5 nm thick—equivalent to a few atomic layers—which holds promise for both cutting-edge technologies and fundamental physics research, ” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentyn-volkov/">Dr. Valentyn Volkov</a>, co-founder and CTO of XPANCEO, an internationally renowned <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Y9Y4uhIAAAAJ&amp;hl=ru">expert</a> in the field of nanophotonics and advanced materials.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Lens_with_a_single_pixel_display_1_2ba5b77bc7.JPG" alt="Lens with a single-pixel display 1.JPG">
The exceptional electrical conductivity and transparency of these films are key to advancing smart contact lens technology with XR vision, health monitoring and content-surfing features. The incorporation of these ultrathin films is essential, as they allow the necessary electronic components to be embedded seamlessly into the lens structure, maintaining the thinness of current medical lenses while enhancing both functionality and comfort.

Scientists Create the Largest Atomically Thin Gold Films to Make Electronics Weightless and Invisible

Roman Axelrod, founder of XPANCEO, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Entrepreneur Tech Innovation Awards — an award organized by Entrepreneur Middle East, one of the world's most prominent business media.

![IMG_2009.JPG](https://assets.xpanceo.com/IMG_2009_e35a6afa53.JPG)

Roman's inclusion in this prestigious award demonstrates his leadership as an entrepreneur and highlights his innovative vision and ability to inspire others in the business community.

Roman Axelrod, founder of XPANCEO, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Entrepreneur Tech Innovation Awards — an award organized by Entrepreneur Middle East, one of the world's most prominent business media.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/IMG_2009_e35a6afa53.JPG" alt="IMG_2009.JPG">
Roman's inclusion in this prestigious award demonstrates his leadership as an entrepreneur and highlights his innovative vision and ability to inspire others in the business community.

Entrepreneur Tech Innovation Awards named Roman Axelrod the Entrepreneur of the Year 2024

Innovators Under 35 MENA award included the founder of XPANCEO, Roman Axelrod, on the 2024 list. 

![MIT Arabia Majarra.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/MIT_Arabia_Majarra_fe541190bc.png)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, known for its leadership in science and technology, has been publishing this prestigious list for over two decades. 20 innovators were selected to receive the award in recognition of their contributions to innovation. XPANCEO’s founder Roman Axelrod was recognized for his invention of a holographic smart contact lens. 

![Lens for AR vision 1 (1).JPG](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Lens_for_AR_vision_1_1_e06a709b6f.JPG)

Innovators Under 35 MENA award included the founder of XPANCEO, Roman Axelrod, on the 2024 list.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/MIT_Arabia_Majarra_fe541190bc.png" alt="MIT Arabia Majarra.png">
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, known for its leadership in science and technology, has been publishing this prestigious list for over two decades. 20 innovators were selected to receive the award in recognition of their contributions to innovation. XPANCEO’s founder Roman Axelrod was recognized for his invention of a holographic smart contact lens.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Lens_for_AR_vision_1_1_e06a709b6f.JPG" alt="Lens for AR vision 1 (1).JPG">

Roman Axelrod named one of the Innovators Under 35 on the MIT Technology Review Arabia

Valentyn Volkov, co-founder and CTO of XPANCEO, has been recognized as the Technologist of the Year 2024 by Fast Company. Fast Company is considered a leading media outlet in the field of innovation. 

![fast.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/fast_8680384f92.jpg)

The outlet noted that spatial computing could surpass smartphones, but the challenge is to create discreet wearable tech, like smart glasses and contact lenses, despite their advanced components. They highlighted how XPANCEO’s development of an optical biosensor enables these devices to provide a private, enhanced visual experience without compromising on comfort or functionality.

![Lens with IOP sensor 1.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Lens_with_IOP_sensor_1_d9b94b48ca.jpg)

Valentyn Volkov, co-founder and CTO of XPANCEO, has been recognized as the Technologist of the Year 2024 by Fast Company. Fast Company is considered a leading media outlet in the field of innovation.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/fast_8680384f92.jpg" alt="fast.jpg">
The outlet noted that spatial computing could surpass smartphones, but the challenge is to create discreet wearable tech, like smart glasses and contact lenses, despite their advanced components. They highlighted how XPANCEO’s development of an optical biosensor enables these devices to provide a private, enhanced visual experience without compromising on comfort or functionality.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Lens_with_IOP_sensor_1_d9b94b48ca.jpg" alt="Lens with IOP sensor 1.jpg">

Valentyn Volkov named technologist of the year driving useful innovations in 2024

Journalists from The National visited XPANCEO’s lab and saw the company’s prototypes of the innovative smart contact lens. 

“We all know that the next generation of computing is something that will appear around you, it is spatial, operated by your eyes, voice or gestures – and probably, later on, by your mind.” - mentioned Roman Axelrod.

Read the full text on [The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/11/16/dubais-40-million-deep-tech-lab-edges-closer-to-next-generation-contact-lenses/).

Journalists from The National visited XPANCEO’s lab and saw the company’s prototypes of the innovative smart contact lens.
“We all know that the next generation of computing is something that will appear around you, it is spatial, operated by your eyes, voice or gestures – and probably, later on, by your mind.” - mentioned Roman Axelrod.
Read the full text on <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/11/16/dubais-40-million-deep-tech-lab-edges-closer-to-next-generation-contact-lenses/">The National</a>.

Dubai's $40 million deep tech lab edges closer to next-generation contact lenses

The market for image display devices is rapidly evolving, with innovations ranging from advanced screen technologies in smartphones and TVs to more sophisticated solutions like augmented reality (AR) glasses and virtual reality (VR) headsets, such as the Apple Vision Pro. The XR market alone [is projected](https://www.imarcgroup.com/extended-reality-market) to reach an impressive $1,913.7 billion by 2032, with a growth rate of 39.2% from 2024 to 2032. There’s an increasing focus on making these devices more wearable and user-friendly. Achieving this goal, however, presents significant challenges due to the limitations of current technologies.  

Wearable devices, particularly in the AR and VR sectors, often face critical performance issues. For example, AR glasses and VR headsets frequently lack sufficient brightness, have limited battery life, and often end up being bulky due to the need for larger batteries. These issues can lead to overheating and reduced field of view, decreasing the practicality of these devices for long-term use. This is driving the industry to innovate and develop new devices that overcome these challenges. However, this rapid development invites another problem: the lack of comprehensive test solutions to ensure that these new devices meet the required standards for quality, safety, and performance.  

In response to this gap, Konica Minolta and XPANCEO have partnered to meet the growing demand for contemporary test solutions.  

## AR Smart Contact Lenses 

XPANCEO is a deep-tech company pioneering smart contact lenses, a new frontier in wearable technology that it envisions as the next generation of computing. These lenses aim to solve the problems of current wearable technology by integrating various traditional device functions into a single interface that is weightless and as natural to the wearer as their own vision. Beyond applications such as health monitoring and enhanced vision, a key focus for XPANCEO is image projection. The company has already succeeded in developing a smart contact lens with a display that significantly outperforms standard solutions.  

By reducing the resolution in the peripheral vision area—where the eye does not require high resolution—the load on the video controller is minimized, allowing for much smaller packaging. Additionally, the brightness loss from the display to the eye is reduced threefold, and the total power consumption is expected to be only 1-3 µW, which is 100-300 times less than comparable AR glasses.  

However, this technological advancement raises new questions about testing and quality assurance, as there are currently no ready-to-go solutions on the market.  

![jbd4.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd4_1157fac2a8.png)
_Image projected by XPANCEO lens_

## Image Quality Testing 

To help manufacturers like XPANCEO ensure quality of the display, Radiant’s AR/VR Lens paired with a ProMetric® Imaging Photometer or Colorimeter provides unique optics engineered for measuring near eye displays (NEDs), such as those integrated into virtual, mixed, and augmented reality headsets. The innovative new geometry of the lens design simulates the size, position, and binocular field of view of the human eye. Unlike traditional lenses where the aperture is located inside the lens, the aperture of the AR/VR Lens is located on the front of the lens to enable the connected imaging system to replicate the location of the human eye in an AR/VR device headset and capture the entire FOV available to the user. 

Radiant developed an AR/VR Lens to address the unique challenges of qualifying integrated NEDs under the same conditions as they are visualized by human users. The AR/VR Lens is designed to be paired with high-resolution imaging photometers and colorimeters, 16-megapixel and higher resolutions. By capturing displays at this detail, the measurement system can evaluate the entire display FOV at once with the precision to capture any defects that might be noticeable to the human eye.  
![konika 1.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_1_4a9c7685d3.png)
_The Radiant AR/VR Display Test Solution includes (left to right): AR/VR Lens, ProMetric® Imaging Colorimeter or Photometer, and TrueTest™ Software with optional TT-ARVR™ module._  

Radiant’s AR/VR display test solution is specially designed for in-headset display measurement. What separates the AR/VR Lens from other optical components is the lens’s ability to replicate the FOV and entrance pupil of human vision. The AR/VR Lens product specifications include:  

1. Aperture (entrance pupil) located at the front of the lens. 
2. 3.6 mm aperture size. The average pupil will contract to 1.5 mm in diameter in bright light and dilate to 8 mm in diameter in darkness. Radiant uses 3.6 mm for two reasons: 1) it is in the mid-range of pupil dilation; 2) the 3.6 mm aperture allows a high MTF for the lens.  
3. Wide FOV to 120° (±60°) horizontal.  

## Importance of Calibration  

Each Radiant AR/VR camera/lens system is factory calibrated to ensure the most accurate images for absolute light and color analysis. Calibration processes include factory distortion calibration to remove lensing effects of the wide-FOV lens, ensuring accurate spatial analysis of the display by the camera software. When measuring displays using a wide-FOV lens, the image captured by the lens may appear distorted as shown in figure below.  
![konika 2.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_2_d66758e156.png)
![konika 2.1.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_2_1_2803989594.png)

_Top, an image captured by an uncalibrated wide-FOV system; bottom, image captured by a system with distortion calibration applied._ 

Because the AR/VR solution uses a fisheye lens, an uncalibrated image exhibits barrel distortion. Radiant’s camera/lens solution is calibrated to process out distortion effects before applying display tests. This ensures accuracy of spatial measurements to detect defects where they occur on the display.  

## Software Solution 
Radiant TrueTest™ Automated Visual Inspection Software applies analyses to all images captured by Radiant’s AR/VR measurement solution. This platform includes a suite of display tests with standard tests for luminance, chromaticity, contrast, uniformity, and defects like dead pixels and lines. In addition, unique tests for AR/VR projections are available in the pre-configured TT-ARVR™ software module  
![konika 3.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_3_70e55a1d52.jpg)
Some examples of TT-ARVR software analyses are shown in Figures 14-16 below. These analyses are performed on the AR/VR display to test the manufacturing specifications of the AR/VR device. These specifications can also be published for consumer use (for instance, on an AR/VR headset specification sheet) to help them evaluate the device and compare with competitive products.  

Uniformity analysis as shown in figure below determines areas of low or high luminance across the display, which may indicate a defect in the display. This analysis can also be used to characterize the uniformity against design specifications.  
 
![konika 4.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_4_6329d36af3.png)
_Uniformity analysis (shown in false color) characterizes display quality._ 

A checkerboard contrast analysis as shown in figure below is performed by projecting a checkerboard pattern on the display within the AR/VR headset. Once the pattern is imaged by the AR/VR test system, the checkerboard contrast test evaluates luminance levels in the image to determine the display system’s ability to project distinct light and dark values—a performance parameter that can be indicated on a specification sheet.  

![konika 5.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_5_3ea4d1493b.png)
_Checkerboard contrast analysis evaluates the contrast ratio of the display._

## Customized Testing 

Radiant Vision Systems, a Konica Minolta Company that focuses on solutions that can be used across various applications, has partnered with XPANCEO to develop a custom testing system that measures critical parameters for these emerging devices:  

1. **Field of View**: The XR smart contact lens is designed to allow users to see images from any angle, requiring precise measurements to ensure the gradual improvement of this parameter.  

2. **Brightness of Virtual Images**: While traditional light bulbs can be easily quantified, virtual images provide a subjective experience that necessitates an objective testing system. This is particularly important given strict medical guidelines on image brightness to prevent damage to the human eye.  

3. **Contrast**: This measures how clearly an image stands out from the background and is crucial for comfortable and safe viewing. It should remain stable regardless of the brightness of the environment.  

4. **Adaptation to Weather Conditions**: The brightness of virtual images needs to adjust to different weather conditions, similar to how phone screens adapt, without causing excessive brightness that could blind the user if they look directly at the sun.  

5. **The gradient of Intensity Across the Field**: For optical reasons, virtual images have varying brightness, especially at the edges. Accurate measurement of this parameter is essential for correcting the image when it’s recorded for projection.  

6. **Line Sharpness**: This parameter ensures that fine lines and details in the image are clear and easy for the user to see.  
![konika 6.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_6_7e9d5a6de9.png)
_The testing system assembled in XPANCEO lab_ 

These advancements in testing are not only applicable to smart contact lenses but could revolutionize quality assurance in a variety of fields. Though the fully realized smart lens is still in the research and development stage, the technology behind it holds promise for broader applications in the industry, offering a significant opportunity for further development and standardization in wearable tech testing.  

 

The market for image display devices is rapidly evolving, with innovations ranging from advanced screen technologies in smartphones and TVs to more sophisticated solutions like augmented reality (AR) glasses and virtual reality (VR) headsets, such as the Apple Vision Pro. The XR market alone <a href="https://www.imarcgroup.com/extended-reality-market">is projected</a> to reach an impressive $1,913.7 billion by 2032, with a growth rate of 39.2% from 2024 to 2032. There’s an increasing focus on making these devices more wearable and user-friendly. Achieving this goal, however, presents significant challenges due to the limitations of current technologies.
Wearable devices, particularly in the AR and VR sectors, often face critical performance issues. For example, AR glasses and VR headsets frequently lack sufficient brightness, have limited battery life, and often end up being bulky due to the need for larger batteries. These issues can lead to overheating and reduced field of view, decreasing the practicality of these devices for long-term use. This is driving the industry to innovate and develop new devices that overcome these challenges. However, this rapid development invites another problem: the lack of comprehensive test solutions to ensure that these new devices meet the required standards for quality, safety, and performance.
In response to this gap, Konica Minolta and XPANCEO have partnered to meet the growing demand for contemporary test solutions.
<h2>AR Smart Contact Lenses</h2>
XPANCEO is a deep-tech company pioneering smart contact lenses, a new frontier in wearable technology that it envisions as the next generation of computing. These lenses aim to solve the problems of current wearable technology by integrating various traditional device functions into a single interface that is weightless and as natural to the wearer as their own vision. Beyond applications such as health monitoring and enhanced vision, a key focus for XPANCEO is image projection. The company has already succeeded in developing a smart contact lens with a display that significantly outperforms standard solutions.
By reducing the resolution in the peripheral vision area—where the eye does not require high resolution—the load on the video controller is minimized, allowing for much smaller packaging. Additionally, the brightness loss from the display to the eye is reduced threefold, and the total power consumption is expected to be only 1-3 µW, which is 100-300 times less than comparable AR glasses.
However, this technological advancement raises new questions about testing and quality assurance, as there are currently no ready-to-go solutions on the market.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd4_1157fac2a8.png" alt="jbd4.png">
Image projected by XPANCEO lens
<h2>Image Quality Testing</h2>
To help manufacturers like XPANCEO ensure quality of the display, Radiant’s AR/VR Lens paired with a ProMetric® Imaging Photometer or Colorimeter provides unique optics engineered for measuring near eye displays (NEDs), such as those integrated into virtual, mixed, and augmented reality headsets. The innovative new geometry of the lens design simulates the size, position, and binocular field of view of the human eye. Unlike traditional lenses where the aperture is located inside the lens, the aperture of the AR/VR Lens is located on the front of the lens to enable the connected imaging system to replicate the location of the human eye in an AR/VR device headset and capture the entire FOV available to the user.
Radiant developed an AR/VR Lens to address the unique challenges of qualifying integrated NEDs under the same conditions as they are visualized by human users. The AR/VR Lens is designed to be paired with high-resolution imaging photometers and colorimeters, 16-megapixel and higher resolutions. By capturing displays at this detail, the measurement system can evaluate the entire display FOV at once with the precision to capture any defects that might be noticeable to the human eye. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_1_4a9c7685d3.png" alt="konika 1.png">
The Radiant AR/VR Display Test Solution includes (left to right): AR/VR Lens, ProMetric® Imaging Colorimeter or Photometer, and TrueTest™ Software with optional TT-ARVR™ module.
Radiant’s AR/VR display test solution is specially designed for in-headset display measurement. What separates the AR/VR Lens from other optical components is the lens’s ability to replicate the FOV and entrance pupil of human vision. The AR/VR Lens product specifications include:
<ol>
<li>Aperture (entrance pupil) located at the front of the lens.</li>
<li>3.6 mm aperture size. The average pupil will contract to 1.5 mm in diameter in bright light and dilate to 8 mm in diameter in darkness. Radiant uses 3.6 mm for two reasons: 1) it is in the mid-range of pupil dilation; 2) the 3.6 mm aperture allows a high MTF for the lens.</li>
<li>Wide FOV to 120° (±60°) horizontal.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Importance of Calibration</h2>
Each Radiant AR/VR camera/lens system is factory calibrated to ensure the most accurate images for absolute light and color analysis. Calibration processes include factory distortion calibration to remove lensing effects of the wide-FOV lens, ensuring accurate spatial analysis of the display by the camera software. When measuring displays using a wide-FOV lens, the image captured by the lens may appear distorted as shown in figure below. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_2_d66758e156.png" alt="konika 2.png">
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_2_1_2803989594.png" alt="konika 2.1.png">
Top, an image captured by an uncalibrated wide-FOV system; bottom, image captured by a system with distortion calibration applied.
Because the AR/VR solution uses a fisheye lens, an uncalibrated image exhibits barrel distortion. Radiant’s camera/lens solution is calibrated to process out distortion effects before applying display tests. This ensures accuracy of spatial measurements to detect defects where they occur on the display.
<h2>Software Solution</h2>
Radiant TrueTest™ Automated Visual Inspection Software applies analyses to all images captured by Radiant’s AR/VR measurement solution. This platform includes a suite of display tests with standard tests for luminance, chromaticity, contrast, uniformity, and defects like dead pixels and lines. In addition, unique tests for AR/VR projections are available in the pre-configured TT-ARVR™ software module 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_3_70e55a1d52.jpg" alt="konika 3.jpg">
Some examples of TT-ARVR software analyses are shown in Figures 14-16 below. These analyses are performed on the AR/VR display to test the manufacturing specifications of the AR/VR device. These specifications can also be published for consumer use (for instance, on an AR/VR headset specification sheet) to help them evaluate the device and compare with competitive products.
Uniformity analysis as shown in figure below determines areas of low or high luminance across the display, which may indicate a defect in the display. This analysis can also be used to characterize the uniformity against design specifications.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_4_6329d36af3.png" alt="konika 4.png">
Uniformity analysis (shown in false color) characterizes display quality.
A checkerboard contrast analysis as shown in figure below is performed by projecting a checkerboard pattern on the display within the AR/VR headset. Once the pattern is imaged by the AR/VR test system, the checkerboard contrast test evaluates luminance levels in the image to determine the display system’s ability to project distinct light and dark values—a performance parameter that can be indicated on a specification sheet.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_5_3ea4d1493b.png" alt="konika 5.png">
Checkerboard contrast analysis evaluates the contrast ratio of the display.
<h2>Customized Testing</h2>
Radiant Vision Systems, a Konica Minolta Company that focuses on solutions that can be used across various applications, has partnered with XPANCEO to develop a custom testing system that measures critical parameters for these emerging devices:
<ol>
<li>
Field of View: The XR smart contact lens is designed to allow users to see images from any angle, requiring precise measurements to ensure the gradual improvement of this parameter.
</li>
<li>
Brightness of Virtual Images: While traditional light bulbs can be easily quantified, virtual images provide a subjective experience that necessitates an objective testing system. This is particularly important given strict medical guidelines on image brightness to prevent damage to the human eye.
</li>
<li>
Contrast: This measures how clearly an image stands out from the background and is crucial for comfortable and safe viewing. It should remain stable regardless of the brightness of the environment.
</li>
<li>
Adaptation to Weather Conditions: The brightness of virtual images needs to adjust to different weather conditions, similar to how phone screens adapt, without causing excessive brightness that could blind the user if they look directly at the sun.
</li>
<li>
The gradient of Intensity Across the Field: For optical reasons, virtual images have varying brightness, especially at the edges. Accurate measurement of this parameter is essential for correcting the image when it’s recorded for projection.
</li>
<li>
Line Sharpness: This parameter ensures that fine lines and details in the image are clear and easy for the user to see. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/konika_6_7e9d5a6de9.png" alt="konika 6.png">
The testing system assembled in XPANCEO lab
</li>
</ol>
These advancements in testing are not only applicable to smart contact lenses but could revolutionize quality assurance in a variety of fields. Though the fully realized smart lens is still in the research and development stage, the technology behind it holds promise for broader applications in the industry, offering a significant opportunity for further development and standardization in wearable tech testing.

XPANCEO and Konica Minolta Have Created the World's First System for Testing AR Contact Lenses 

XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, has partnered with [Park Systems](https://www.parksystems.com/), a leader in precision surface analysis and optical metrology. Utilizing Park Systems’ cutting-edge equipment, XPANCEO is exploring the potential of 2D materials to overcome key challenges in the development of this revolutionary technology.  
Creating functional smart contact lenses involves addressing a number of complex challenges, including miniaturizing optical components, ensuring transparency while integrating electronics, and optimizing performance on a tiny, curved surface. Traditional approaches have struggled to solve these problems, but novel 2D materials have emerged as a game-changer. 
![1 (3).jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/1_3_bfa10a854b.jpg)
2D materials are incredibly thin, consisting of a single layer of atoms. First discovered by A. Geim and K. Novoselov, whose work won them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, these materials are still relatively new and not fully understood. However, their unique optical properties hold immense promise for advancing optoelectronics. 

2D materials possess several key properties that make them highly valuable for smart contact lenses. Their high refractive indices allow them to control and direct light more efficiently than traditional materials, enabling the miniaturization of optical components. Additionally, their transparency allows the  development of transparent, conductive electronics, which is essential for integrating optoelectronic circuits into smart contact lenses. Finally, their anisotropy provides precise control of the direction of light, making these materials ideal for creating efficient, compact optical systems.  

Moreover, 2D materials enable the creation of specialized nanoparticles that can be embedded into smart contact lenses to manipulate light in novel ways. For instance, nanoparticles could enable night vision, color correction for color blindness, or adaptive zoom capabilities.  

In addition, Park Systems EP4 allows XPANCEO to investigate new fundamental physics, such as the recently discovered optical axis rotation effect in advanced crystal materials, as featured in [Nature Communications](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45266-3). Using Park Systems‘ advanced technology, XPANCEO can measure the optical properties of low-dimensional materials with remarkable precision.  
![ep4_1000x800.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/ep4_1000x800_0f59c0ca36.jpg)
Park Systems’ EP4 combines ellipsometry and microscopy to precisely characterize the thickness and refractive index of micro-structures as small as 1 µm. Unlike conventional ellipsometers, all structures within the field of view are measured simultaneously. The EP4 provides an ellipsometric contrast live view that allows detection of sub-nm features and identification of regions of interest to obtain values and 2D maps of thickness (0.1 nm - 10 µm) and refractive index. Additional accessories are available to extend measurements under controlled conditions or temperature changes. 

This collaboration between XPANCEO and Park Systems has the potential to revolutionize smart contact lens technology by leveraging the unique characteristics of 2D materials to solve long-standing challenges in size, transparency, and control. Together, they are paving the way for breakthroughs in healthcare, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. 
 

XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, has partnered with <a href="https://www.parksystems.com/">Park Systems</a>, a leader in precision surface analysis and optical metrology. Utilizing Park Systems’ cutting-edge equipment, XPANCEO is exploring the potential of 2D materials to overcome key challenges in the development of this revolutionary technology. 
Creating functional smart contact lenses involves addressing a number of complex challenges, including miniaturizing optical components, ensuring transparency while integrating electronics, and optimizing performance on a tiny, curved surface. Traditional approaches have struggled to solve these problems, but novel 2D materials have emerged as a game-changer.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/1_3_bfa10a854b.jpg" alt="1 (3).jpg">
2D materials are incredibly thin, consisting of a single layer of atoms. First discovered by A. Geim and K. Novoselov, whose work won them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, these materials are still relatively new and not fully understood. However, their unique optical properties hold immense promise for advancing optoelectronics.
2D materials possess several key properties that make them highly valuable for smart contact lenses. Their high refractive indices allow them to control and direct light more efficiently than traditional materials, enabling the miniaturization of optical components. Additionally, their transparency allows the development of transparent, conductive electronics, which is essential for integrating optoelectronic circuits into smart contact lenses. Finally, their anisotropy provides precise control of the direction of light, making these materials ideal for creating efficient, compact optical systems.
Moreover, 2D materials enable the creation of specialized nanoparticles that can be embedded into smart contact lenses to manipulate light in novel ways. For instance, nanoparticles could enable night vision, color correction for color blindness, or adaptive zoom capabilities.
In addition, Park Systems EP4 allows XPANCEO to investigate new fundamental physics, such as the recently discovered optical axis rotation effect in advanced crystal materials, as featured in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45266-3">Nature Communications</a>. Using Park Systems‘ advanced technology, XPANCEO can measure the optical properties of low-dimensional materials with remarkable precision. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/ep4_1000x800_0f59c0ca36.jpg" alt="ep4_1000x800.jpg">
Park Systems’ EP4 combines ellipsometry and microscopy to precisely characterize the thickness and refractive index of micro-structures as small as 1 µm. Unlike conventional ellipsometers, all structures within the field of view are measured simultaneously. The EP4 provides an ellipsometric contrast live view that allows detection of sub-nm features and identification of regions of interest to obtain values and 2D maps of thickness (0.1 nm - 10 µm) and refractive index. Additional accessories are available to extend measurements under controlled conditions or temperature changes.
This collaboration between XPANCEO and Park Systems has the potential to revolutionize smart contact lens technology by leveraging the unique characteristics of 2D materials to solve long-standing challenges in size, transparency, and control. Together, they are paving the way for breakthroughs in healthcare, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.

XPANCEO Partners with Park Systems to Advance Smart Contact Lens Technology through 2D Materials Research  

![Untitled.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Untitled_60c1868004_dd9377ec83.jpg)
**XPANCEO Joins LaSAR Alliance For Augmented Reality Wearable Devices**

> We are excited to share that XPANCEO has joined the AR Alliance, a member program of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Industry Standards and Technology Organization. IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

“AR Alliance welcomes XPANCEO to the Alliance and looks forward to the contribution their world-class R&D team can bring to our common goal of advancing the use of laser beam scanning solutions in AR products for broader market adoption,” said Dr. Bharath Rajagopalan, Chair of the LaSAR Alliance and Director, Strategic Marketing at STMicroelectronics.

The [AR Alliance](https://thearalliance.org/) was established to create an ecosystem of like-minded companies and organizations to foster and encourage the development and promotion of technologies, components, devices, techniques and solutions to enable the efficient design and manufacture of augmented reality wearable devices including smart glasses and head-mounted displays. The goal is to provide an environment to facilitate a marketplace for ideas where members can exchange and share information, collaborate and partner to create, build and grow effective and compelling LBS (Laser Beam Scanning) based solutions, share best practices and to help drive the growth of the market for augmented reality wearables in general.

“We are very happy to join this association of the best minds and leaders in the industry with all the knowledge and expertise sharing it enables. Our vision to make AR the foundation of the next primary personal computer form-factor requires some bold thinking and advanced research, and this cannot be done in a vacuum, so we look forward to the exchange of ideas and partnerships with the Alliance members”, said Roman Axelrod, Founder of XPANCEO.

Our product vision is centered around the idea of a smart contact lens that would be fit for wide adoption as the primary personal gadget. XPANCEO is focused on developing technologies and solutions to make this a reality, by doing advanced research in areas like 2D materials, optics, and photonics. Our Co-Founder and Scientific partner is Valentyn Volkov, who had previously been affiliated with the Nobel Prize-winning research team that discovered graphene. We are sure that collaboration with world-leading associations is an important milestone that brings us closer to our final goal.


<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Untitled_60c1868004_dd9377ec83.jpg" alt="Untitled.jpg">
XPANCEO Joins LaSAR Alliance For Augmented Reality Wearable Devices
<blockquote>
We are excited to share that XPANCEO has joined the AR Alliance, a member program of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Industry Standards and Technology Organization. IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
</blockquote>
“AR Alliance welcomes XPANCEO to the Alliance and looks forward to the contribution their world-class R&amp;D team can bring to our common goal of advancing the use of laser beam scanning solutions in AR products for broader market adoption,” said Dr. Bharath Rajagopalan, Chair of the LaSAR Alliance and Director, Strategic Marketing at STMicroelectronics.
The <a href="https://thearalliance.org/">AR Alliance</a> was established to create an ecosystem of like-minded companies and organizations to foster and encourage the development and promotion of technologies, components, devices, techniques and solutions to enable the efficient design and manufacture of augmented reality wearable devices including smart glasses and head-mounted displays. The goal is to provide an environment to facilitate a marketplace for ideas where members can exchange and share information, collaborate and partner to create, build and grow effective and compelling LBS (Laser Beam Scanning) based solutions, share best practices and to help drive the growth of the market for augmented reality wearables in general.
“We are very happy to join this association of the best minds and leaders in the industry with all the knowledge and expertise sharing it enables. Our vision to make AR the foundation of the next primary personal computer form-factor requires some bold thinking and advanced research, and this cannot be done in a vacuum, so we look forward to the exchange of ideas and partnerships with the Alliance members”, said Roman Axelrod, Founder of XPANCEO.
Our product vision is centered around the idea of a smart contact lens that would be fit for wide adoption as the primary personal gadget. XPANCEO is focused on developing technologies and solutions to make this a reality, by doing advanced research in areas like 2D materials, optics, and photonics. Our Co-Founder and Scientific partner is Valentyn Volkov, who had previously been affiliated with the Nobel Prize-winning research team that discovered graphene. We are sure that collaboration with world-leading associations is an important milestone that brings us closer to our final goal.

XPANCEO joins AR alliance

![vision.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/vision_290fcd1b3b_871f010228.jpg)

Throughout their history, personal computing devices have been steadily getting smaller and ‘closer to the body’: from desktops to laptops, to phones. A recent crop of new form factors follows that trend: smartwatches, VR headsets, smart glasses, wireless earbuds with voice assistants – all of them are more portable and/or more personal in the most corporeal way. However, they still fail to offer the universal capabilities of a full personal computer.

The limitations of the existing form factors and their UX are now becoming obvious. They all share one core flaw, each insisting on a very specific use mode and requiring their users to stick to that mode. Despite all the progress in portability and interface design, you still need to adapt to them and use them as dictated by their small screens, buttons, and controls.

There is another major concern here. Electronic equipment is among the world's fastest-growing trash streams, a big source of hidden waste. A staggering 86 kilograms of waste are produced during the manufacture of just one smartphone. Just this single figure demands that we explore alternatives.

Smartphones will soon have run their course, so it's time for us to look at the way we imagine personal tech in sci-fi. Our imaginary advanced gadgets must offer visual output that covers a full field of view; they must always be prepared to instantly perceive and interpret natural human input. AR/XR glasses offer an approximation of this user experience but can at best pass for a crude proof-of-concept made of available ‘ingredients’.

We believe that our company developing the next generation of computing via an invisible and weightless smart contact lens, will reinvent the whole concept of human-technology interaction and redefine the way we experience both real and digital worlds. It will succeed smartphones to become the dominant personal computing device, as long as it:

(a) retains the size and look of the existing contact lenses,

(b) is capable enough to cover not just some but all personal computing tasks,

(c) becomes one infinite screen that brings together all personal gadgets and data.

This may seem far-fetched to many due to the perceptive inertia of the traditional, silicon-based understanding of electronics. But we don’t have to be bound to it.

Recent research into novel 2D materials has opened a whole new world of possibilities for technological processes. Not only can we build waveguides, lenses, filters, modulators, and other optical components that defy conventional wisdom, but we can also design logical circuitry made of layered 2D materials that relies on photonics.

Our in-house team of physicists is led by Valentyn Volkov, one of the world’s top experts in photonics. They work in lockstep with our engineers to bridge cutting-edge science and product development, creating an invisible and weightless smart contact lens that is as natural to the wearer as their own vision. Progress in this area will unlock a whole new industry and bring about new categories of devices to be designed and mass-produced.

The revolutionary products are defined by their ability to deliver the most suitable form factor for an in-demand use case. A smart contact lens, the way we imagine it, sits exactly in this sweet spot. Everything the modern digital technologies have to offer, from enhanced sensing and communication to smart control of the tech around us, to contextually useful information, can be blended and seamlessly brought into a user’s field of view. Merging all your gadgets into one, the lens transforms the everyday into an infinite eXtended Reality experience. This is going to be the next big thing, the next era-defining personal gadget, just like laptops and phones before it.



<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/vision_290fcd1b3b_871f010228.jpg" alt="vision.jpg">
Throughout their history, personal computing devices have been steadily getting smaller and ‘closer to the body’: from desktops to laptops, to phones. A recent crop of new form factors follows that trend: smartwatches, VR headsets, smart glasses, wireless earbuds with voice assistants – all of them are more portable and/or more personal in the most corporeal way. However, they still fail to offer the universal capabilities of a full personal computer.
The limitations of the existing form factors and their UX are now becoming obvious. They all share one core flaw, each insisting on a very specific use mode and requiring their users to stick to that mode. Despite all the progress in portability and interface design, you still need to adapt to them and use them as dictated by their small screens, buttons, and controls.
There is another major concern here. Electronic equipment is among the world's fastest-growing trash streams, a big source of hidden waste. A staggering 86 kilograms of waste are produced during the manufacture of just one smartphone. Just this single figure demands that we explore alternatives.
Smartphones will soon have run their course, so it's time for us to look at the way we imagine personal tech in sci-fi. Our imaginary advanced gadgets must offer visual output that covers a full field of view; they must always be prepared to instantly perceive and interpret natural human input. AR/XR glasses offer an approximation of this user experience but can at best pass for a crude proof-of-concept made of available ‘ingredients’.
We believe that our company developing the next generation of computing via an invisible and weightless smart contact lens, will reinvent the whole concept of human-technology interaction and redefine the way we experience both real and digital worlds. It will succeed smartphones to become the dominant personal computing device, as long as it:
(a) retains the size and look of the existing contact lenses,
(b) is capable enough to cover not just some but all personal computing tasks,
(c) becomes one infinite screen that brings together all personal gadgets and data.
This may seem far-fetched to many due to the perceptive inertia of the traditional, silicon-based understanding of electronics. But we don’t have to be bound to it.
Recent research into novel 2D materials has opened a whole new world of possibilities for technological processes. Not only can we build waveguides, lenses, filters, modulators, and other optical components that defy conventional wisdom, but we can also design logical circuitry made of layered 2D materials that relies on photonics.
Our in-house team of physicists is led by Valentyn Volkov, one of the world’s top experts in photonics. They work in lockstep with our engineers to bridge cutting-edge science and product development, creating an invisible and weightless smart contact lens that is as natural to the wearer as their own vision. Progress in this area will unlock a whole new industry and bring about new categories of devices to be designed and mass-produced.
The revolutionary products are defined by their ability to deliver the most suitable form factor for an in-demand use case. A smart contact lens, the way we imagine it, sits exactly in this sweet spot. Everything the modern digital technologies have to offer, from enhanced sensing and communication to smart control of the tech around us, to contextually useful information, can be blended and seamlessly brought into a user’s field of view. Merging all your gadgets into one, the lens transforms the everyday into an infinite eXtended Reality experience. This is going to be the next big thing, the next era-defining personal gadget, just like laptops and phones before it.

Our vision

XPANCEO, a deep-tech company developing next-generation smart contact lenses, has been recognized by **The Europas as one of 2024’s 100 Hottest Startups**. 
![image_2024-11-11_17-00-09.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/image_2024_11_11_17_00_09_ba49402fe3.png)
Curated by **TechCrunch editor-at-large** Mike Butcher, this prestigious list has previously recognized industry titans like Spotify, Revolut and FarFetch in their early stages. 

Having already showcased nine advanced prototypes and earned multiple other prestigious awards, XPANCEO continues to make waves in the AI-powered XR tech landscape. The company is on track to deliver the world’s first fully functional smart contact lens by 2026, making good on its mission to redefine human-computer interaction through groundbreaking XR interfaces.
![_MG_3104-Enhanced-NR.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/MG_3104_Enhanced_NR_ae7b5224af.jpg)


XPANCEO, a deep-tech company developing next-generation smart contact lenses, has been recognized by The Europas as one of 2024’s 100 Hottest Startups.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/image_2024_11_11_17_00_09_ba49402fe3.png" alt="image_2024-11-11_17-00-09.png">
Curated by TechCrunch editor-at-large Mike Butcher, this prestigious list has previously recognized industry titans like Spotify, Revolut and FarFetch in their early stages.
Having already showcased nine advanced prototypes and earned multiple other prestigious awards, XPANCEO continues to make waves in the AI-powered XR tech landscape. The company is on track to deliver the world’s first fully functional smart contact lens by 2026, making good on its mission to redefine human-computer interaction through groundbreaking XR interfaces.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/MG_3104_Enhanced_NR_ae7b5224af.jpg" alt="_MG_3104-Enhanced-NR.jpg">

XPANCEO Named One of The Europas’ 100 Hottest Startups for 2024 

XPANCEO, a deep-tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, revealed the latest prototype of its** Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision** at AWE Europe 2024. This new lens offers not only superior image quality but also a significantly expanded field of view, increasing from 10 degrees to 30 degrees. This provides users with a broader, more immersive augmented reality experience. In addition to supporting static images, the lens also enables dynamic imagery, allowing users to interact with moving visuals in real time. Despite these advancements, the lens remains highly energy-efficient, with power consumption estimated between 1-3 microwatts—100 to 300 times lower than comparable AR glasses.
![1 (3).jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/1_3_bfa10a854b.jpg)

Conference attendees experienced a glimpse of the future by simply holding the lens close to their eyes. This enabled them to look through the lens while holding the setup, witnessing dynamic images come to life and changing angles to compare the visuals against various real-time surroundings. This remarkable experience highlighted the lens’s capabilities and the incredible leap it represents for the next generation of AR technology.

In addition to the new prototype, XPANCEO showcased several previously introduced lenses. **The Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading** demonstrated wireless data transmission capabilities integrated directly into the lens, enabling real-time interaction with data and the ability to receive information, such as biometric data, from embedded sensors. The Smart Contact Lens with Transparent Electronics featured a one-pixel display made possible by XPANCEO’s patent-pending ultra-thin transparent and flexible gold conductors.
![data reading gitex.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/data_reading_gitex_12a8f57c49.jpg)

XPANCEO also highlighted its **Contact Lens with Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor**, a significant advancement in healthcare technology. This lens, which boasts continuous health monitoring capabilities and interacts directly with the eye’s surface, has been tested on a custom eye model and demonstrated a 50% improvement in the effectiveness of measuring intraocular pressure, an important parameter for the early detection of glaucoma.

XPANCEO’s participation at AWE Europe 2024 reflects its ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of wearable technology. The company continues to lead innovation in smart contact lenses, focusing on real-world applications in wearable technology, XR, healthcare, and fintech. XPANCEO is on track to unveil a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by the end of 2026.
![_MG_3104-Enhanced-NR.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/MG_3104_Enhanced_NR_ae7b5224af.jpg)


XPANCEO, a deep-tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, revealed the latest prototype of its** Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision** at AWE Europe 2024. This new lens offers not only superior image quality but also a significantly expanded field of view, increasing from 10 degrees to 30 degrees. This provides users with a broader, more immersive augmented reality experience. In addition to supporting static images, the lens also enables dynamic imagery, allowing users to interact with moving visuals in real time. Despite these advancements, the lens remains highly energy-efficient, with power consumption estimated between 1-3 microwatts—100 to 300 times lower than comparable AR glasses.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/1_3_bfa10a854b.jpg" alt="1 (3).jpg">
Conference attendees experienced a glimpse of the future by simply holding the lens close to their eyes. This enabled them to look through the lens while holding the setup, witnessing dynamic images come to life and changing angles to compare the visuals against various real-time surroundings. This remarkable experience highlighted the lens’s capabilities and the incredible leap it represents for the next generation of AR technology.
In addition to the new prototype, XPANCEO showcased several previously introduced lenses. The Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading demonstrated wireless data transmission capabilities integrated directly into the lens, enabling real-time interaction with data and the ability to receive information, such as biometric data, from embedded sensors. The Smart Contact Lens with Transparent Electronics featured a one-pixel display made possible by XPANCEO’s patent-pending ultra-thin transparent and flexible gold conductors.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/data_reading_gitex_12a8f57c49.jpg" alt="data reading gitex.jpg">
XPANCEO also highlighted its Contact Lens with Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor, a significant advancement in healthcare technology. This lens, which boasts continuous health monitoring capabilities and interacts directly with the eye’s surface, has been tested on a custom eye model and demonstrated a 50% improvement in the effectiveness of measuring intraocular pressure, an important parameter for the early detection of glaucoma.
XPANCEO’s participation at AWE Europe 2024 reflects its ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of wearable technology. The company continues to lead innovation in smart contact lenses, focusing on real-world applications in wearable technology, XR, healthcare, and fintech. XPANCEO is on track to unveil a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by the end of 2026.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/MG_3104_Enhanced_NR_ae7b5224af.jpg" alt="_MG_3104-Enhanced-NR.jpg">

XPANCEO Showcased Dynamic AR Vision Smart Contact Lens at AWE Europe 2024

XPANCEO showcased our prototypes at GITEX Global. 

Read more about us and other groundbreaking projects here: [CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/21/middleeast/ai-robots-gitex-dubai-spc/index.html).
```

XPANCEO showcased our prototypes at GITEX Global.
Read more about us and other groundbreaking projects here: <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/21/middleeast/ai-robots-gitex-dubai-spc/index.html">CNN</a>.
<pre><code></code></pre>

AI and robots take center stage at ‘world’s largest tech event’

XPANCEO, a Dubai-based deep tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, presents its latest technological advancements at GITEX Global 2024. XPANCEO aims to redefine the human-tech relationship by uniting all applications, health monitoring, and SuperVision features in a single Extended Reality interface. The company places a strong focus on advancing technologies such as the development of novel 2D materials as thin as an atom, nanorobotics, and nanophotonics.  
 
XPANCEO’s dedication to research is supported by its ranking as the No. 1 Corporate Research Institution in Western Asia for 2023 and one of the Top 3 Research Institutions in the UAE, according to the esteemed Nature Index. XPANCEO has also received accolades such as the Best in Business Award for Healthcare and the Photonics Middle East Brilliance Award for its contributions to healthcare and optics technology.  
 
Initial testing of a fully functional smart contact lens prototype is scheduled for late 2026. Currently, the company is showcasing prototypes demonstrating individual features that will eventually be integrated into a single device.  
 
Among the newly introduced prototypes is the **Smart Contact Lens for 3D Imaging**. This lens allows users to view and interact with 3D content without the need for glasses, positioning visuals within the environment in a more immersive way. Attendees at the event were able to experience how the technology functions firsthand, offering a glimpse into its potential applications in media and entertainment.  
![3d gitex.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/3d_gitex_6a677bab13.jpg)
 
Another innovation presented was the Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading, which demonstrated wireless data transmission capabilities integrated directly into the lens. This technology enables real-time interaction with data, allowing users to control the lens and receive information, such as biometric data, from embedded sensors. Visitors had the opportunity to interact with the lenses and test the technology, receiving data directly from the smart contact lens to their phones.  
![data reading gitex.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/data_reading_gitex_12a8f57c49.jpg)
 
In addition to the new prototypes, XPANCEO enhanced previously introduced lenses specifically for GITEX Global. T**he Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision** offers superior image quality while consuming minimal power—between 1-3 microwatts, 100-300 times lower than conventional AR glasses. Attendees could view the image displayed by the lens without needing to wear it. Another advancement was the **Smart Contact Lens with Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor**. Tested on a custom eye model, this lens has demonstrated a 50% increase in the effectiveness of measuring this parameter, which is vital for detecting early signs of glaucoma.  
![gitex img.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/gitex_img_619889c801.jpg)
 
XPANCEO's participation at GITEX Global reflects the company’s growing presence in the MENA region. The unveiling of these new smart contact lenses underscores XPANCEO’s continued focus on integrating cutting-edge research into practical, real-world applications, particularly in wearable technology, healthcare, and XR.  
 



XPANCEO, a Dubai-based deep tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, presents its latest technological advancements at GITEX Global 2024. XPANCEO aims to redefine the human-tech relationship by uniting all applications, health monitoring, and SuperVision features in a single Extended Reality interface. The company places a strong focus on advancing technologies such as the development of novel 2D materials as thin as an atom, nanorobotics, and nanophotonics.
XPANCEO’s dedication to research is supported by its ranking as the No. 1 Corporate Research Institution in Western Asia for 2023 and one of the Top 3 Research Institutions in the UAE, according to the esteemed Nature Index. XPANCEO has also received accolades such as the Best in Business Award for Healthcare and the Photonics Middle East Brilliance Award for its contributions to healthcare and optics technology.
Initial testing of a fully functional smart contact lens prototype is scheduled for late 2026. Currently, the company is showcasing prototypes demonstrating individual features that will eventually be integrated into a single device.
Among the newly introduced prototypes is the Smart Contact Lens for 3D Imaging. This lens allows users to view and interact with 3D content without the need for glasses, positioning visuals within the environment in a more immersive way. Attendees at the event were able to experience how the technology functions firsthand, offering a glimpse into its potential applications in media and entertainment. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/3d_gitex_6a677bab13.jpg" alt="3d gitex.jpg">
Another innovation presented was the Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading, which demonstrated wireless data transmission capabilities integrated directly into the lens. This technology enables real-time interaction with data, allowing users to control the lens and receive information, such as biometric data, from embedded sensors. Visitors had the opportunity to interact with the lenses and test the technology, receiving data directly from the smart contact lens to their phones. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/data_reading_gitex_12a8f57c49.jpg" alt="data reading gitex.jpg">
In addition to the new prototypes, XPANCEO enhanced previously introduced lenses specifically for GITEX Global. The Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision offers superior image quality while consuming minimal power—between 1-3 microwatts, 100-300 times lower than conventional AR glasses. Attendees could view the image displayed by the lens without needing to wear it. Another advancement was the Smart Contact Lens with Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor. Tested on a custom eye model, this lens has demonstrated a 50% increase in the effectiveness of measuring this parameter, which is vital for detecting early signs of glaucoma. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/gitex_img_619889c801.jpg" alt="gitex img.jpg">
XPANCEO's participation at GITEX Global reflects the company’s growing presence in the MENA region. The unveiling of these new smart contact lenses underscores XPANCEO’s continued focus on integrating cutting-edge research into practical, real-world applications, particularly in wearable technology, healthcare, and XR.

XPANCEO Introduces New Smart Contact Lens Prototypes at GITEX Global 2024  

XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing through smart contact lenses, has entered a partnership with JBD, a leading MicroLED display producer. This collaboration aims to deliver ultrathin and comfortable smart contact lens with an integrated MicroLED display. 
![jbd1.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd1_20869541be.png)
XPANCEO’s goal is to merge all existing devices into one interface, enabling users to enjoy the most common apps and software they use on screens in infinite XR. For this, it is necessary to integrate an image source into the contact lens. As the human eye cannot naturally focus on objects closer than 5-7 cm to its’ surface, complex optical solutions are required. With JBD’s assistance, two promising approaches were tested. 

The first approach uses a projector and hologram combination. This method projects the image at a distance using a hologram so the eye can focus on it. XPANCEO successfully tested this approach with JBD's MicroLED projector for the hologram. Currently, the projector is external, but efforts are underway to integrate it into the lens. 
![jbd2.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd2_a7b9a47956.png)
The second approach features an integrated microdisplay that projects the image directly from inside the lens. This method uses a custom collimation system to direct the image as a parallel beam of light, enabling the eye to focus on it. JBD’s display facilitated the creation of a prototype for this integration scheme, proving that total lens thickness of less than 0.5 mm is achievable with this approach. 
![jbd3.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd3_4fa26c5f61.png)
 
Switching from smart glasses to smart contact lenses solves many issues that have plagued AR for years. By lowering the resolution in the periphery, where the eye does not need high resolution, the load on the video controller is greatly reduced, and the packaging can be much smaller. The loss of the brightness from display to the eye is 3 times less compared to the now classic waveguiding scheme. Overall, power consumption is expected to be under 10 µW, which is 100-300 times less than comparable prospective AR glasses. 

"The MicroLED market is rapidly evolving, and I am confident that its continued growt will result in the development of new, more compact image display systems for various gadgets. The partnership with JBD is a clear demonstration of this trend,” said Dr. Volkov, co-founder and CTO of XPANCEO. 

![jbd4.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd4_1157fac2a8.png)
XPANCEO has chosen JBD, a leading manufacturer of MicroLED microdisplays, as the display partner for their next-generation project. This collaboration plays a critical role in advancing AR technology. Leveraging years of know-how & innovation in MicroLED & IC technology, JBD’s microdisplays offer unparalleled brightness and low power consumption of only a few microwatts in a miniscule high PPI display package that is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. These features ensure that clear and vibrant augmented information is displayed to the user in all ambient lighting conditions, whilst operating within the smallest power budgets available, essential for all-day wearability of AR smart devices. 

"The development and widespread adoption of AR smart contact lenses will require continued innovation across a range of technologies. JBD remains focused on advancing our MicroLED technology to meet the growing demands of wearable devices, including those in the AR space," said Dr. Xiaoling Qiu of JBD. 

Many complex issues are yet to be solved for the development and mass production of smart contact lens for AR vision. MicroLEDs have already proven to be the only viable display technology for AR smart contact lenses, hence the importance of strong industrial relations through partnerships to understand product requirements and technology milestones is vital. Both companies are committed to continuing their collaboration to further develop & integrate MicroLED technology for AR contact lenses. 

  
About JBD 

Founded in 2015, JBD has been focusing on developing the smallest, brightest, and most efficient micro-display panels. With a fab established in Hefei CHINA, JBD is considered as one of the leaders in MicroLED display technologies with its portfolio of active matrix MicroLED displays. For more information, visit JBD's [website](https://www.jb-display.com/), [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/jade-bird-display) or [X(Twitter) ](https://twitter.com/jb_display)pages.  

 

XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing through smart contact lenses, has entered a partnership with JBD, a leading MicroLED display producer. This collaboration aims to deliver ultrathin and comfortable smart contact lens with an integrated MicroLED display.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd1_20869541be.png" alt="jbd1.png">
XPANCEO’s goal is to merge all existing devices into one interface, enabling users to enjoy the most common apps and software they use on screens in infinite XR. For this, it is necessary to integrate an image source into the contact lens. As the human eye cannot naturally focus on objects closer than 5-7 cm to its’ surface, complex optical solutions are required. With JBD’s assistance, two promising approaches were tested.
The first approach uses a projector and hologram combination. This method projects the image at a distance using a hologram so the eye can focus on it. XPANCEO successfully tested this approach with JBD's MicroLED projector for the hologram. Currently, the projector is external, but efforts are underway to integrate it into the lens.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd2_a7b9a47956.png" alt="jbd2.png">
The second approach features an integrated microdisplay that projects the image directly from inside the lens. This method uses a custom collimation system to direct the image as a parallel beam of light, enabling the eye to focus on it. JBD’s display facilitated the creation of a prototype for this integration scheme, proving that total lens thickness of less than 0.5 mm is achievable with this approach.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd3_4fa26c5f61.png" alt="jbd3.png">
Switching from smart glasses to smart contact lenses solves many issues that have plagued AR for years. By lowering the resolution in the periphery, where the eye does not need high resolution, the load on the video controller is greatly reduced, and the packaging can be much smaller. The loss of the brightness from display to the eye is 3 times less compared to the now classic waveguiding scheme. Overall, power consumption is expected to be under 10 µW, which is 100-300 times less than comparable prospective AR glasses.
&quot;The MicroLED market is rapidly evolving, and I am confident that its continued growt will result in the development of new, more compact image display systems for various gadgets. The partnership with JBD is a clear demonstration of this trend,” said Dr. Volkov, co-founder and CTO of XPANCEO.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/jbd4_1157fac2a8.png" alt="jbd4.png">
XPANCEO has chosen JBD, a leading manufacturer of MicroLED microdisplays, as the display partner for their next-generation project. This collaboration plays a critical role in advancing AR technology. Leveraging years of know-how &amp; innovation in MicroLED &amp; IC technology, JBD’s microdisplays offer unparalleled brightness and low power consumption of only a few microwatts in a miniscule high PPI display package that is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. These features ensure that clear and vibrant augmented information is displayed to the user in all ambient lighting conditions, whilst operating within the smallest power budgets available, essential for all-day wearability of AR smart devices.
&quot;The development and widespread adoption of AR smart contact lenses will require continued innovation across a range of technologies. JBD remains focused on advancing our MicroLED technology to meet the growing demands of wearable devices, including those in the AR space,&quot; said Dr. Xiaoling Qiu of JBD.
Many complex issues are yet to be solved for the development and mass production of smart contact lens for AR vision. MicroLEDs have already proven to be the only viable display technology for AR smart contact lenses, hence the importance of strong industrial relations through partnerships to understand product requirements and technology milestones is vital. Both companies are committed to continuing their collaboration to further develop &amp; integrate MicroLED technology for AR contact lenses.
About JBD
Founded in 2015, JBD has been focusing on developing the smallest, brightest, and most efficient micro-display panels. With a fab established in Hefei CHINA, JBD is considered as one of the leaders in MicroLED display technologies with its portfolio of active matrix MicroLED displays. For more information, visit JBD's <a href="https://www.jb-display.com/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/jade-bird-display">Linkedin</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/jb_display">X(Twitter) </a>pages.

XPANCEO and JBD Collaborate to Develop AR Smart Contact Lens with Integrated Microdisplay 

XPANCEO showcased five advanced prototypes at the AWE Asia conference, offering a glimpse into the future of wearable technology, as the company gears up to unveil a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by the end of 2026.

Among the prototypes making their global debut were the Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction and the Smart Contact Lens with a Unique Optical Pattern for Verification. The Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction is designed to enhance color perception for individuals with color blindness, eliminating the need for bulky glasses. These nanoparticles, incredibly tiny structures a million times thinner than a human hair, alter the properties of materials to create a 'supermaterial' that uniquely interacts with light. This interaction adjusts the light spectrum and improves contrast, which enables the [350 million]() people worldwide affected by color blindness to distinguish colors more effectively. Conference attendees had the exclusive opportunity to view and interact with the lenses. 
![photo_2024-08-30_13-45-49.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_08_30_13_45_49_95764552db.jpg)

Among the prototypes making their global debut were the Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction and the Smart Contact Lens with a Unique Optical Pattern for Verification. The Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction is designed to enhance color perception for individuals with color blindness, eliminating the need for bulky glasses. These nanoparticles, incredibly tiny structures a million times thinner than a human hair, alter the properties of materials to create a 'supermaterial' that uniquely interacts with light. This interaction adjusts the light spectrum and improves contrast, which enables the [350 million](https://www.colorblindguide.com/post/colorblind-people-population-live-counter) people worldwide affected by color blindness to distinguish colors more effectively. Conference attendees had the exclusive opportunity to view and interact with the lenses. 

The Smart Contact Lens with a Unique Optical Pattern for Verification will facilitate everyday tasks like making payments, transferring funds, and accessing restricted areas with greater ease and comfort. The optical pattern is just one of three security layers integrated into the lens. This pattern appears differently depending on the viewing angle and distance, creating an image that, from one perspective, can seem three-dimensional but flat from another, revealing only a portion of a security code. The dynamic visual effect makes replication nearly impossible, offering a higher level of security than traditional biometric methods like iris scans or fingerprints.  
![photo_2024-08-30_13-45-48.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_08_30_13_45_48_aadb97801f.jpg)
In addition to these new prototypes, XPANCEO also highlighted three previously announced prototypes, now significantly enhanced for AWE Asia. These include the world's first Holographic Smart Contact Lens for AR vision, which is capable of displaying images with a quality previously only possible through glasses or AR/VR headsets. The Smart Contact Lens with Transparent Electronics features a one-pixel display made possible by XPANCEO’s patent-pending ultra-thin transparent and flexible gold conductors, as well as an Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor for Glaucoma Detection. Tested on a custom eye model, this sensor offers 50% more effectiveness than current solutions, a critical advancement for early detection of glaucoma.

XPANCEO’s focus at AWE Asia 2024 extends beyond terrestrial applications, delving into space exploration. The company has drawn insights from interviews with astronauts to address the unique challenges of space travel. Astronauts, often limited by bulky gloves, frequently operate tablets with their noses and receive complex instructions through earphones. Imagine receiving a directive like “Count the fifth wire and plug it into connector number 4,” which is both cumbersome and inefficient when executed through traditional methods. Remarkably, [80%](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/space-specs-147121745/#:~:text=Approximately%2080%20percent%20of%20the,i.e.%20glasses%20or%20contact%20lenses) of astronauts wear contact lenses in space, making smart contact lenses a natural next step. XPANCEO’s lenses will not only assist with task execution by overlaying visual instructions directly onto the astronauts’ field of view but also monitor critical health parameters, including intraocular pressure—vital for maintaining health in space.




XPANCEO showcased five advanced prototypes at the AWE Asia conference, offering a glimpse into the future of wearable technology, as the company gears up to unveil a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by the end of 2026.
Among the prototypes making their global debut were the Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction and the Smart Contact Lens with a Unique Optical Pattern for Verification. The Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction is designed to enhance color perception for individuals with color blindness, eliminating the need for bulky glasses. These nanoparticles, incredibly tiny structures a million times thinner than a human hair, alter the properties of materials to create a 'supermaterial' that uniquely interacts with light. This interaction adjusts the light spectrum and improves contrast, which enables the <a href="">350 million</a> people worldwide affected by color blindness to distinguish colors more effectively. Conference attendees had the exclusive opportunity to view and interact with the lenses.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_08_30_13_45_49_95764552db.jpg" alt="photo_2024-08-30_13-45-49.jpg">
Among the prototypes making their global debut were the Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction and the Smart Contact Lens with a Unique Optical Pattern for Verification. The Smart Contact Lens with Nanoparticles for Color Correction is designed to enhance color perception for individuals with color blindness, eliminating the need for bulky glasses. These nanoparticles, incredibly tiny structures a million times thinner than a human hair, alter the properties of materials to create a 'supermaterial' that uniquely interacts with light. This interaction adjusts the light spectrum and improves contrast, which enables the <a href="https://www.colorblindguide.com/post/colorblind-people-population-live-counter">350 million</a> people worldwide affected by color blindness to distinguish colors more effectively. Conference attendees had the exclusive opportunity to view and interact with the lenses.
The Smart Contact Lens with a Unique Optical Pattern for Verification will facilitate everyday tasks like making payments, transferring funds, and accessing restricted areas with greater ease and comfort. The optical pattern is just one of three security layers integrated into the lens. This pattern appears differently depending on the viewing angle and distance, creating an image that, from one perspective, can seem three-dimensional but flat from another, revealing only a portion of a security code. The dynamic visual effect makes replication nearly impossible, offering a higher level of security than traditional biometric methods like iris scans or fingerprints. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_08_30_13_45_48_aadb97801f.jpg" alt="photo_2024-08-30_13-45-48.jpg">
In addition to these new prototypes, XPANCEO also highlighted three previously announced prototypes, now significantly enhanced for AWE Asia. These include the world's first Holographic Smart Contact Lens for AR vision, which is capable of displaying images with a quality previously only possible through glasses or AR/VR headsets. The Smart Contact Lens with Transparent Electronics features a one-pixel display made possible by XPANCEO’s patent-pending ultra-thin transparent and flexible gold conductors, as well as an Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor for Glaucoma Detection. Tested on a custom eye model, this sensor offers 50% more effectiveness than current solutions, a critical advancement for early detection of glaucoma.
XPANCEO’s focus at AWE Asia 2024 extends beyond terrestrial applications, delving into space exploration. The company has drawn insights from interviews with astronauts to address the unique challenges of space travel. Astronauts, often limited by bulky gloves, frequently operate tablets with their noses and receive complex instructions through earphones. Imagine receiving a directive like “Count the fifth wire and plug it into connector number 4,” which is both cumbersome and inefficient when executed through traditional methods. Remarkably, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/space-specs-147121745/#:~:text=Approximately%2080%20percent%20of%20the,i.e.%20glasses%20or%20contact%20lenses">80%</a> of astronauts wear contact lenses in space, making smart contact lenses a natural next step. XPANCEO’s lenses will not only assist with task execution by overlaying visual instructions directly onto the astronauts’ field of view but also monitor critical health parameters, including intraocular pressure—vital for maintaining health in space.

XPANCEO Unveils Five Smart Contact Lens Prototypes at AWE Asia 2024

Axelrod, the Founder of XPANCEO, a deeptech startup which is at the
forefront of the next generation of computing, gave the interview to Startups Magazine UK. 

"From a young age, I was deeply immersed in the world of
technology, inspired by my grandfather, a pioneering engineer who
played a key role in constructing the first computers in the 1950s.
This unique upbringing, which involved soldering computers and
circuits with my grandfather, instilled in me a profound appreciation for
technology and innovation,” reminisced Roman Axelrod.

Read the whole text here
[Startups Magazine](https://magazines.startupsmagazine.co.uk/view/310187830/49/)


Axelrod, the Founder of XPANCEO, a deeptech startup which is at the
forefront of the next generation of computing, gave the interview to Startups Magazine UK.
&quot;From a young age, I was deeply immersed in the world of
technology, inspired by my grandfather, a pioneering engineer who
played a key role in constructing the first computers in the 1950s.
This unique upbringing, which involved soldering computers and
circuits with my grandfather, instilled in me a profound appreciation for
technology and innovation,” reminisced Roman Axelrod.
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://magazines.startupsmagazine.co.uk/view/310187830/49/">Startups Magazine</a>

A sight for smart eyes: Roman Axelrod for Startups Magazine

XPANCEO's founder, Roman Axelrod, gave an interview to The National News. He explained how the company started, the challenges we face, what's next, and much more.

Read the whole text here
[The National News](https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2024/07/15/crazy-entrepreneur-wants-you-to-see-a-new-reality-through-his-smart-contact-lens/)

“It's a funny story. When I realised the future computer would be a smart contact lens, I knew I needed experts … so I reached out to [nanophotonics expert] Valentyn Volkov,” he tells The National.

“Imagine you're a respected scientist and one day someone starts writing to you about building the computer of the future together.”






XPANCEO's founder, Roman Axelrod, gave an interview to The National News. He explained how the company started, the challenges we face, what's next, and much more.
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2024/07/15/crazy-entrepreneur-wants-you-to-see-a-new-reality-through-his-smart-contact-lens/">The National News</a>
“It's a funny story. When I realised the future computer would be a smart contact lens, I knew I needed experts … so I reached out to [nanophotonics expert] Valentyn Volkov,” he tells The National.
“Imagine you're a respected scientist and one day someone starts writing to you about building the computer of the future together.”

Generation Start-up: XPANCEO's smart contact lenses provide an 'infinite' extended reality view, Iron Man-style

In the [first article](https://hackernoon.com/the-curse-of-pygmalion-vr-and-ar-is-at-a-dead-end?ref=hackernoon.com) of our series, we briefly reviewed the history of VR device development. As a result, we concluded that even modern VR gadgets are already outdated. We even developed a special term - The Curse of Pygmalion. Writer Stanley Weinbaum wrote his fantasy story "Pygmalion's Glasses" in 1935! According to the plot, a professor invents a pair of glasses capable of creating an optical, auditory, gustatory, kinesthetic, and olfactory illusion of reality. In other words, Weinbaum managed to describe the modern devices we use today.


Today, almost a hundred years later, the current XR device industry keeps reinventing the same Pygmalion glasses again and again. However, as far as I’m concerned, we need a much more modern approach! Read the first part of this article to better understand what I’m talking about.

So, what kind of device is this that will usher in a new era of gadgets?? I’m Roman Axelrod, the founder of XPANCEO. So, let's try to find the answer to this question together!

Read the whole text here
[HackerNoon](https://hackernoon.com/the-curse-of-pygmalion-what-would-an-ideal-arvr-device-look-like)

In the <a href="https://hackernoon.com/the-curse-of-pygmalion-vr-and-ar-is-at-a-dead-end?ref=hackernoon.com">first article</a> of our series, we briefly reviewed the history of VR device development. As a result, we concluded that even modern VR gadgets are already outdated. We even developed a special term - The Curse of Pygmalion. Writer Stanley Weinbaum wrote his fantasy story &quot;Pygmalion's Glasses&quot; in 1935! According to the plot, a professor invents a pair of glasses capable of creating an optical, auditory, gustatory, kinesthetic, and olfactory illusion of reality. In other words, Weinbaum managed to describe the modern devices we use today.
Today, almost a hundred years later, the current XR device industry keeps reinventing the same Pygmalion glasses again and again. However, as far as I’m concerned, we need a much more modern approach! Read the first part of this article to better understand what I’m talking about.
So, what kind of device is this that will usher in a new era of gadgets?? I’m Roman Axelrod, the founder of XPANCEO. So, let's try to find the answer to this question together!
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://hackernoon.com/the-curse-of-pygmalion-what-would-an-ideal-arvr-device-look-like">HackerNoon</a>

large_Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.27.55.png

medium_Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.27.55.png

small_Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.27.55.png

thumbnail_Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.27.55.png

Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.27.55.png

The Curse of Pygmalion - What Would An Ideal AR/VR Device Look Like?

Imagine sitting at home, watching your favorite TV series right on your wall without the need for an image projector. Or scrolling through social media in the subway, with images floating in front of your eyes, effortlessly controlled by your gaze. Or working in an office, typing away without a laptop.

This future might become possible with wearable AR devices that allow for projecting images very close to one’s eye. Dr. Valentyn Volkov, an expert in the field of nanophotonics and the co-founder of XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing smart contact lenses with AR capabilities, explains why this is a challenge and how it can be overcome.

Read the whole text here:
[Technology.org](https://www.technology.org/2024/06/05/augmented-reality-within-the-eye-possible-or-not/)


Imagine sitting at home, watching your favorite TV series right on your wall without the need for an image projector. Or scrolling through social media in the subway, with images floating in front of your eyes, effortlessly controlled by your gaze. Or working in an office, typing away without a laptop.
This future might become possible with wearable AR devices that allow for projecting images very close to one’s eye. Dr. Valentyn Volkov, an expert in the field of nanophotonics and the co-founder of XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing smart contact lenses with AR capabilities, explains why this is a challenge and how it can be overcome.
Read the whole text here:
<a href="https://www.technology.org/2024/06/05/augmented-reality-within-the-eye-possible-or-not/">Technology.org</a>

Augmented Reality Within The Eye: Possible Or Not

XPANCEO's founder Roman Axelrod explains why VR and AR as they are today is totally outdated

Let’s try to guess what the near future of the VR/AR industry might look like if the key players of this market continue to develop in the way they are doing now.

Everything is simple: it is a device, a helmet or glasses weighing 300- 600 grams (sometimes more), with elements made of glass, plastic, or aluminum, and operation time of up to several hours. Undoubtedly, it looks great. Almost like in the science fiction novel “Ready Player One” by Ernest Klein.

It seems that you can hardly enter the actual parallel-digital reality with such a gadget in everyday life. Surely, it will be a disaster for your neck…

I do believe the core problem is hidden in the philosophy of technology itself. I keep asking myself, why are we still trying to put a huge box capable of doing some calculations directly on top of our heads? Why do we do this instead of solving the problem in a more sophisticated way, with a device that is dozens (or even hundreds) of times lighter, smaller, and, more importantly,can be mass produced.

Read the whole text here
[HackerNoon](https://hackernoon.com/the-curse-of-pygmalion-vr-and-ar-is-at-a-dead-end)


XPANCEO's founder Roman Axelrod explains why VR and AR as they are today is totally outdated
Let’s try to guess what the near future of the VR/AR industry might look like if the key players of this market continue to develop in the way they are doing now.
Everything is simple: it is a device, a helmet or glasses weighing 300- 600 grams (sometimes more), with elements made of glass, plastic, or aluminum, and operation time of up to several hours. Undoubtedly, it looks great. Almost like in the science fiction novel “Ready Player One” by Ernest Klein.
It seems that you can hardly enter the actual parallel-digital reality with such a gadget in everyday life. Surely, it will be a disaster for your neck…
I do believe the core problem is hidden in the philosophy of technology itself. I keep asking myself, why are we still trying to put a huge box capable of doing some calculations directly on top of our heads? Why do we do this instead of solving the problem in a more sophisticated way, with a device that is dozens (or even hundreds) of times lighter, smaller, and, more importantly,can be mass produced.
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://hackernoon.com/the-curse-of-pygmalion-vr-and-ar-is-at-a-dead-end">HackerNoon</a>

The Curse of Pygmalion: VR and AR as they are today is a total dead end, high time to admit it!

Chances are that every bizarre technology you have ever heard of has been claimed to be patented, protected, and highly confidential. Patents can be found where there's both innovation and commercial interest, highlighting the importance of a technology or field. This is certainly true for smart contact lenses, and even though almost no one is actually working on making them, you will be able to find dozens of patents proposing sometimes crazy solutions to how the gadget of the future should operate.

Our developments at **XPANCEO**, which were showcased by prototypes, are in the process of being patented, and we attach great importance to this area of work. Naturally, the first stage is analysis. In this article, we will discuss what is happening in this area and what results we have. Since understanding the intricacies of patents can be challenging, we'll start with some basic terminology to help make sense of things.

Read the whole text here
[HackerNoon](https://hackernoon.com/eyes-forward-the-world-of-smart-contact-lens-patents)


Chances are that every bizarre technology you have ever heard of has been claimed to be patented, protected, and highly confidential. Patents can be found where there's both innovation and commercial interest, highlighting the importance of a technology or field. This is certainly true for smart contact lenses, and even though almost no one is actually working on making them, you will be able to find dozens of patents proposing sometimes crazy solutions to how the gadget of the future should operate.
Our developments at XPANCEO, which were showcased by prototypes, are in the process of being patented, and we attach great importance to this area of work. Naturally, the first stage is analysis. In this article, we will discuss what is happening in this area and what results we have. Since understanding the intricacies of patents can be challenging, we'll start with some basic terminology to help make sense of things.
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://hackernoon.com/eyes-forward-the-world-of-smart-contact-lens-patents">HackerNoon</a>

Eyes Forward: The World of Smart Contact Lens Patents

![UAE1.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/UAE_1_243a7fe577_7488447f7c.jpg)

**Nature Index 2023: XPANCEO ranks among the top 10 institutions in the United Arab Emirates**

We are thrilled to announce that XPANCEO has been recognized as one of the top [10 contributors to the Nature Index](https://www.nature.com/nature-index/country-outputs/United%20Arab%20Emirates) in the United Arab Emirates. The Nature Index is a highly respected database that tracks scientific output of  institutions and countries through articles published in 82 high-quality natural-science journals.

The development of XPANCEO's smart lens is rooted in fundamental science and exceptional research experience in new optics, nanophotonics, novel materials, and biosensors. XPANCEO’s Emerging Technology Research Center investigates the unknown properties of various physical effects, develops new materials, and directly applies their findings to the smart lens's elements.

Articles featuring contributions from the XPANCEO team have been published in Nature Communications, Nano Letters, Nature Materials and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). These articles delve into the extraordinary properties of emerging materials, including 2D materials and Transition Metal Chalcogenides (TDMCs), frequently touted as the most promising and revolutionary frontier materials of the 21st century.

The research papers were co-authored with several world’s top scientists including Konstantin (Kostya) Novoselov from the National University of Singapore. Novoselov, along with Andre Geim, was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work on graphene.

On a practical level, these scientific discoveries pave the way for next-generation optoelectronics and offer exciting potential for implementations in various application areas, including medicine, electronics, biosensing,  nanophotonics, and quantum information applications. For example, as a practical demonstration, a two-dimensional TMDC material (PdSe2) has been employed for the realization of a novel topological phase singularities-based refractive index sensor that demonstrated its superior phase sensitivity compared to traditional optoelectronic sensors used these days. The discoveries will be applied to  XPANCEO’s smart lens features such as ultrasensitive smart sensors for detecting molecules of glucose and night vision option.

We keep forging ahead, continuously exploring the fascinating and magical properties of novel materials. Stay tuned to learn more about our discoveries and research projects.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/UAE_1_243a7fe577_7488447f7c.jpg" alt="UAE1.jpg">
Nature Index 2023: XPANCEO ranks among the top 10 institutions in the United Arab Emirates
We are thrilled to announce that XPANCEO has been recognized as one of the top <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature-index/country-outputs/United%20Arab%20Emirates">10 contributors to the Nature Index</a> in the United Arab Emirates. The Nature Index is a highly respected database that tracks scientific output of  institutions and countries through articles published in 82 high-quality natural-science journals.
The development of XPANCEO's smart lens is rooted in fundamental science and exceptional research experience in new optics, nanophotonics, novel materials, and biosensors. XPANCEO’s Emerging Technology Research Center investigates the unknown properties of various physical effects, develops new materials, and directly applies their findings to the smart lens's elements.
Articles featuring contributions from the XPANCEO team have been published in Nature Communications, Nano Letters, Nature Materials and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). These articles delve into the extraordinary properties of emerging materials, including 2D materials and Transition Metal Chalcogenides (TDMCs), frequently touted as the most promising and revolutionary frontier materials of the 21st century.
The research papers were co-authored with several world’s top scientists including Konstantin (Kostya) Novoselov from the National University of Singapore. Novoselov, along with Andre Geim, was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work on graphene.
On a practical level, these scientific discoveries pave the way for next-generation optoelectronics and offer exciting potential for implementations in various application areas, including medicine, electronics, biosensing,  nanophotonics, and quantum information applications. For example, as a practical demonstration, a two-dimensional TMDC material (PdSe2) has been employed for the realization of a novel topological phase singularities-based refractive index sensor that demonstrated its superior phase sensitivity compared to traditional optoelectronic sensors used these days. The discoveries will be applied to  XPANCEO’s smart lens features such as ultrasensitive smart sensors for detecting molecules of glucose and night vision option.
We keep forging ahead, continuously exploring the fascinating and magical properties of novel materials. Stay tuned to learn more about our discoveries and research projects.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Nature Index 2023: XPANCEO ranks among the top 10 institutions in the United Arab Emirates

Today, XPANCEO had the honor of hosting Philip Ma, the Managing Director of Opportunity Venture (Asia), at our innovative laboratory in Dubai. The founders of XPANCEO, Roman Axelrod and Dr. Valentyn Volkov, personally guided Mr. Ma through the facility, showcasing the latest developments in our groundbreaking projects. 

Opportunity Venture (Asia) played a pivotal role, providing a substantial $40 million  in funding, as previously announced in October 2023. This funding has been dedicated to the establishment of the Dubai laboratory and the development of prototypes for the smart contact lens, which embodies the next generation of computing. Throughout the tour, the XPANCEO founders provided Mr. Ma with insights into the laboratory's operations and the latest developments. Dr. Volkov explained the purpose of each piece of state-of-the-art equipment and demonstrated the prototypes, while Axelrod outlined the plans for future expansion. 

![ma1.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/ma1_92df82bd73.jpg)
Among the prototypes, the laboratory team presented to Mr. Ma, were the world's first holographic lens, lenses with the thinnest built-in electronics made of two-dimensional gold, as well as prototypes of the most sensitive sensors in the world. Mr. Ma expressed his deep admiration for the substantial progress XPANCEO has achieved, commenting: 

“I am more than satisfied to witness firsthand the remarkable progress that XPANCEO has achieved with the support of our investment. Seeing their state-of-the-art laboratory and the prototypes has not only affirmed my confidence in their mission but has left me pleasantly amused by the incredible pace of their work. The prototypes I was able to observe and personally test today clearly demonstrate their capability to deliver the final product and define the next generation of computing. Opportunity Venture (Asia) is proud to be a part of this transformative journey.”

In addition, XPANCEO team demonstrated the ongoing projects, such as models for testing lenses on an artificial eye and other developments that the company has not yet publicly disclosed. Roman Axelrod concluded: 
![photo_2024-01-25_16-12-58.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_01_25_16_12_58_2b12b2ff63.jpg)

"For us, this was a momentous occasion, and we are extremely grateful to Mr. Ma for his high praise of our work. Such a success would not have been possible without the trust placed in us, and we are proud to have met and exceeded expectations. Each passing day brings us one step closer to the future of technology, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ma for recognizing our endeavors. "

XPANCEO remains committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and looks forward to continuing this transformative journey towards the next generation of computing with the unwavering support of Opportunity Venture (Asia). 

![photo_2024-01-25_16-13-07.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_01_25_16_13_07_961d355031.jpg)

Today, XPANCEO had the honor of hosting Philip Ma, the Managing Director of Opportunity Venture (Asia), at our innovative laboratory in Dubai. The founders of XPANCEO, Roman Axelrod and Dr. Valentyn Volkov, personally guided Mr. Ma through the facility, showcasing the latest developments in our groundbreaking projects.
Opportunity Venture (Asia) played a pivotal role, providing a substantial $40 million in funding, as previously announced in October 2023. This funding has been dedicated to the establishment of the Dubai laboratory and the development of prototypes for the smart contact lens, which embodies the next generation of computing. Throughout the tour, the XPANCEO founders provided Mr. Ma with insights into the laboratory's operations and the latest developments. Dr. Volkov explained the purpose of each piece of state-of-the-art equipment and demonstrated the prototypes, while Axelrod outlined the plans for future expansion.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/ma1_92df82bd73.jpg" alt="ma1.jpg">
Among the prototypes, the laboratory team presented to Mr. Ma, were the world's first holographic lens, lenses with the thinnest built-in electronics made of two-dimensional gold, as well as prototypes of the most sensitive sensors in the world. Mr. Ma expressed his deep admiration for the substantial progress XPANCEO has achieved, commenting:
“I am more than satisfied to witness firsthand the remarkable progress that XPANCEO has achieved with the support of our investment. Seeing their state-of-the-art laboratory and the prototypes has not only affirmed my confidence in their mission but has left me pleasantly amused by the incredible pace of their work. The prototypes I was able to observe and personally test today clearly demonstrate their capability to deliver the final product and define the next generation of computing. Opportunity Venture (Asia) is proud to be a part of this transformative journey.”
In addition, XPANCEO team demonstrated the ongoing projects, such as models for testing lenses on an artificial eye and other developments that the company has not yet publicly disclosed. Roman Axelrod concluded:
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_01_25_16_12_58_2b12b2ff63.jpg" alt="photo_2024-01-25_16-12-58.jpg">
&quot;For us, this was a momentous occasion, and we are extremely grateful to Mr. Ma for his high praise of our work. Such a success would not have been possible without the trust placed in us, and we are proud to have met and exceeded expectations. Each passing day brings us one step closer to the future of technology, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ma for recognizing our endeavors. &quot;
XPANCEO remains committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and looks forward to continuing this transformative journey towards the next generation of computing with the unwavering support of Opportunity Venture (Asia).
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2024_01_25_16_13_07_961d355031.jpg" alt="photo_2024-01-25_16-13-07.jpg">

Opportunity Venture (Asia) Managing Director Visits XPANCEO's Dubai Laboratory 

XPANCEO welcomed students from International School KIBERone for an exclusive preview of its groundbreaking technology. The company, known for developing the smart contact lens, a device that merges all existing devices into one, recently showcased several prototypes that aim to transform the way we interact with the real and digital worlds. Eleven students, between the ages of 13 to 16, had a firsthand look at XPANCEO's latest innovations and engaged with the minds shaping the future of technology.  

The centerpiece of the visit was an engaging showcase of the smart contact lens technology at XPANCEO's hub of innovation. Participants witnessed the wonders of augmented reality via a holographic lens and explored several pioneering lens prototypes. These included the world's slimmest electronic integration featuring a single-pixel display, health-monitoring biosensor lenses, and advanced lenses designed with nanoparticles for enhanced night vision and adaptive zoom capabilities.   

**Dr. Valentin S. Volkov**, XPANCEO co-founder and a nanophotonics expert, led the educational tour, engaging with the students about the groundbreaking technologies and fielding their questions. The visit allowed for interactive discussions with the innovators at XPANCEO, who shared insights into their pioneering work. This experience highlighted XPANCEO's dedication to advancing computing technology, making a profound impact on the visiting students.   
![deti4.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/deti4_f4d950c797.jpg)

**Roman Axelrod**, XPANCEO’s founder, emphasized the critical role of education in nurturing a culture of innovation. _“The future of the MENA region rests with our youth, making it crucial to inspire them and open doors to technological exploration. Through engaging Kiber One students, we aim to spark innovation and deepen their understanding of how technology can address the region's unique challenges, underscoring our commitment to advancing the region's technological landscape,”_ said Axelrod.  

This educational endeavor by XPANCEO reflects its commitment to nurturing STEM skills among the MENA region's youth, in line with its goal to create life-enhancing technology and drive societal progress. Additionally, this visit was a part of a larger educational program that included tours of other top tech entities like Google, TikTok, Yandex, and Aya University. These experiences offered the students a comprehensive insight into the digital realm, emphasizing the critical role of education in developing future innovators and leaders.  
![deti3.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/deti3_4167151989.jpg)

 

XPANCEO welcomed students from International School KIBERone for an exclusive preview of its groundbreaking technology. The company, known for developing the smart contact lens, a device that merges all existing devices into one, recently showcased several prototypes that aim to transform the way we interact with the real and digital worlds. Eleven students, between the ages of 13 to 16, had a firsthand look at XPANCEO's latest innovations and engaged with the minds shaping the future of technology.
The centerpiece of the visit was an engaging showcase of the smart contact lens technology at XPANCEO's hub of innovation. Participants witnessed the wonders of augmented reality via a holographic lens and explored several pioneering lens prototypes. These included the world's slimmest electronic integration featuring a single-pixel display, health-monitoring biosensor lenses, and advanced lenses designed with nanoparticles for enhanced night vision and adaptive zoom capabilities.
Dr. Valentin S. Volkov, XPANCEO co-founder and a nanophotonics expert, led the educational tour, engaging with the students about the groundbreaking technologies and fielding their questions. The visit allowed for interactive discussions with the innovators at XPANCEO, who shared insights into their pioneering work. This experience highlighted XPANCEO's dedication to advancing computing technology, making a profound impact on the visiting students. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/deti4_f4d950c797.jpg" alt="deti4.jpg">
Roman Axelrod, XPANCEO’s founder, emphasized the critical role of education in nurturing a culture of innovation. “The future of the MENA region rests with our youth, making it crucial to inspire them and open doors to technological exploration. Through engaging Kiber One students, we aim to spark innovation and deepen their understanding of how technology can address the region's unique challenges, underscoring our commitment to advancing the region's technological landscape,” said Axelrod.
This educational endeavor by XPANCEO reflects its commitment to nurturing STEM skills among the MENA region's youth, in line with its goal to create life-enhancing technology and drive societal progress. Additionally, this visit was a part of a larger educational program that included tours of other top tech entities like Google, TikTok, Yandex, and Aya University. These experiences offered the students a comprehensive insight into the digital realm, emphasizing the critical role of education in developing future innovators and leaders. 
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/deti3_4167151989.jpg" alt="deti3.jpg">

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XPANCEO Welcomes Future Innovators: KIBERone Students Visit the Laboratory   

A transparent and well-defined strategic vision is crucial for business success. XPANCEO sets global goals and our founder, Roman Axelrod, discusses the importance of a clear vision in shaping the destiny of your business. We invite you to read the full article

The concept of the "big picture" often attracts attention, yet it's true functional potency frequently lies concealed beneath its glamorous facade. If you search it on Google, you will find a variety of articles describing the benefits the company gets from developing this sort of vision in pretty vague terms: address everyday challenges, stay open-minded or more realistic, and adapt to changes easier. While all of this may be true, having the big picture has several much more practical benefits that shouldn’t be underestimated.

The practical importance of the big picture can be unveiled only when the comprehensive perspective is accurately defined. It's not solely about envisioning the future you aspire to achieve for your product; rather, it requires the creation of a meticulously crafted roadmap outlining the specific steps and strategies that will lead to that desired outcome.

Read the whole text here
[Name]()
HackerNoon [here](https://hackernoon.com/three-practical-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-big-picture).

© 2024 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

A transparent and well-defined strategic vision is crucial for business success. XPANCEO sets global goals and our founder, Roman Axelrod, discusses the importance of a clear vision in shaping the destiny of your business. We invite you to read the full article
The concept of the &quot;big picture&quot; often attracts attention, yet it's true functional potency frequently lies concealed beneath its glamorous facade. If you search it on Google, you will find a variety of articles describing the benefits the company gets from developing this sort of vision in pretty vague terms: address everyday challenges, stay open-minded or more realistic, and adapt to changes easier. While all of this may be true, having the big picture has several much more practical benefits that shouldn’t be underestimated.
The practical importance of the big picture can be unveiled only when the comprehensive perspective is accurately defined. It's not solely about envisioning the future you aspire to achieve for your product; rather, it requires the creation of a meticulously crafted roadmap outlining the specific steps and strategies that will lead to that desired outcome.
Read the whole text here
<a href="">Name</a>
HackerNoon <a href="https://hackernoon.com/three-practical-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-big-picture">here</a>.
© 2024 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Three Practical Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Big Picture

_XPANCEO's Founder, Roman Axelrod, shared with[ Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/09/13/three-reasons-why-reading-scientific-literature-is-a-must-for-entrepreneurs/) why reading scientific literature is crucial for businessmen. We invite you to explore the entire article below:_
![photo_2023-09-21_17-48-53.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2023_09_21_17_48_53_9f482540ba.jpg)


I’m a founder in deep technology, and for myself and others in this industry, carefully reading scientific papers is a cornerstone of credibility that affirms our expertise and forties our standing. Initially, that was the primary reason I began immersing myself in scientific research on a regular basis. However, not much time elapsed before I’ve come to recognize the undeniable power of scientific literature in shaping and enhancing my professional journey as an entrepreneur.

Even if you’re not keen on algorithms or equations and your business is the least technology-related possible, the allure of scientific literature remains just as potent for you. In the pages of research papers and scholarly articles, a treasure trove of insights awaits, capable of revolutionizing businesses across the spectrum. From my perspective, there are three compelling reasons why scientific literature isn't just a choice, but a necessity for entrepreneurs from all walks of professional life.

Read the whole text here
[ Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/09/13/three-reasons-why-reading-scientific-literature-is-a-must-for-entrepreneurs/) why reading scientific literature is crucial for businessmen. We invite you to explore the entire article below:_
![photo_2023-09-21_17-48-53.jpg]


XPANCEO's Founder, Roman Axelrod, shared with<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/09/13/three-reasons-why-reading-scientific-literature-is-a-must-for-entrepreneurs/"> Forbes</a> why reading scientific literature is crucial for businessmen. We invite you to explore the entire article below:
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/photo_2023_09_21_17_48_53_9f482540ba.jpg" alt="photo_2023-09-21_17-48-53.jpg">
I’m a founder in deep technology, and for myself and others in this industry, carefully reading scientific papers is a cornerstone of credibility that affirms our expertise and forties our standing. Initially, that was the primary reason I began immersing myself in scientific research on a regular basis. However, not much time elapsed before I’ve come to recognize the undeniable power of scientific literature in shaping and enhancing my professional journey as an entrepreneur.
Even if you’re not keen on algorithms or equations and your business is the least technology-related possible, the allure of scientific literature remains just as potent for you. In the pages of research papers and scholarly articles, a treasure trove of insights awaits, capable of revolutionizing businesses across the spectrum. From my perspective, there are three compelling reasons why scientific literature isn't just a choice, but a necessity for entrepreneurs from all walks of professional life.
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/09/13/three-reasons-why-reading-scientific-literature-is-a-must-for-entrepreneurs/"> Forbes</a> why reading scientific literature is crucial for businessmen. We invite you to explore the entire article below:_
![photo_2023-09-21_17-48-53.jpg]

Three Reasons Why Reading Scientific Literature Is A Must For Entrepreneurs

Smartphone sales have had their worst quarterly performance in over a decade, a fact that raises two big questions. Have the latest models finally bored the market with mere incremental improvements? And if they have, what will the next form factor (and function) be? Today a deep tech startup called XPANCEO is announcing $40 million in funding from a single investor, Opportunity Ventures in Hong Kong, to pursue its take on one of the possible answers to that question: computing devices in the form of smart contact lenses.

The company wants to make tech more simple, and it believes the way to do that is to make it seamless and more connected to how we operate every day. “All current computers will be obsolete [because] they’re not interchangeable,” said Roman Axelrod, who co-founded the startup with material scientist and physicist Valentyn S. Volkov. “We are enslaved by gadgets.”

Read the whole text here
[Tech Crunch](https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/16/xpanceo-a-deep-tech-startup-raises-40m-to-focus-on-smart-contact-lenses/)



Smartphone sales have had their worst quarterly performance in over a decade, a fact that raises two big questions. Have the latest models finally bored the market with mere incremental improvements? And if they have, what will the next form factor (and function) be? Today a deep tech startup called XPANCEO is announcing $40 million in funding from a single investor, Opportunity Ventures in Hong Kong, to pursue its take on one of the possible answers to that question: computing devices in the form of smart contact lenses.
The company wants to make tech more simple, and it believes the way to do that is to make it seamless and more connected to how we operate every day. “All current computers will be obsolete [because] they’re not interchangeable,” said Roman Axelrod, who co-founded the startup with material scientist and physicist Valentyn S. Volkov. “We are enslaved by gadgets.”
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/16/xpanceo-a-deep-tech-startup-raises-40m-to-focus-on-smart-contact-lenses/">Tech Crunch</a>

XPANCEO has raised $40M to focus on smart contact lenses

**What Happens to 2D Content in Smart Contact Lenses?**

Smart contact lenses can revolutionize the way we interact with 'flat', 2D content. Computer screens have been a staple for years, and despite numerous iterations and improvements, they've only experienced two fundamental shifts: from text to graphics, and from view-only to touchscreen. Everything else, including color, resolution, size, frequency, curvature, and imaging technology, are merely refinements to the core concept.

While visual output is essential, at least until we develop advanced non-invasive neural interfaces, it doesn't have to be confined to a flat, limited screen surface. A smart contact lens offers several modes that would typically require a full-screen viewing or working experience.

1. Desktop screen: A square flat screen could still be available if needed (and considering our familiarity with computer screens, this mode might be highly in demand). This mode would be useful when working or watching content in transit or in public, while preserving your privacy.

2. Living room TV: This is a larger version of the previous mode, anchored to a fixed point in your environment (like a wall), and shareable among multiple viewers. Here's where things get interesting - you could watch a movie together, fully synchronized, but each viewer could have their own subtitles or brightness settings, tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

3. Cinema screen: This mode is a virtual equivalent of a large curved desktop screen or an individual IMAX experience. While it's not a virtual reality experience, the content you're viewing would occupy most, if not all, of your field of view.

These modes involve intuitive, hands-free control, adaptive transparency, and contrast depending on circumstances, seamless switching between viewing content and other tasks, and the option to anchor the 'screen' to a fixed object in your physical environment or the viewer's gaze (e.g., attached to the treadmill display or moving with you around the gym). A combination of these features would also enable a 'tutorial' mode – where an instructional video feed could overlay what you're doing, providing easy visual cues for activities like cooking, origami, or maintenance routines.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

What Happens to 2D Content in Smart Contact Lenses?
Smart contact lenses can revolutionize the way we interact with 'flat', 2D content. Computer screens have been a staple for years, and despite numerous iterations and improvements, they've only experienced two fundamental shifts: from text to graphics, and from view-only to touchscreen. Everything else, including color, resolution, size, frequency, curvature, and imaging technology, are merely refinements to the core concept.
While visual output is essential, at least until we develop advanced non-invasive neural interfaces, it doesn't have to be confined to a flat, limited screen surface. A smart contact lens offers several modes that would typically require a full-screen viewing or working experience.
<ol>
<li>
Desktop screen: A square flat screen could still be available if needed (and considering our familiarity with computer screens, this mode might be highly in demand). This mode would be useful when working or watching content in transit or in public, while preserving your privacy.
</li>
<li>
Living room TV: This is a larger version of the previous mode, anchored to a fixed point in your environment (like a wall), and shareable among multiple viewers. Here's where things get interesting - you could watch a movie together, fully synchronized, but each viewer could have their own subtitles or brightness settings, tailored to their specific needs and preferences.
</li>
<li>
Cinema screen: This mode is a virtual equivalent of a large curved desktop screen or an individual IMAX experience. While it's not a virtual reality experience, the content you're viewing would occupy most, if not all, of your field of view.
</li>
</ol>
These modes involve intuitive, hands-free control, adaptive transparency, and contrast depending on circumstances, seamless switching between viewing content and other tasks, and the option to anchor the 'screen' to a fixed object in your physical environment or the viewer's gaze (e.g., attached to the treadmill display or moving with you around the gym). A combination of these features would also enable a 'tutorial' mode – where an instructional video feed could overlay what you're doing, providing easy visual cues for activities like cooking, origami, or maintenance routines.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

What Happens to 2D Content in Smart Contact Lenses?

## Recently, XPANCEO's Founder Roman Axelrod and Co-Founder, Scientific Partner Valentyn Volkov discussed with Wamda's reporter Triska Hamid how they're collaborating in Dubai to develop the next generation of computing via an invisible and weightless smart contact lens. This lens reinvents the whole concept of human-technology interaction and redefines the way we experience both real and digital worlds including social media, content consumption, and gaming. 

Read the whole text here
[Wamda](https://www.wamda.com/2023/08/worlds-smartest-contact-lenses-emerge-dubai)


<h2>Recently, XPANCEO's Founder Roman Axelrod and Co-Founder, Scientific Partner Valentyn Volkov discussed with Wamda's reporter Triska Hamid how they're collaborating in Dubai to develop the next generation of computing via an invisible and weightless smart contact lens. This lens reinvents the whole concept of human-technology interaction and redefines the way we experience both real and digital worlds including social media, content consumption, and gaming.</h2>
Read the whole text here
<a href="https://www.wamda.com/2023/08/worlds-smartest-contact-lenses-emerge-dubai">Wamda</a>

Will the world's smartest contact lenses emerge in Dubai?

As a member of European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) , XPANCEO has joined a network of leading photonics companies and institutions across Europe, dedicated to advancing photonics technology and its applications. Joining EPIC enables us to accelerate the process of developing the next generation of computing via an invisible and weightless smart contact lens.

As part of our affiliation with EPIC, our co-founder and scientific partner Valentyn Volkov took part in the presentation in EPIC Online Technology Meeting on Photonics for Wearables. His presentation was focused on "Low-Dimensional Materials for Advanced Biosensing Applications."

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to EPIC for this incredible opportunity and for recognizing our efforts in the photonics sector. We invite you to watch Valentyn's insightful presentation on YouTube via [the following link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l75QmbN5jwQ&list=PLkt3B6qkcOkCPFEd3tv23ufWO3cPIT-OT) (1:09:54)

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

As a member of European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) , XPANCEO has joined a network of leading photonics companies and institutions across Europe, dedicated to advancing photonics technology and its applications. Joining EPIC enables us to accelerate the process of developing the next generation of computing via an invisible and weightless smart contact lens.
As part of our affiliation with EPIC, our co-founder and scientific partner Valentyn Volkov took part in the presentation in EPIC Online Technology Meeting on Photonics for Wearables. His presentation was focused on &quot;Low-Dimensional Materials for Advanced Biosensing Applications.&quot;
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to EPIC for this incredible opportunity and for recognizing our efforts in the photonics sector. We invite you to watch Valentyn's insightful presentation on YouTube via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l75QmbN5jwQ&amp;list=PLkt3B6qkcOkCPFEd3tv23ufWO3cPIT-OT">the following link</a> (1:09:54)
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XPANCEO Joins EPIC - the European Photonics Industry Consortium

![Social4.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Social4_975bb4e905.jpg)

**XR To Bring 'Social' Back Into 'Social Media’**

Social media are not exactly popular these days. The conversation surrounding them is overwhelmingly negative: we no longer discuss their capacity to connect people, but rather focus on their shortcomings and detrimental effects on society and the individual. Where did it all go wrong? And are social networks beyond redemption?

Let’s analyze this: the fundamental problem is the social networks' inherent business model that centers on capturing and retaining your attention. However, they fail to offer much 'added value' for your real-life social experiences. Instead, they end up competing for your time and attention against your real-life social connections. The scenario is all too familiar: children glued to their individual screens at a party, spectators of a significant event viewing it through the cameras and screens of their phones, and people detracting from the enjoyment of a gathering by trying to document it rather than participating. Individuals are torn between life happening here and now, and their 'social' interaction online. And because social networks can afford to hire incredibly intelligent individuals, resisting the allure is a formidable challenge.

The idea of incorporating this into an XR device like a smart contact lens might seem like it would only amplify the negative aspects of social media. However, if you contemplate the difference between a small screen and the XR user experience for a moment longer, you'll understand why we believe that with mass adoption of XR computers, social media could finally become what their early adopters hoped it would be.

Instead, imagine a social network that lets you share your experiences with your friends without needing to oscillate between the 'tasks' of experiencing and sharing. You can invite others in and let them see and hear something the way you perceive it, all while remaining as engaged as you would be without any gadget or app. You can direct their attention to whatever you wish: your child in the middle of a dance recital, that underappreciated bass line, the tune that plays in your mind when you see that view. They can join your experience live and interact with you as naturally as if they were present, or they can view it later and catch up with you in a way more akin to current methods. This isn't a 'metaverse' where you need to escape from your real life, but rather your real life, enhanced.

Upon closer inspection of this scenario, it doesn't require a revolution in how social networks function, but rather a revolution in the devices we use to access social media. We need to break free from handheld devices with screens, and the need to 'operate' them to accomplish anything. Imagine a screen that spans your entire field of view, a user interface that is utterly intuitive for a human, video and audio capture capability that follows your focus, all packed into a design that is both literally and figuratively transparent and invisible.

A spatially and contextually aware wearable XR computer can finally turn social media into an enhancement of your real-life experience, not an alternative to it. A small phone screen has proved to be a highly efficient 'shield' between people and the world around them; a full field of view display could change that by becoming a layer, not a shield.

This is the smart lens that we're developing at XPANCEO. Stay tuned to hear more about extended computing use cases.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Social4_975bb4e905.jpg" alt="Social4.jpg">
XR To Bring 'Social' Back Into 'Social Media’
Social media are not exactly popular these days. The conversation surrounding them is overwhelmingly negative: we no longer discuss their capacity to connect people, but rather focus on their shortcomings and detrimental effects on society and the individual. Where did it all go wrong? And are social networks beyond redemption?
Let’s analyze this: the fundamental problem is the social networks' inherent business model that centers on capturing and retaining your attention. However, they fail to offer much 'added value' for your real-life social experiences. Instead, they end up competing for your time and attention against your real-life social connections. The scenario is all too familiar: children glued to their individual screens at a party, spectators of a significant event viewing it through the cameras and screens of their phones, and people detracting from the enjoyment of a gathering by trying to document it rather than participating. Individuals are torn between life happening here and now, and their 'social' interaction online. And because social networks can afford to hire incredibly intelligent individuals, resisting the allure is a formidable challenge.
The idea of incorporating this into an XR device like a smart contact lens might seem like it would only amplify the negative aspects of social media. However, if you contemplate the difference between a small screen and the XR user experience for a moment longer, you'll understand why we believe that with mass adoption of XR computers, social media could finally become what their early adopters hoped it would be.
Instead, imagine a social network that lets you share your experiences with your friends without needing to oscillate between the 'tasks' of experiencing and sharing. You can invite others in and let them see and hear something the way you perceive it, all while remaining as engaged as you would be without any gadget or app. You can direct their attention to whatever you wish: your child in the middle of a dance recital, that underappreciated bass line, the tune that plays in your mind when you see that view. They can join your experience live and interact with you as naturally as if they were present, or they can view it later and catch up with you in a way more akin to current methods. This isn't a 'metaverse' where you need to escape from your real life, but rather your real life, enhanced.
Upon closer inspection of this scenario, it doesn't require a revolution in how social networks function, but rather a revolution in the devices we use to access social media. We need to break free from handheld devices with screens, and the need to 'operate' them to accomplish anything. Imagine a screen that spans your entire field of view, a user interface that is utterly intuitive for a human, video and audio capture capability that follows your focus, all packed into a design that is both literally and figuratively transparent and invisible.
A spatially and contextually aware wearable XR computer can finally turn social media into an enhancement of your real-life experience, not an alternative to it. A small phone screen has proved to be a highly efficient 'shield' between people and the world around them; a full field of view display could change that by becoming a layer, not a shield.
This is the smart lens that we're developing at XPANCEO. Stay tuned to hear more about extended computing use cases.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XR To Bring 'Social' Back Into 'Social Media’

![svz.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/svz_806f8dbcf5.jpg)

The global digital healthcare market is expected to exceed $430 billion by 2028. One of its main drivers is the steady adoption of new technologies, with a considerable role played by XR. Our new article shares diverse scenarios on how XR can boost education, productivity, and training in the healthcare industry.

Extended Reality (XR), which merges virtual and real-world environments, is revolutionizing the delivery of acute and long-term care to patients in remote locations. Numerous organizations are actively striving to enhance the scalability of XR technologies in the healthcare sector. This article serves as an introduction to XR technologies in healthcare simulation, highlighting their numerous advantages and benefits.

Training and education:

- UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has implemented an XR-based medical training program that simulates surgical procedures and other medical scenarios. The training program helps doctors and other medical professionals develop their skills and gain experience in a safe and controlled environment.

- In the UK, Touch Surgery is an AR surgical training tool that allows surgeons to practice surgeries on virtual patients, providing a safe environment for medical students to learn with step-by-step guidance.

- Oxford Medical Simulation uses VR and AR technologies to provide a platform for medical students to practice decision-making in emergency situations. It allows students to experience medical emergencies in a realistic environment, which is difficult to replicate using traditional simulation methods.

- In 2020, Ajou University School of Medicine in Korea introduced an AR-based training system for medical students. The system uses AR technology to simulate the human anatomy in 3D, enabling students to practice invasive procedures such as laparoscopic surgery, endoscopy, and bronchoscopy.

Assistance:

- Proximie is an AR platform that allows remote surgery by connecting surgeons in different locations using AR technology. It enables surgeons to collaborate, consult with each other, and provide guidance during complex medical procedures. For example, Proximie Joints helps orthopedic surgeons during joint replacement procedures. The program allows surgeons to accurately map and plan the surgery in advance, then projects the plan onto the operating table to guide them.

- Hanyang University Hospital in Korea has been using an AR system to help guide spinal surgery since 2017. The system uses a camera and special glasses to project virtual images onto the patient's body, allowing the surgeon to see the patient's spine in real-time.

- The Samsung Medical Center in Seoul developed an AR-assisted nasal endoscopy system in 2019. The system combines an endoscope with AR tools to create a 3D model of the nasal cavity, allowing physicians to navigate and identify anatomical structures with greater precision.

- Seoul National University Bundang Hospital uses an AR-based navigation system for knee replacement surgery. The system utilizes a headset that projects a 3D image of the patient's knee, allowing the surgeon to improve the accuracy of bone cuts and prosthetic positioning. The system has reduced surgery time and improved patients' post-operative recovery.

Therapy:

- MIRA Rehab employs games-based rehabilitation therapy to assist people in recovering from medical procedures or accidents. It utilizes both VR and AR technologies to create an entertaining environment that helps patients forget about the medical aspect of their recovery. MIRA is a digital platform that employs motion tracking sensors to gamify physical therapy and increase patient compliance.

- The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced its plans to introduce Virtual Reality (VR) rehabilitation in physiotherapy for stroke patients, individuals with balance disorders, and children with developmental disorders, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson's syndrome. Scientific studies have proven the effectiveness of this innovative technique in the rehabilitation and treatment of many such cases. In the treatment of balance disorders, virtual reality serves as a safe and effective alternative to conventional therapy, improving patients' balance. Patients reported enjoying VR therapy without experiencing side effects, and with increased motivation.

- Virtofy is another AR-based platform used for physical therapy and rehabilitation. The platform provides patients with interactive exercises that utilize AR to offer feedback and guidance.

In a nutshell, XR plays an important role in education, training for medical stuff and serves and great interface between doctors and patients. The high cost of mistakes remains a factor even for trained professionals. AR tools that can guide doctors and nurses through routine processes can save time, help avoid errors, and improve the accessibility of these procedures for patients.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/svz_806f8dbcf5.jpg" alt="svz.jpg">
The global digital healthcare market is expected to exceed $430 billion by 2028. One of its main drivers is the steady adoption of new technologies, with a considerable role played by XR. Our new article shares diverse scenarios on how XR can boost education, productivity, and training in the healthcare industry.
Extended Reality (XR), which merges virtual and real-world environments, is revolutionizing the delivery of acute and long-term care to patients in remote locations. Numerous organizations are actively striving to enhance the scalability of XR technologies in the healthcare sector. This article serves as an introduction to XR technologies in healthcare simulation, highlighting their numerous advantages and benefits.
Training and education:
<ul>
<li>
UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has implemented an XR-based medical training program that simulates surgical procedures and other medical scenarios. The training program helps doctors and other medical professionals develop their skills and gain experience in a safe and controlled environment.
</li>
<li>
In the UK, Touch Surgery is an AR surgical training tool that allows surgeons to practice surgeries on virtual patients, providing a safe environment for medical students to learn with step-by-step guidance.
</li>
<li>
Oxford Medical Simulation uses VR and AR technologies to provide a platform for medical students to practice decision-making in emergency situations. It allows students to experience medical emergencies in a realistic environment, which is difficult to replicate using traditional simulation methods.
</li>
<li>
In 2020, Ajou University School of Medicine in Korea introduced an AR-based training system for medical students. The system uses AR technology to simulate the human anatomy in 3D, enabling students to practice invasive procedures such as laparoscopic surgery, endoscopy, and bronchoscopy.
</li>
</ul>
Assistance:
<ul>
<li>
Proximie is an AR platform that allows remote surgery by connecting surgeons in different locations using AR technology. It enables surgeons to collaborate, consult with each other, and provide guidance during complex medical procedures. For example, Proximie Joints helps orthopedic surgeons during joint replacement procedures. The program allows surgeons to accurately map and plan the surgery in advance, then projects the plan onto the operating table to guide them.
</li>
<li>
Hanyang University Hospital in Korea has been using an AR system to help guide spinal surgery since 2017. The system uses a camera and special glasses to project virtual images onto the patient's body, allowing the surgeon to see the patient's spine in real-time.
</li>
<li>
The Samsung Medical Center in Seoul developed an AR-assisted nasal endoscopy system in 2019. The system combines an endoscope with AR tools to create a 3D model of the nasal cavity, allowing physicians to navigate and identify anatomical structures with greater precision.
</li>
<li>
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital uses an AR-based navigation system for knee replacement surgery. The system utilizes a headset that projects a 3D image of the patient's knee, allowing the surgeon to improve the accuracy of bone cuts and prosthetic positioning. The system has reduced surgery time and improved patients' post-operative recovery.
</li>
</ul>
Therapy:
<ul>
<li>
MIRA Rehab employs games-based rehabilitation therapy to assist people in recovering from medical procedures or accidents. It utilizes both VR and AR technologies to create an entertaining environment that helps patients forget about the medical aspect of their recovery. MIRA is a digital platform that employs motion tracking sensors to gamify physical therapy and increase patient compliance.
</li>
<li>
The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced its plans to introduce Virtual Reality (VR) rehabilitation in physiotherapy for stroke patients, individuals with balance disorders, and children with developmental disorders, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson's syndrome. Scientific studies have proven the effectiveness of this innovative technique in the rehabilitation and treatment of many such cases. In the treatment of balance disorders, virtual reality serves as a safe and effective alternative to conventional therapy, improving patients' balance. Patients reported enjoying VR therapy without experiencing side effects, and with increased motivation.
</li>
<li>
Virtofy is another AR-based platform used for physical therapy and rehabilitation. The platform provides patients with interactive exercises that utilize AR to offer feedback and guidance.
</li>
</ul>
In a nutshell, XR plays an important role in education, training for medical stuff and serves and great interface between doctors and patients. The high cost of mistakes remains a factor even for trained professionals. AR tools that can guide doctors and nurses through routine processes can save time, help avoid errors, and improve the accessibility of these procedures for patients.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XR in Healthcare

![Eco_2.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Eco_2_12fcf48ede.jpg)

We have been discussing XR devices as the core of the next generation of personal computing since the inception of XPANCEO as a venture. Now, Apple has reinforced this vision by introducing the term 'spatial computing.' It is time to explore the ecosystem that will grow around this core.

Today, we want to focus on two major classes of new devices that will emerge, or the existing ones that will require radical redesign, to form an ecosystem for XR/spatial computers: spatial awareness devices and image/video capture devices.

1. Spatial Awareness

The term 'spatial computing' is particularly relevant here as it helps us understand the nature of the challenge. A laptop or desktop computer is essentially a 'spatially agnostic' device, where its physical position and orientation have minimal to no effect on the functionality of its applications. A phone is slightly more complex, incorporating proximity sensors and an accelerometer, but its spatial awareness is rudimentary. In contrast, XR smart contact lenses (or glasses, or headsets) have a unique relationship with their surroundings. They are physically integrated with their users, and the quality of the user experience depends significantly on their ability to position themselves in the environment, recognize objects and other gadgets, and utilize this spatial awareness.

Addressing this challenge involves two potential solutions. Firstly, the device itself can incorporate camera and sensor arrays combined with AI-powered image recognition to enhance spatial awareness capabilities. Secondly, we can anticipate the emergence of an ecosystem of products designed to work in conjunction with these XR devices. This ecosystem may include:

• NFC/Bluetooth beacons that assist XR devices in understanding their environment, adjusting settings, establishing connections with other appliances, and more. This process should be quicker and simpler than the current Bluetooth handshake, functioning as a layer above the actual device connection, where permissions are granted and ports are opened—a quick mapping of the surroundings.

• NFC/optical tags that enable an XR computer to identify relevant objects. These tags allow the XR computer to place video output, interface elements, and data overlays in the most convenient manner for the user, while also ensuring privacy protection. An XR computer can function without these tags, but they can enhance the user experience in specific contexts such as homes, offices, or shops.

• Taking it a step further, we can envision paints, fibers, and additives used in interior and industrial design to assist XR computers in recognizing objects and surfaces of interest and effectively interacting with them.

2. Video and Image Capture Devices

A camera (or camera array) is an essential component of an XR computer. However, the integration between external image/video capture devices and smart contact lenses or AR glasses opens up a realm of captivating opportunities. Two factors come into play in this regard: the more unobtrusive an XR device is, the more 'superpowers' it can provide to the user. Yet, it may have less powerful optics. Consider the following possibilities:

• External cameras offering higher quality or specific properties can connect to the XR computer, which acts as their control unit and viewfinder. With the increasing data transfer rates available today, we can reimagine what constitutes 'a camera.' Remote storage of captured media is becoming viable for higher-tier cameras, and the way we control the capture process can evolve accordingly.

• Another segment of connected external video capture devices includes CCTV cameras, baby monitors, and other XR computers, providing users with a sort of 3rd person view of their surroundings, even enabling them to see through walls.

This list of device classes is not exhaustive, and depending on the pace of innovation in battery design, wireless communication, storage, and encryption, various scenarios of XR ecosystem development can be imagined (e.g., wireless charging over distance, home data centers, etc.). Nonetheless, this offers some food for thought for the industry and anyone curious about the future of computing.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Eco_2_12fcf48ede.jpg" alt="Eco_2.jpg">
We have been discussing XR devices as the core of the next generation of personal computing since the inception of XPANCEO as a venture. Now, Apple has reinforced this vision by introducing the term 'spatial computing.' It is time to explore the ecosystem that will grow around this core.
Today, we want to focus on two major classes of new devices that will emerge, or the existing ones that will require radical redesign, to form an ecosystem for XR/spatial computers: spatial awareness devices and image/video capture devices.
<ol>
<li>Spatial Awareness</li>
</ol>
The term 'spatial computing' is particularly relevant here as it helps us understand the nature of the challenge. A laptop or desktop computer is essentially a 'spatially agnostic' device, where its physical position and orientation have minimal to no effect on the functionality of its applications. A phone is slightly more complex, incorporating proximity sensors and an accelerometer, but its spatial awareness is rudimentary. In contrast, XR smart contact lenses (or glasses, or headsets) have a unique relationship with their surroundings. They are physically integrated with their users, and the quality of the user experience depends significantly on their ability to position themselves in the environment, recognize objects and other gadgets, and utilize this spatial awareness.
Addressing this challenge involves two potential solutions. Firstly, the device itself can incorporate camera and sensor arrays combined with AI-powered image recognition to enhance spatial awareness capabilities. Secondly, we can anticipate the emergence of an ecosystem of products designed to work in conjunction with these XR devices. This ecosystem may include:
• NFC/Bluetooth beacons that assist XR devices in understanding their environment, adjusting settings, establishing connections with other appliances, and more. This process should be quicker and simpler than the current Bluetooth handshake, functioning as a layer above the actual device connection, where permissions are granted and ports are opened—a quick mapping of the surroundings.
• NFC/optical tags that enable an XR computer to identify relevant objects. These tags allow the XR computer to place video output, interface elements, and data overlays in the most convenient manner for the user, while also ensuring privacy protection. An XR computer can function without these tags, but they can enhance the user experience in specific contexts such as homes, offices, or shops.
• Taking it a step further, we can envision paints, fibers, and additives used in interior and industrial design to assist XR computers in recognizing objects and surfaces of interest and effectively interacting with them.
<ol start="2">
<li>Video and Image Capture Devices</li>
</ol>
A camera (or camera array) is an essential component of an XR computer. However, the integration between external image/video capture devices and smart contact lenses or AR glasses opens up a realm of captivating opportunities. Two factors come into play in this regard: the more unobtrusive an XR device is, the more 'superpowers' it can provide to the user. Yet, it may have less powerful optics. Consider the following possibilities:
• External cameras offering higher quality or specific properties can connect to the XR computer, which acts as their control unit and viewfinder. With the increasing data transfer rates available today, we can reimagine what constitutes 'a camera.' Remote storage of captured media is becoming viable for higher-tier cameras, and the way we control the capture process can evolve accordingly.
• Another segment of connected external video capture devices includes CCTV cameras, baby monitors, and other XR computers, providing users with a sort of 3rd person view of their surroundings, even enabling them to see through walls.
This list of device classes is not exhaustive, and depending on the pace of innovation in battery design, wireless communication, storage, and encryption, various scenarios of XR ecosystem development can be imagined (e.g., wireless charging over distance, home data centers, etc.). Nonetheless, this offers some food for thought for the industry and anyone curious about the future of computing.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XR Hardware Ecosystem

![Sport5.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Sport5_53f3be0359.jpg)

**The Benefits of Extended Reality for Sports**

So far, the introduction of AR and XR technologies to the world of sports has been sporadic at best. There are two major challenges that need to be addressed before we can herald a technological revolution in sports. The first is the conservatism of sports regulatory bodies, who often view new technology with high suspicion, primarily as a potential means to gain an unfair advantage. The second is the lack of a suitable device form-factor to enable this transformation.

Obviously, both are temporary obstacles: the conservatism of sports regulatory bodies will eventually have to reconcile with tech adoption, and innovation will provide a device form factor suitable for athletic applications. Moreover, it's the emergence of such a device and its adoption outside the realm of professional sports that will likely nudge sports officials in the right direction. Our vision for this device is, unsurprisingly, the smart contact lens. This must be a highly versatile, general-purpose device (not a specialized gadget like a bicycle computer) and robustly designed (a smart contact lens might seem fragile, but its wearing mode provides excellent protection, unlike glasses or headsets).

There are several avenues through which AR and XR is used in major sports:

- Fan Experience
- Performance Analytics
- Training and Exercise

**Enhanced Fan Experience:** Major sports are equal parts athletics and showbiz. There are multiple ways AR and XR can enhance the fan experience without affecting the essence of the sport in question. Any modern TV broadcast of a major sports event can provide an idea of what this could look like:

 • Data overlays displaying game statistics, player/athlete profiles, cues and pathways, guides, and playfield heatmaps. For instance, during the Euro 2020 tournament, Deutsche Telekom allowed fans to virtually pose with some of the German soccer team’s star players using a smartphone app.
 
 • Video overlays showing other athletes performing the same run, jump, swim, ride, or program element, allowing for performance comparisons.
 
 • Immersive video feeds offering fans a chance to see the game up close—think courtside seats at a basketball game, regardless of their physical location. During the Superbowl, Verizon and Pepsi created an immersive 360-degree Web AR portal experience for the half-time show. This portal allowed fans to watch performers live and toggle rapidly between different stage views.
 
 • All of these features can be on-demand, interactive, and personalized to individual needs and preferences.
 

**Performance Analytics:** Professional sports today are data-driven enterprises—from player drafting to individual technique, athletes, coaches, and managers use accumulated data to spot correlations, opportunities, and optimal paths. A smart contact lens can help athletes and their support staff utilize this data more effectively.

 • Real-time heads-up displays with vital signs and performance indicators usable on the go in any activity. 
 
 • Team performance animations that a coach can align with strategies to identify areas for improvement. 
 
 • Game and competition replays from various immersive perspectives.
 

And from here, there's an obvious next step to...

**Training and Exercise:** Not using all the capabilities listed under ‘Performance analytics’ in real-time during training exercises would miss a great opportunity. Essentially, all the same features offered to an athlete in real-time during their training can significantly boost their performance:

 • Overlays that show optimal moves, track balls, display distances, and angles—this can allow an athlete to perfect their technique and make better decisions. 
 
 • The same applies to coaches, who can provide superior guidance to their athletes using AR tools in review or even in real-time mode.
 

Once these tools become commonplace in everyday training routines, we will need just two things before AR/XR can be used in actual sports events:

 • A convention on what constitutes an unfair advantage and what doesn’t.
 
 • Tools to identify the use of devices like smart contact lenses and verify their compliance with the rules set for them.
 

The integration of AR and XR in the world of sports has opened up a new era of engagement, entertainment, and training. Fans can now enjoy an immersive viewing experience, while athletes benefit from innovative training methods and performance analysis. As these technologies continue to evolve, we can expect even more exciting advancements in the future, elevating the world of sports to unprecedented heights of interactivity and excellence.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Sport5_53f3be0359.jpg" alt="Sport5.jpg">
The Benefits of Extended Reality for Sports
So far, the introduction of AR and XR technologies to the world of sports has been sporadic at best. There are two major challenges that need to be addressed before we can herald a technological revolution in sports. The first is the conservatism of sports regulatory bodies, who often view new technology with high suspicion, primarily as a potential means to gain an unfair advantage. The second is the lack of a suitable device form-factor to enable this transformation.
Obviously, both are temporary obstacles: the conservatism of sports regulatory bodies will eventually have to reconcile with tech adoption, and innovation will provide a device form factor suitable for athletic applications. Moreover, it's the emergence of such a device and its adoption outside the realm of professional sports that will likely nudge sports officials in the right direction. Our vision for this device is, unsurprisingly, the smart contact lens. This must be a highly versatile, general-purpose device (not a specialized gadget like a bicycle computer) and robustly designed (a smart contact lens might seem fragile, but its wearing mode provides excellent protection, unlike glasses or headsets).
There are several avenues through which AR and XR is used in major sports:
<ul>
<li>Fan Experience</li>
<li>Performance Analytics</li>
<li>Training and Exercise</li>
</ul>
Enhanced Fan Experience: Major sports are equal parts athletics and showbiz. There are multiple ways AR and XR can enhance the fan experience without affecting the essence of the sport in question. Any modern TV broadcast of a major sports event can provide an idea of what this could look like:
• Data overlays displaying game statistics, player/athlete profiles, cues and pathways, guides, and playfield heatmaps. For instance, during the Euro 2020 tournament, Deutsche Telekom allowed fans to virtually pose with some of the German soccer team’s star players using a smartphone app.
• Video overlays showing other athletes performing the same run, jump, swim, ride, or program element, allowing for performance comparisons.
• Immersive video feeds offering fans a chance to see the game up close—think courtside seats at a basketball game, regardless of their physical location. During the Superbowl, Verizon and Pepsi created an immersive 360-degree Web AR portal experience for the half-time show. This portal allowed fans to watch performers live and toggle rapidly between different stage views.
• All of these features can be on-demand, interactive, and personalized to individual needs and preferences.
Performance Analytics: Professional sports today are data-driven enterprises—from player drafting to individual technique, athletes, coaches, and managers use accumulated data to spot correlations, opportunities, and optimal paths. A smart contact lens can help athletes and their support staff utilize this data more effectively.
• Real-time heads-up displays with vital signs and performance indicators usable on the go in any activity.
• Team performance animations that a coach can align with strategies to identify areas for improvement.
• Game and competition replays from various immersive perspectives.
And from here, there's an obvious next step to...
Training and Exercise: Not using all the capabilities listed under ‘Performance analytics’ in real-time during training exercises would miss a great opportunity. Essentially, all the same features offered to an athlete in real-time during their training can significantly boost their performance:
• Overlays that show optimal moves, track balls, display distances, and angles—this can allow an athlete to perfect their technique and make better decisions.
• The same applies to coaches, who can provide superior guidance to their athletes using AR tools in review or even in real-time mode.
Once these tools become commonplace in everyday training routines, we will need just two things before AR/XR can be used in actual sports events:
• A convention on what constitutes an unfair advantage and what doesn’t.
• Tools to identify the use of devices like smart contact lenses and verify their compliance with the rules set for them.
The integration of AR and XR in the world of sports has opened up a new era of engagement, entertainment, and training. Fans can now enjoy an immersive viewing experience, while athletes benefit from innovative training methods and performance analysis. As these technologies continue to evolve, we can expect even more exciting advancements in the future, elevating the world of sports to unprecedented heights of interactivity and excellence.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XR Can Trigger Tech Revolution in Sports

![XRAY1.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/XRAY_1_d2173f513d.jpg)

**Unveiling Hidden Realities**

In recent years, Augmented Reality (AR) has revolutionized the way we perceive and interact with our surroundings. While typically we talk about 'adding' more visual data to the user's field of view, one fascinating application of AR-enabled smart contact lenses involves 'removing' some objects a user sees and leveraging multiple sources of visual and other data to enable them to "see through walls."

Through the combination of computer vision, live and archived footage from various visual data sources (CCTV, device cameras, cloud-stored photos, aerial and satellite footage), thermal imaging, depth sensors, and other data sources, smart contact lenses can reconstruct the environment beyond physical barriers. This breakthrough opens up a host of exciting possibilities across various sectors:

Safety and Security:
AR-enabled CCTV systems can enhance safety measures in critical scenarios. For instance, firefighters responding to a burning building can utilize smart contact lenses to see through smoke and walls, gaining real-time information on potential hazards and trapped individuals.

Construction and Architecture:
In the construction industry, smart contact lenses can empower architects, engineers, and construction workers to visualize the hidden infrastructure within walls, enabling precise planning, minimizing errors, and optimizing space utilization.

Law Enforcement:
AR contact lenses can assist law enforcement agencies by enabling them to perceive the environment more comprehensively. This technology can provide valuable insights during hostage situations, helping officers assess the layout and the location of potential threats.

Urban Planning:
City planners can leverage smart contact lenses to gain insights into the hidden infrastructure, such as sewage systems, underground cables, or potential structural weaknesses, facilitating informed decision-making and reducing the risk of costly mistakes.

Of course, while the potential applications of AR and seeing through walls are vast, it is essential to address ethical concerns and overcome challenges associated with this technology. The sooner AR is recognized as a common technology, the sooner we can develop legal frameworks aimed at protecting individuals' rights and privacy. Additionally, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the AR overlays and maintaining a seamless user experience will be critical to widespread adoption.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/XRAY_1_d2173f513d.jpg" alt="XRAY1.jpg">
Unveiling Hidden Realities
In recent years, Augmented Reality (AR) has revolutionized the way we perceive and interact with our surroundings. While typically we talk about 'adding' more visual data to the user's field of view, one fascinating application of AR-enabled smart contact lenses involves 'removing' some objects a user sees and leveraging multiple sources of visual and other data to enable them to &quot;see through walls.&quot;
Through the combination of computer vision, live and archived footage from various visual data sources (CCTV, device cameras, cloud-stored photos, aerial and satellite footage), thermal imaging, depth sensors, and other data sources, smart contact lenses can reconstruct the environment beyond physical barriers. This breakthrough opens up a host of exciting possibilities across various sectors:
Safety and Security:
AR-enabled CCTV systems can enhance safety measures in critical scenarios. For instance, firefighters responding to a burning building can utilize smart contact lenses to see through smoke and walls, gaining real-time information on potential hazards and trapped individuals.
Construction and Architecture:
In the construction industry, smart contact lenses can empower architects, engineers, and construction workers to visualize the hidden infrastructure within walls, enabling precise planning, minimizing errors, and optimizing space utilization.
Law Enforcement:
AR contact lenses can assist law enforcement agencies by enabling them to perceive the environment more comprehensively. This technology can provide valuable insights during hostage situations, helping officers assess the layout and the location of potential threats.
Urban Planning:
City planners can leverage smart contact lenses to gain insights into the hidden infrastructure, such as sewage systems, underground cables, or potential structural weaknesses, facilitating informed decision-making and reducing the risk of costly mistakes.
Of course, while the potential applications of AR and seeing through walls are vast, it is essential to address ethical concerns and overcome challenges associated with this technology. The sooner AR is recognized as a common technology, the sooner we can develop legal frameworks aimed at protecting individuals' rights and privacy. Additionally, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the AR overlays and maintaining a seamless user experience will be critical to widespread adoption.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XRay Vision in Smart Contact Lenses

![ART2.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/ART_2_3431761dd2.jpg)

**Turning the Whole World into a Canvas**

A less commercially impactful but undeniably exciting application for AR smart contact lenses is in the field of art. We anticipate that both digital artists and fine arts experts will be early adopters of these lenses, and we can envision a multitude of ways in which they can incorporate them into their work.

Augmented reality provides a fresh space for artists to express themselves, enhance their artworks, or envelop their creations in interactive experiences. AR is liberating traditional works of art from the confines of galleries, breathing new life and relevance into them. By making the art experience more akin to a collaboration between viewer and artist rather than a mere lecture, AR allows artists to design interactive encounters where viewers can actively engage with their artwork, transforming passive observers into active participants.

The integration of AR technology pushes the boundaries of artistry and introduces innovative techniques and possibilities:

Shared Virtual Spaces: Artists can leverage AR to enter shared virtual spaces, where they can collaboratively build and manipulate digital artworks. These shared spaces serve as blank canvases, enabling artists to layer their creations and seamlessly merge their individual styles.

Dynamic Art Exhibitions: AR-enabled devices and lenses offer a unique opportunity for artists to curate dynamic and ever-evolving exhibitions. Art installations can adapt and transform as viewers explore them, responding to their movements, actions, and personal preferences.

Collaborative Performance Art: Performers wearing AR-enabled contact lenses can create mesmerizing visual spectacles by integrating virtual elements into their performances. These lenses can synchronize with music, choreography, and other artistic elements, enhancing the overall experience.

Furthermore, AR technology will ignite advancements in art education by providing students with enhanced visualization capabilities. AR can overlay digital content, such as 3D models, animations, or historical context, directly onto real-world artworks. This immersive experience allows students to explore art in new dimensions, gaining deeper insights and understanding.

Students can interact with virtual elements, such as dissecting and examining the layers of famous paintings or sculptures, understanding brushstrokes, or even virtually stepping into the artist's studio. This interactive learning approach fosters creativity and critical thinking skills.

AR-enabled smart contact lenses offer a groundbreaking platform for artistic collaboration, unlocking new dimensions of creativity and expression. Artists can leverage this technology to collaborate across distances, create interactive installations, and push the boundaries of traditional art forms. As this technology continues to evolve, addressing challenges and ensuring accessibility, artists can look forward to an era of boundless collaboration and artistic exploration, where imagination knows no bounds.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/ART_2_3431761dd2.jpg" alt="ART2.jpg">
Turning the Whole World into a Canvas
A less commercially impactful but undeniably exciting application for AR smart contact lenses is in the field of art. We anticipate that both digital artists and fine arts experts will be early adopters of these lenses, and we can envision a multitude of ways in which they can incorporate them into their work.
Augmented reality provides a fresh space for artists to express themselves, enhance their artworks, or envelop their creations in interactive experiences. AR is liberating traditional works of art from the confines of galleries, breathing new life and relevance into them. By making the art experience more akin to a collaboration between viewer and artist rather than a mere lecture, AR allows artists to design interactive encounters where viewers can actively engage with their artwork, transforming passive observers into active participants.
The integration of AR technology pushes the boundaries of artistry and introduces innovative techniques and possibilities:
Shared Virtual Spaces: Artists can leverage AR to enter shared virtual spaces, where they can collaboratively build and manipulate digital artworks. These shared spaces serve as blank canvases, enabling artists to layer their creations and seamlessly merge their individual styles.
Dynamic Art Exhibitions: AR-enabled devices and lenses offer a unique opportunity for artists to curate dynamic and ever-evolving exhibitions. Art installations can adapt and transform as viewers explore them, responding to their movements, actions, and personal preferences.
Collaborative Performance Art: Performers wearing AR-enabled contact lenses can create mesmerizing visual spectacles by integrating virtual elements into their performances. These lenses can synchronize with music, choreography, and other artistic elements, enhancing the overall experience.
Furthermore, AR technology will ignite advancements in art education by providing students with enhanced visualization capabilities. AR can overlay digital content, such as 3D models, animations, or historical context, directly onto real-world artworks. This immersive experience allows students to explore art in new dimensions, gaining deeper insights and understanding.
Students can interact with virtual elements, such as dissecting and examining the layers of famous paintings or sculptures, understanding brushstrokes, or even virtually stepping into the artist's studio. This interactive learning approach fosters creativity and critical thinking skills.
AR-enabled smart contact lenses offer a groundbreaking platform for artistic collaboration, unlocking new dimensions of creativity and expression. Artists can leverage this technology to collaborate across distances, create interactive installations, and push the boundaries of traditional art forms. As this technology continues to evolve, addressing challenges and ensuring accessibility, artists can look forward to an era of boundless collaboration and artistic exploration, where imagination knows no bounds.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Turning the Whole World into a Canvas

![gghhhhh.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/gghhhhh_0032ed9371.jpg)

Controlling matter using light is one of the most advanced approaches in physics and nanophotonics, as it offers extraordinary possibilities for the development of advanced electronics and quantum computing.

Traditionally, when material interacts with light, it does so as a bulk material. To enable interaction between atoms and photons (referred to in scientific terms as 'coupling') at the quantum level, special enclosures known as nanoscale optical resonators (nano-resonators) are utilized. These are devices that allow us to "trap" light. Optical nanoresonators are essential components in various nanotechnological applications, including spectroscopy, due to their capability to effectively confine light at the nanoscale. When light enters these 'boxes', it bounces off the walls and cannot escape.

A resonator can also be thought of as a device that vibrates at a specific frequency, much like a guitar string. When a molecule or biological particle comes into contact with the nanoresonator's surface, the frequency changes, akin to a finger moving along a guitar string. As these bounces or vibrations occur within very specific frequency bands, they can be utilized to develop a variety of useful devices for spectroscopic applications, such as biosensors and photodetectors. By measuring how much the nanoresonator’s frequency changes, it's possible to identify the substance in question.

Our recent research paper, published in npj 2D Materials and Applications (a Nature partner journal), co-authored by XPANCEO co-founder and CTO Valentyn Volkov, along with a group of remarkable scientists from various universities and research centers in Spain, demonstrates the potential to create a new class of mid-IR resonators using MoO3 crystals. These crystals not only display the extraordinary properties previously reported but also introduce a new degree of freedom: twist tuning. This is the ability to control their spectral response by simply rotating the constituent material.

MoO3 is a van der Waals material that is layered and anisotropic, allowing light to couple with the crystal lattice's fluctuations. When we place a crystal like this on a metal lattice and rotate them relative to each other, the trapped light within the crystal 'senses' it, and we can therefore control the light inside the crystal. This capability enables us to adjust the resonator's frequency for specific practical applications. For example, we can create an extremely sensitive biosensor by tuning the resonator to the frequency range of a particular molecule.

For those interested in delving into the specifics of this research project, we invite you to read the full paper in npj 2D Materials and Applications: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-023-00387-z

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/gghhhhh_0032ed9371.jpg" alt="gghhhhh.jpg">
Controlling matter using light is one of the most advanced approaches in physics and nanophotonics, as it offers extraordinary possibilities for the development of advanced electronics and quantum computing.
Traditionally, when material interacts with light, it does so as a bulk material. To enable interaction between atoms and photons (referred to in scientific terms as 'coupling') at the quantum level, special enclosures known as nanoscale optical resonators (nano-resonators) are utilized. These are devices that allow us to &quot;trap&quot; light. Optical nanoresonators are essential components in various nanotechnological applications, including spectroscopy, due to their capability to effectively confine light at the nanoscale. When light enters these 'boxes', it bounces off the walls and cannot escape.
A resonator can also be thought of as a device that vibrates at a specific frequency, much like a guitar string. When a molecule or biological particle comes into contact with the nanoresonator's surface, the frequency changes, akin to a finger moving along a guitar string. As these bounces or vibrations occur within very specific frequency bands, they can be utilized to develop a variety of useful devices for spectroscopic applications, such as biosensors and photodetectors. By measuring how much the nanoresonator’s frequency changes, it's possible to identify the substance in question.
Our recent research paper, published in npj 2D Materials and Applications (a Nature partner journal), co-authored by XPANCEO co-founder and CTO Valentyn Volkov, along with a group of remarkable scientists from various universities and research centers in Spain, demonstrates the potential to create a new class of mid-IR resonators using MoO3 crystals. These crystals not only display the extraordinary properties previously reported but also introduce a new degree of freedom: twist tuning. This is the ability to control their spectral response by simply rotating the constituent material.
MoO3 is a van der Waals material that is layered and anisotropic, allowing light to couple with the crystal lattice's fluctuations. When we place a crystal like this on a metal lattice and rotate them relative to each other, the trapped light within the crystal 'senses' it, and we can therefore control the light inside the crystal. This capability enables us to adjust the resonator's frequency for specific practical applications. For example, we can create an extremely sensitive biosensor by tuning the resonator to the frequency range of a particular molecule.
For those interested in delving into the specifics of this research project, we invite you to read the full paper in npj 2D Materials and Applications: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-023-00387-z
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Trapping Light with a New Type of Nanoresonators

![Frontier2 (1).jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Frontier2_1_82eb0b32c8.jpg)

In a **[piece](https://www.thevrara.com/blog2/2023/7/6/the-role-of-frontier-technologies-in-the-future-of-ar)** for the VR/AR Association, Alexander Belugin, CPO of XPANCEO, shares our approach to overcoming the challenges of display technology, power consumption, battery life, and connectivity barriers in current AR devices. He explores how these issues could be mitigated through breakthroughs in engineering and the use of novel materials.

The smart lens as a form factor brings radical improvements in data usage and energy consumption. We firmly believe that the future of AR and XR hinges on surpassing today's industry standards and instead focusing on the latest advancements in engineering and science.

There was a remarkable [interview](https://mixed-news.com/en/why-augmented-reality-is-so-freaking-hard/) with Display expert Karl Guttag about technical hurdles in developing AR-glasses suitable for the masses.

We'd like to delve further into this topic and examine it from a different perspective. Suppose AR glasses are merely an intermediate product. How might advancements in engineering and science  aid in the miniaturization of AR devices? Such progress could potentially transform these devices into everyday gadgets, serving as indispensable assistants much like today's smartphones

In this article we will examine the several  major technological  barriers of AR glasses and explore possible pathways for solutions.

**Display Technology:**

One of the main challenges is the development of a compact display that can superimpose digital images onto the real world without reducing the quality of what the user is seeing. Current AR technologies often struggle to find a balance between creating high-resolution images and keeping the device small and lightweight. Another considerable challenge is a limited FOV.

**Solution**

Many of these issues could be resolved simply by changing the form factor. For AR contact lenses, field of view (FOV) is not a problem. In fact, they can always provide a 100% FOV, as the display is located on the central axis of the eye and follows it wherever we look.

In large headsets, a see-through system based on cameras is implemented, which in itself is bulky, or regular glasses cannot handle bright light, resulting in issues with brightness and contrast. On smart lenses, the image is positioned "in front of" the external light and, with a touch of polarization effect that protects an image from discoloring.

If the screen is placed on a contact lens, a high pixel density is needed only in the very center, in a zone about 2x2 degrees, because our eyes distinguish details only in this area. Traditional headsets attempt to leverage this aspect of our vision by reducing the rendering quality in areas of the screen where the user isn't looking. In the case of a contact lens, there simply won't be any superfluous pixels, which will also decrease power consumption and computational load.

Interestingly, it's possible to eliminate approximately 90% of pixels, given how poorly our eyes distinguish details and shades outside the main field of view.  Hiding  90% of pixels will drive significant improvements in data usage and energy consumption.

Another important aspect is the waveguide. Improvements in waveguide technologies can significantly enhance the display and overall performance of AR devices, playing a critical role in form factor, miniaturization, power efficiency, and battery life. Frontier physics has made it possible to create waveguides from graphene-like 2D and low-dimensional materials. This advancement allows for the construction of a waveguide that is up to 100 times smaller than traditional waveguides (1.7mm) used in current AR devices.

**Power Consumption & Battery Life:**

AR glasses require a significant amount of power to run, particularly if they include features such as 3D tracking, gesture recognition, or complex visual overlays. Reducing the size of smart glasses will make it even harder to equip it with a suitable battery.

**Solution**

It is possible to reduce power consumption by a factor of 100 by positioning the screen directly in front of the user's eye. This cuts the pixel brightness requirements several times over, and it's only necessary to maintain pixel density at the center, as mentioned earlier. The entire smart lens consumes less than 0.1 Watt in active mode, while traditional glasses consume between 3 to 10 Watts.

The combination of low power consumption and the need for fast connectivity brings us closer to fulfilling the dream of creating a device that is entirely powered by 5G and 6G networks. Research projects already [exist](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a35407385/wireless-power-grid-5g/) that conceptualize a wireless power grid running on 5G's mm-wave frequencies.

Another extremely prospective solution is equipping an AR device with a tiny solar battery made from a new class of materials – perovskites. Perovskites offer significant potential for solar energy harvesting and outperform silicon in terms of production cost. Moreover, perovskite solar cells can be made flexible, which opens up a multitude of possibilities for their use. This includes incorporation into wearable technology or deployment on uneven surfaces.

**Connectivity**

Let me begin with latency, as it's a critical aspect of all AR and VR systems. Since the human visual system is extremely sensitive to lag, 5 milliseconds of latency or less is required in optical see-through  systems in order to remain unnoticed by the user.

Achieving 2-5 millisecond lag for a seamless AR experience is extremely challenging. To transmit two images with 4K resolution, a stable and wide communication channel is necessary. Traditional connectivity protocols like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB, as well as their appropriate chipsets, are not suitable for further miniaturization of glasses. This is because these protocols were not designed for low lag, small data sizes, and ultra-low power consumption. However, using these protocols can result in lag and other issues that diminish the AR experience. On the other hand, standalone AR glasses require more power and larger processors, which makes miniaturization more challenging.

**Solution**

To address the challenge of miniaturization, reducing power consumption, and achieving a lag of 2-5 milliseconds required for augmented reality operation, the industry will need to adopt a new protocol.

Another challenge is the size of the antenna, which is quite significant in size. A potential solution is to develop transparent antennas made of atomically thin gold or copper, with sizes around 5-20 nanometers. These materials maintain high conductivity, while the antenna becomes invisible to the human eye. Additionally, the reduced pixel count allows for a 10-fold reduction in data transmission channel bandwidth requirements.

In a nutshell, we observe how the progress of AR devices simultaneously depends on and drives the most advanced engineering and scientific directions. Yes, it will be a long journey, but that makes it all the more interesting. Right before our eyes, a completely new class of devices is emerging, which will change the usual ways we live and work. It's wonderful to witness this development.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Frontier2_1_82eb0b32c8.jpg" alt="Frontier2 (1).jpg">
In a <a href="https://www.thevrara.com/blog2/2023/7/6/the-role-of-frontier-technologies-in-the-future-of-ar">piece</a> for the VR/AR Association, Alexander Belugin, CPO of XPANCEO, shares our approach to overcoming the challenges of display technology, power consumption, battery life, and connectivity barriers in current AR devices. He explores how these issues could be mitigated through breakthroughs in engineering and the use of novel materials.
The smart lens as a form factor brings radical improvements in data usage and energy consumption. We firmly believe that the future of AR and XR hinges on surpassing today's industry standards and instead focusing on the latest advancements in engineering and science.
There was a remarkable <a href="https://mixed-news.com/en/why-augmented-reality-is-so-freaking-hard/">interview</a> with Display expert Karl Guttag about technical hurdles in developing AR-glasses suitable for the masses.
We'd like to delve further into this topic and examine it from a different perspective. Suppose AR glasses are merely an intermediate product. How might advancements in engineering and science  aid in the miniaturization of AR devices? Such progress could potentially transform these devices into everyday gadgets, serving as indispensable assistants much like today's smartphones
In this article we will examine the several  major technological  barriers of AR glasses and explore possible pathways for solutions.
Display Technology:
One of the main challenges is the development of a compact display that can superimpose digital images onto the real world without reducing the quality of what the user is seeing. Current AR technologies often struggle to find a balance between creating high-resolution images and keeping the device small and lightweight. Another considerable challenge is a limited FOV.
Solution
Many of these issues could be resolved simply by changing the form factor. For AR contact lenses, field of view (FOV) is not a problem. In fact, they can always provide a 100% FOV, as the display is located on the central axis of the eye and follows it wherever we look.
In large headsets, a see-through system based on cameras is implemented, which in itself is bulky, or regular glasses cannot handle bright light, resulting in issues with brightness and contrast. On smart lenses, the image is positioned &quot;in front of&quot; the external light and, with a touch of polarization effect that protects an image from discoloring.
If the screen is placed on a contact lens, a high pixel density is needed only in the very center, in a zone about 2x2 degrees, because our eyes distinguish details only in this area. Traditional headsets attempt to leverage this aspect of our vision by reducing the rendering quality in areas of the screen where the user isn't looking. In the case of a contact lens, there simply won't be any superfluous pixels, which will also decrease power consumption and computational load.
Interestingly, it's possible to eliminate approximately 90% of pixels, given how poorly our eyes distinguish details and shades outside the main field of view.  Hiding  90% of pixels will drive significant improvements in data usage and energy consumption.
Another important aspect is the waveguide. Improvements in waveguide technologies can significantly enhance the display and overall performance of AR devices, playing a critical role in form factor, miniaturization, power efficiency, and battery life. Frontier physics has made it possible to create waveguides from graphene-like 2D and low-dimensional materials. This advancement allows for the construction of a waveguide that is up to 100 times smaller than traditional waveguides (1.7mm) used in current AR devices.
Power Consumption &amp; Battery Life:
AR glasses require a significant amount of power to run, particularly if they include features such as 3D tracking, gesture recognition, or complex visual overlays. Reducing the size of smart glasses will make it even harder to equip it with a suitable battery.
Solution
It is possible to reduce power consumption by a factor of 100 by positioning the screen directly in front of the user's eye. This cuts the pixel brightness requirements several times over, and it's only necessary to maintain pixel density at the center, as mentioned earlier. The entire smart lens consumes less than 0.1 Watt in active mode, while traditional glasses consume between 3 to 10 Watts.
The combination of low power consumption and the need for fast connectivity brings us closer to fulfilling the dream of creating a device that is entirely powered by 5G and 6G networks. Research projects already <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a35407385/wireless-power-grid-5g/">exist</a> that conceptualize a wireless power grid running on 5G's mm-wave frequencies.
Another extremely prospective solution is equipping an AR device with a tiny solar battery made from a new class of materials – perovskites. Perovskites offer significant potential for solar energy harvesting and outperform silicon in terms of production cost. Moreover, perovskite solar cells can be made flexible, which opens up a multitude of possibilities for their use. This includes incorporation into wearable technology or deployment on uneven surfaces.
Connectivity
Let me begin with latency, as it's a critical aspect of all AR and VR systems. Since the human visual system is extremely sensitive to lag, 5 milliseconds of latency or less is required in optical see-through  systems in order to remain unnoticed by the user.
Achieving 2-5 millisecond lag for a seamless AR experience is extremely challenging. To transmit two images with 4K resolution, a stable and wide communication channel is necessary. Traditional connectivity protocols like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB, as well as their appropriate chipsets, are not suitable for further miniaturization of glasses. This is because these protocols were not designed for low lag, small data sizes, and ultra-low power consumption. However, using these protocols can result in lag and other issues that diminish the AR experience. On the other hand, standalone AR glasses require more power and larger processors, which makes miniaturization more challenging.
Solution
To address the challenge of miniaturization, reducing power consumption, and achieving a lag of 2-5 milliseconds required for augmented reality operation, the industry will need to adopt a new protocol.
Another challenge is the size of the antenna, which is quite significant in size. A potential solution is to develop transparent antennas made of atomically thin gold or copper, with sizes around 5-20 nanometers. These materials maintain high conductivity, while the antenna becomes invisible to the human eye. Additionally, the reduced pixel count allows for a 10-fold reduction in data transmission channel bandwidth requirements.
In a nutshell, we observe how the progress of AR devices simultaneously depends on and drives the most advanced engineering and scientific directions. Yes, it will be a long journey, but that makes it all the more interesting. Right before our eyes, a completely new class of devices is emerging, which will change the usual ways we live and work. It's wonderful to witness this development.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

The Role of Frontier Technologies in the Future of AR

XR (extended reality) has the potential to revolutionize education, but the most significant shift is not expected to occur in schools or universities. To understand why and where XR will have the most significant impact, we need to differentiate between learning as a cognitive process and education as a system.

While immersive tours of ancient Rome or interactive 3D models of the solar system, molecules, or frogs are amazing tools for primary and secondary education, they don't solve the problems faced by the education system, such as funding, safety, equality, and curriculum.

AR and VR applications in education can make a big impact on vocational training by accelerating the learning process, delivering smart contact lenses that blur the lines between training, apprenticeship, and doing the job, making professional certifications fully digital, and increasing workforce mobility by accelerating and streamlining training, re-training, and certification.

In conclusion, while XR has the potential to revolutionize education, its biggest impact is expected to be in vocational training for specific jobs and on-the-job training, primarily blue-collar. Despite being less "photogenic" than other education applications, XR can make a significant impact by delivering accelerated and streamlined training, re-training, and certification, thereby increasing workforce mobility and benefiting both employers and employees.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

XR (extended reality) has the potential to revolutionize education, but the most significant shift is not expected to occur in schools or universities. To understand why and where XR will have the most significant impact, we need to differentiate between learning as a cognitive process and education as a system.
While immersive tours of ancient Rome or interactive 3D models of the solar system, molecules, or frogs are amazing tools for primary and secondary education, they don't solve the problems faced by the education system, such as funding, safety, equality, and curriculum.
AR and VR applications in education can make a big impact on vocational training by accelerating the learning process, delivering smart contact lenses that blur the lines between training, apprenticeship, and doing the job, making professional certifications fully digital, and increasing workforce mobility by accelerating and streamlining training, re-training, and certification.
In conclusion, while XR has the potential to revolutionize education, its biggest impact is expected to be in vocational training for specific jobs and on-the-job training, primarily blue-collar. Despite being less &quot;photogenic&quot; than other education applications, XR can make a significant impact by delivering accelerated and streamlined training, re-training, and certification, thereby increasing workforce mobility and benefiting both employers and employees.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

The Real XR Revolution in Education (is not what you think)

![2d age4.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/2d_age4_1a68a02471.jpg)

The future of computing will be determined by the new materials more than anything else. Novel materials are key to unlocking further progress in semiconductor miniaturization, performance, and energy efficiency. This is why XPANCEO as a company has staffed its R&D department with world-leading talent in 2D materials. Why do we find new materials so essential to the task of building the next generation of personal computing devices? The answer is more complex than you may expect.

Have you ever noticed how one of the most common ways to categorize the stages of human civilization is based on the prevailing material: stone age, bronze age, or iron age? And while you’re pondering that, ask yourself: what age are we in? As our technology becomes more complicated multiple legitimate answers to this question emerge: metals still play a huge role, but so do synthetic materials. And then there is silicon, of course. If you ask me to pick one material to name the current ‘age’, I would say ‘silicon’ but also immediately add that a new era is about to dawn.

There was a good reason Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov received the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics for their groundbreaking research on graphene. It was a glimpse into the future; the first of many materials that we’ve come to call ‘2D’ or ‘single-layer’ materials. They have one definitive property: their atomic lattices are exactly that — single layers. The atoms are still bound together in two dimensions, however, the forces that were previously ‘busy’ binding the crystal in the 3rd dimension are now free and give these materials a whole range of radically new properties that you don’t see in any of their ‘normal’ equivalents. And these properties are truly fascinating.

Let’s consider the product we are working on — a personal computer embedded in a contact lens — and see how 2D materials are critical to building it.

1. If we want to pack all the necessary components into a lens we are going to need levels of miniaturization that traditional material simply cannot offer. 2D materials are not just ‘thinner’ — they allow us to create waveguides and other optical components that defy the most important limitation — the diffraction limit. For that reason, they can be made smaller than half the wavelength of visible light. We are talking about nanometers here.
2. Next are electrodes and antennae. Traditional conductors are not going to work in a device like a lens — we want them to be both flexible and transparent. Working with 2D materials, we have developed a method for making metallic films that both are transparent and can successfully replace metals in electronics. We can have gold or copper wiring in the lens that would not obstruct the view.
3. Most importantly, we are now in a phase of assembling a toolbox for the future: the whole semiconductor segment can be reimagined based on 2D materials. Moreover, we can build photonic devices that can match the scale of electronic semiconductors and shift the whole industry towards photonics.
4. Finally, and this is very important for our vision of how personal devices are going to evolve: 2D materials open new possibilities for sensorics, bio-compatibility, and overall better human-machine integration (which is a whole separate subject).
While building a lens that would be actually wearable and functional requires 2D materials, the lens is just one example of the transformation the industry will have to undergo in order to evolve to the next stage. And maybe this new age won’t be referred to by its key material, but it would nevertheless be strongly dependent on some of them.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/2d_age4_1a68a02471.jpg" alt="2d age4.jpg">
The future of computing will be determined by the new materials more than anything else. Novel materials are key to unlocking further progress in semiconductor miniaturization, performance, and energy efficiency. This is why XPANCEO as a company has staffed its R&amp;D department with world-leading talent in 2D materials. Why do we find new materials so essential to the task of building the next generation of personal computing devices? The answer is more complex than you may expect.
Have you ever noticed how one of the most common ways to categorize the stages of human civilization is based on the prevailing material: stone age, bronze age, or iron age? And while you’re pondering that, ask yourself: what age are we in? As our technology becomes more complicated multiple legitimate answers to this question emerge: metals still play a huge role, but so do synthetic materials. And then there is silicon, of course. If you ask me to pick one material to name the current ‘age’, I would say ‘silicon’ but also immediately add that a new era is about to dawn.
There was a good reason Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov received the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics for their groundbreaking research on graphene. It was a glimpse into the future; the first of many materials that we’ve come to call ‘2D’ or ‘single-layer’ materials. They have one definitive property: their atomic lattices are exactly that — single layers. The atoms are still bound together in two dimensions, however, the forces that were previously ‘busy’ binding the crystal in the 3rd dimension are now free and give these materials a whole range of radically new properties that you don’t see in any of their ‘normal’ equivalents. And these properties are truly fascinating.
Let’s consider the product we are working on — a personal computer embedded in a contact lens — and see how 2D materials are critical to building it.
<ol>
<li>If we want to pack all the necessary components into a lens we are going to need levels of miniaturization that traditional material simply cannot offer. 2D materials are not just ‘thinner’ — they allow us to create waveguides and other optical components that defy the most important limitation — the diffraction limit. For that reason, they can be made smaller than half the wavelength of visible light. We are talking about nanometers here.</li>
<li>Next are electrodes and antennae. Traditional conductors are not going to work in a device like a lens — we want them to be both flexible and transparent. Working with 2D materials, we have developed a method for making metallic films that both are transparent and can successfully replace metals in electronics. We can have gold or copper wiring in the lens that would not obstruct the view.</li>
<li>Most importantly, we are now in a phase of assembling a toolbox for the future: the whole semiconductor segment can be reimagined based on 2D materials. Moreover, we can build photonic devices that can match the scale of electronic semiconductors and shift the whole industry towards photonics.</li>
<li>Finally, and this is very important for our vision of how personal devices are going to evolve: 2D materials open new possibilities for sensorics, bio-compatibility, and overall better human-machine integration (which is a whole separate subject).
While building a lens that would be actually wearable and functional requires 2D materials, the lens is just one example of the transformation the industry will have to undergo in order to evolve to the next stage. And maybe this new age won’t be referred to by its key material, but it would nevertheless be strongly dependent on some of them.</li>
</ol>
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

The Role of 2D Materials in Creating a Smart Lens

![FutureG8.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Future_G8_410485692a.jpg)

The way we interact with technology has undergone a dramatic transformation since the introduction of personal computers, largely thanks to gaming. Although computers were initially designed for engineering and scientific purposes, once they received widespread adoption, gaming quickly became one of their most common applications. Playing video games has persistently pushed the boundaries of technology and creativity, driving the advancement of personal computers. Now, with the development of emerging computing devices like smart contact lenses, we stand on the brink of a new era in gaming.

We will intentionally bypass a discussion on the changes these advancements could bring to first-person games. This genre has already been thoroughly explored and enhanced with the evolution of virtual reality technology. However, smart contact lenses aim to elevate gaming experiences to a whole new level, making them not just tolerable but genuinely enjoyable, without the need for cumbersome equipment strapped to your face. Replacing the VR helmet with smart lenses could add a fresh appeal to these immersive games. While they may not alter the nature of gameplay, they could potentially draw in a significant number of new users, much like mobile phone games have attracted a wider audience compared to handheld gaming consoles.

The truly novel experience that smart lenses can enable is a game that unfolds within your real-world surroundings. The possibilities are limitless — we can already see the foundational blocks of these new game formats in various AR apps available for mobile phones. However, these are merely a sneak preview of what’s yet to come.

One day, you might find yourself leading a brave group of adventurers, defending a small bastion situated on your coffee table against hordes of orcs marching across the floor and transforming your carpet into a mystical lake. On another day, you could navigate through a thrilling race track winding through your own apartment, dodging obstacles and competing against virtual opponents. Or, perhaps, you and a friend could reenact a famous historical battle, each adopting a different side and strategizing to outmaneuver the other. The boundaries between reality and virtuality blur as you construct a railway network in your own backyard or engage in an exciting football match right on your desk. The best part? These games can be played against both artificial intelligence and human opponents, with each player sharing the same reality yet experiencing it from unique perspectives.

Smart lenses hold the key to seamlessly merging virtual and real worlds. They combine the tactile and social elements of traditional board games with the limitless possibilities and immersive nature of computer games. Gone are the days when you had to choose between physical board games and digital experiences. With smart lenses, you can enjoy the best of both worlds, creating a dynamic and interactive gaming experience that blends the tangibility and humanity of traditional games with the realism and boundless creativity of computer-generated worlds.

It’s crucial to acknowledge the immense talent and creativity within the game development industry. With the introduction of extended computing capabilities in gaming, we can only begin to imagine the multitude of innovative applications that will emerge. The fusion of extended computing devices with gaming introduces a whole new realm of possibilities, paving the way for groundbreaking experiences that are currently beyond our imaginations.

In conclusion, the integration of smart lenses and extended computing devices into gaming is poised to revolutionize the industry once more. By bridging the gap between the virtual and real worlds, these technologies will usher in a new era of captivating and immersive gaming experiences. The future holds tremendous potential for gaming, and we eagerly anticipate the creative applications that will emerge as technology continues to evolve. Let’s embrace this exciting journey and unlock the limitless possibilities that lie ahead in the world of gaming.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Future_G8_410485692a.jpg" alt="FutureG8.jpg">
The way we interact with technology has undergone a dramatic transformation since the introduction of personal computers, largely thanks to gaming. Although computers were initially designed for engineering and scientific purposes, once they received widespread adoption, gaming quickly became one of their most common applications. Playing video games has persistently pushed the boundaries of technology and creativity, driving the advancement of personal computers. Now, with the development of emerging computing devices like smart contact lenses, we stand on the brink of a new era in gaming.
We will intentionally bypass a discussion on the changes these advancements could bring to first-person games. This genre has already been thoroughly explored and enhanced with the evolution of virtual reality technology. However, smart contact lenses aim to elevate gaming experiences to a whole new level, making them not just tolerable but genuinely enjoyable, without the need for cumbersome equipment strapped to your face. Replacing the VR helmet with smart lenses could add a fresh appeal to these immersive games. While they may not alter the nature of gameplay, they could potentially draw in a significant number of new users, much like mobile phone games have attracted a wider audience compared to handheld gaming consoles.
The truly novel experience that smart lenses can enable is a game that unfolds within your real-world surroundings. The possibilities are limitless — we can already see the foundational blocks of these new game formats in various AR apps available for mobile phones. However, these are merely a sneak preview of what’s yet to come.
One day, you might find yourself leading a brave group of adventurers, defending a small bastion situated on your coffee table against hordes of orcs marching across the floor and transforming your carpet into a mystical lake. On another day, you could navigate through a thrilling race track winding through your own apartment, dodging obstacles and competing against virtual opponents. Or, perhaps, you and a friend could reenact a famous historical battle, each adopting a different side and strategizing to outmaneuver the other. The boundaries between reality and virtuality blur as you construct a railway network in your own backyard or engage in an exciting football match right on your desk. The best part? These games can be played against both artificial intelligence and human opponents, with each player sharing the same reality yet experiencing it from unique perspectives.
Smart lenses hold the key to seamlessly merging virtual and real worlds. They combine the tactile and social elements of traditional board games with the limitless possibilities and immersive nature of computer games. Gone are the days when you had to choose between physical board games and digital experiences. With smart lenses, you can enjoy the best of both worlds, creating a dynamic and interactive gaming experience that blends the tangibility and humanity of traditional games with the realism and boundless creativity of computer-generated worlds.
It’s crucial to acknowledge the immense talent and creativity within the game development industry. With the introduction of extended computing capabilities in gaming, we can only begin to imagine the multitude of innovative applications that will emerge. The fusion of extended computing devices with gaming introduces a whole new realm of possibilities, paving the way for groundbreaking experiences that are currently beyond our imaginations.
In conclusion, the integration of smart lenses and extended computing devices into gaming is poised to revolutionize the industry once more. By bridging the gap between the virtual and real worlds, these technologies will usher in a new era of captivating and immersive gaming experiences. The future holds tremendous potential for gaming, and we eagerly anticipate the creative applications that will emerge as technology continues to evolve. Let’s embrace this exciting journey and unlock the limitless possibilities that lie ahead in the world of gaming.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

The Future Of Gaming With Smart Contact Lenses

A smart contact lens presents an innovative leap in the realm of health and well-being features for personal devices. When compared with the wearable devices we're accustomed to, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, a contact lens boasts superior input and output capabilities. This allows for the collection of more detailed biosensory data from users while providing a more intuitive, visually rich interface.

Let's delve into how a smart contact lens can serve as a dynamic health hub.

1. Biosensor Array: Situated directly on the eyeball, the lens enables the integration of an extensive array of biosensors. This includes measurements of pulse, intraocular pressure, temperature, glucose levels, cortisol (a marker of stress levels), and various essential hormones. The lens can also monitor eye movement, a key indicator of fatigue. Additional custom sensors can be added to suit specific use cases. This data is collected non-invasively and fed into the software, which interprets it based on the user's history and known conditions.

2. Contextual Awareness: The lens can "see" the user's surroundings, activities, and consumption habits, such as eating and drinking. By combining data from the sensor array with the user's context, a smart contact lens can provide more accurate interpretations of the data, offering relevant and timely recommendations (e.g., reminding to drink water, take medication, sit, move, or breathe deeply).

3. Data Visualization: The processed data can be presented in various formats. It can be displayed as a constant indicator, akin to what is seen in first-person shooter video games, or as a pop-up alert prompting necessary action. It can also be shown as an anatomical atlas, indicating the status of a specific body subsystem or the effects of medication. Moreover, this data can be accessed by doctors or healthcare providers via secure, authorized channels.

4. Device Management: The smart contact lens can act as a perfect user interface for managing other healthcare devices the user might be wearing or using. It can read data from these devices, similar to how it reads its own sensors, and provide necessary commands and instructions. This includes devices such as insulin pumps and cybernetic prosthetics.

When combined, these four capabilities create a versatile and powerful infrastructure for a wide range of health, fitness, and well-being applications. They cater to specific conditions and patient cases managed by healthcare professionals, as well as to broader lifestyle use cases. This resembles how we currently use fitness trackers and smartwatches but with significantly enhanced features and a superior user experience.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

A smart contact lens presents an innovative leap in the realm of health and well-being features for personal devices. When compared with the wearable devices we're accustomed to, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, a contact lens boasts superior input and output capabilities. This allows for the collection of more detailed biosensory data from users while providing a more intuitive, visually rich interface.
Let's delve into how a smart contact lens can serve as a dynamic health hub.
<ol>
<li>
Biosensor Array: Situated directly on the eyeball, the lens enables the integration of an extensive array of biosensors. This includes measurements of pulse, intraocular pressure, temperature, glucose levels, cortisol (a marker of stress levels), and various essential hormones. The lens can also monitor eye movement, a key indicator of fatigue. Additional custom sensors can be added to suit specific use cases. This data is collected non-invasively and fed into the software, which interprets it based on the user's history and known conditions.
</li>
<li>
Contextual Awareness: The lens can &quot;see&quot; the user's surroundings, activities, and consumption habits, such as eating and drinking. By combining data from the sensor array with the user's context, a smart contact lens can provide more accurate interpretations of the data, offering relevant and timely recommendations (e.g., reminding to drink water, take medication, sit, move, or breathe deeply).
</li>
<li>
Data Visualization: The processed data can be presented in various formats. It can be displayed as a constant indicator, akin to what is seen in first-person shooter video games, or as a pop-up alert prompting necessary action. It can also be shown as an anatomical atlas, indicating the status of a specific body subsystem or the effects of medication. Moreover, this data can be accessed by doctors or healthcare providers via secure, authorized channels.
</li>
<li>
Device Management: The smart contact lens can act as a perfect user interface for managing other healthcare devices the user might be wearing or using. It can read data from these devices, similar to how it reads its own sensors, and provide necessary commands and instructions. This includes devices such as insulin pumps and cybernetic prosthetics.
</li>
</ol>
When combined, these four capabilities create a versatile and powerful infrastructure for a wide range of health, fitness, and well-being applications. They cater to specific conditions and patient cases managed by healthcare professionals, as well as to broader lifestyle use cases. This resembles how we currently use fitness trackers and smartwatches but with significantly enhanced features and a superior user experience.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Smart Contact Lens: Revolutionizing Fitness Tracking

![Navig8.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Navig8_5d4f53394d.jpg)

All kinds of navigation apps have gained immense popularity among different users - from tourists and car drivers to pedestrians. Recently, navigation technologies have been enhanced with Augmented Reality (AR) features. Now, let's push the boundaries and explore how navigation might evolve with the use of smart contact lenses. 

**Enhanced Navigation Assistance Beyond The Car:**

Smart contact lenses equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) can serve as an intuitive navigation tool, offering real-time directions and guidance – all without the need for a dedicated display. While car navigation relies on a dashboard, pedestrians and cyclists don't have this luxury. We all know how different the experience can be when referring to a phone on the move compared to having a map in front of you while driving. Imagine walking through a bustling city, and with a simple glance, virtual arrows and overlays guide you towards your destination. Whether it's navigating unfamiliar streets or finding the shortest route, these lenses can offer a hands-free and seamless navigation experience.

**Indoor Navigation:**

Traditional navigation systems often falter in complex indoor environments like shopping malls, airports, or hospitals. Smart contact lenses with AR can bridge this gap by utilizing indoor mapping and positioning technologies. Users can effortlessly navigate through intricate building layouts, locating specific stores, gates, or departments with ease. This technology could also help recognize a car’s actual position and direction on narrow streets and around tight corners, where satellite-based navigation often struggles.

**Points of Interest and Contextual Information:**

AR-enabled smart contact lenses can overlay useful information about points of interest as you move around, adding a new layer of exploration and discovery to your surroundings. But it's not just about sightseeing – information about congestion, transport delays, air quality, noise levels, road closures, potential hazards, and more can be crucial for daily commuters.

**Accessibility:**

One of the most significant benefits of smart contact lenses with AR for navigation is their potential to enhance the mobility and independence of visually impaired individuals. These lenses could provide audio cues, haptic feedback, or visual overlays to assist in navigating unfamiliar environments, helping avoid unforeseen obstacles that traditional map-based navigation might miss – such as road repairs or abandoned rental bikes and scooters.

**Integration with Smart Infrastructure:**

As cities become smarter and more interconnected, smart contact lenses with AR can integrate with smart infrastructure systems. Information like traffic signals, public transportation schedules, and bike-sharing availability can be displayed in real-time, and users could interact with them more seamlessly: a button-activated traffic light could respond to your lingering presence on the sidewalk, a rental bike or car could be unlocked with a glance, or a transport ticket could be purchased or activated as you board a train or bus.
It's easy to see how what starts as 'navigation' can extend to a range of broader applications that help you interact with the world around you. As urban planning shifts towards less car-centric, more walkable cities, providing pedestrians and cyclists with these extra tools to ease their journeys becomes an increasingly important market.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Navig8_5d4f53394d.jpg" alt="Navig8.jpg">
All kinds of navigation apps have gained immense popularity among different users - from tourists and car drivers to pedestrians. Recently, navigation technologies have been enhanced with Augmented Reality (AR) features. Now, let's push the boundaries and explore how navigation might evolve with the use of smart contact lenses.
Enhanced Navigation Assistance Beyond The Car:
Smart contact lenses equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) can serve as an intuitive navigation tool, offering real-time directions and guidance – all without the need for a dedicated display. While car navigation relies on a dashboard, pedestrians and cyclists don't have this luxury. We all know how different the experience can be when referring to a phone on the move compared to having a map in front of you while driving. Imagine walking through a bustling city, and with a simple glance, virtual arrows and overlays guide you towards your destination. Whether it's navigating unfamiliar streets or finding the shortest route, these lenses can offer a hands-free and seamless navigation experience.
Indoor Navigation:
Traditional navigation systems often falter in complex indoor environments like shopping malls, airports, or hospitals. Smart contact lenses with AR can bridge this gap by utilizing indoor mapping and positioning technologies. Users can effortlessly navigate through intricate building layouts, locating specific stores, gates, or departments with ease. This technology could also help recognize a car’s actual position and direction on narrow streets and around tight corners, where satellite-based navigation often struggles.
Points of Interest and Contextual Information:
AR-enabled smart contact lenses can overlay useful information about points of interest as you move around, adding a new layer of exploration and discovery to your surroundings. But it's not just about sightseeing – information about congestion, transport delays, air quality, noise levels, road closures, potential hazards, and more can be crucial for daily commuters.
Accessibility:
One of the most significant benefits of smart contact lenses with AR for navigation is their potential to enhance the mobility and independence of visually impaired individuals. These lenses could provide audio cues, haptic feedback, or visual overlays to assist in navigating unfamiliar environments, helping avoid unforeseen obstacles that traditional map-based navigation might miss – such as road repairs or abandoned rental bikes and scooters.
Integration with Smart Infrastructure:
As cities become smarter and more interconnected, smart contact lenses with AR can integrate with smart infrastructure systems. Information like traffic signals, public transportation schedules, and bike-sharing availability can be displayed in real-time, and users could interact with them more seamlessly: a button-activated traffic light could respond to your lingering presence on the sidewalk, a rental bike or car could be unlocked with a glance, or a transport ticket could be purchased or activated as you board a train or bus.
It's easy to see how what starts as 'navigation' can extend to a range of broader applications that help you interact with the world around you. As urban planning shifts towards less car-centric, more walkable cities, providing pedestrians and cyclists with these extra tools to ease their journeys becomes an increasingly important market.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Navigating The Cities with Smart Contact Lenses

![Slide 16_9 - 183.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Slide_16_9_183_5043e1522b_d1a32040f0.jpg)

**Removing the Screen from the Video Calls**

Video calls are one of the best examples of what we call an 'officially approved future.' They have been a staple of science fiction and a real-life technology for decades. So, it's no wonder that as soon as broadband internet made them accessible and affordable, their adoption was rapid and universal.

But how can a smart contact lens enhance the video calling experience even further? Today, the main limitation of video calls is that, no matter how high the quality of the image and sound feed is, you are still dealing with a person 'behind the screen.' While this is still a significant improvement over a voice-only connection, it falls short of being a 'simulation' of a real-life face-to-face conversation.

However, an AR video call using a smart contact lens transforms this experience into something much closer to a real-life conversation. It places your dialogue partner in the 3D space around you, whether standing in front of you, sitting across the table, or on a couch across the room. The eye tracking in the lens, along with AI, can ensure that these 'avatars' are placed in a natural and fitting way. These avatars can be either true-to-life representations of the people talking or specifically designed characters, like those you create for video games. During the conversation, the parties can bring other virtual objects into the conversation, such as media they want to share, whiteboards, and notes that they work on together.

This experience combines the best of both worlds. You have the feel of a real-life conversation with a person in front of you, not behind a screen, and you can bring in all the enhancements we have come to appreciate in video calling, from volume controls to noise reduction and collaborative tools. There's space for both personal and professional use, and it can be a significant driver for smart contact lens adoption overall.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Slide_16_9_183_5043e1522b_d1a32040f0.jpg" alt="Slide 16_9 - 183.jpg">
Removing the Screen from the Video Calls
Video calls are one of the best examples of what we call an 'officially approved future.' They have been a staple of science fiction and a real-life technology for decades. So, it's no wonder that as soon as broadband internet made them accessible and affordable, their adoption was rapid and universal.
But how can a smart contact lens enhance the video calling experience even further? Today, the main limitation of video calls is that, no matter how high the quality of the image and sound feed is, you are still dealing with a person 'behind the screen.' While this is still a significant improvement over a voice-only connection, it falls short of being a 'simulation' of a real-life face-to-face conversation.
However, an AR video call using a smart contact lens transforms this experience into something much closer to a real-life conversation. It places your dialogue partner in the 3D space around you, whether standing in front of you, sitting across the table, or on a couch across the room. The eye tracking in the lens, along with AI, can ensure that these 'avatars' are placed in a natural and fitting way. These avatars can be either true-to-life representations of the people talking or specifically designed characters, like those you create for video games. During the conversation, the parties can bring other virtual objects into the conversation, such as media they want to share, whiteboards, and notes that they work on together.
This experience combines the best of both worlds. You have the feel of a real-life conversation with a person in front of you, not behind a screen, and you can bring in all the enhancements we have come to appreciate in video calling, from volume controls to noise reduction and collaborative tools. There's space for both personal and professional use, and it can be a significant driver for smart contact lens adoption overall.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Removing the Screen from the Video Calls

![principles.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/principles_e02434256e_843b384d53.jpg)

**Our leadership principles** 

It is no accident that XPANCEO’s mission statement has been ambitious from day one. We’re not merely developing a new product, nor even creating a new product category, we are working on the next generation of personal computing. We believe being bold is the best way to make sure we keep the eye on the prize and make the right choices when we pave the way to the next big thing in personal tech.

Here are some core principles that XPANCEO is founded on and how they apply to our business:

- Science matters. We believe science is the ultimate source of answers to questions and challenges we have in front of us. When we're in doubt whether something is feasible we don’t look to the market or the industry, we question the science behind it. This is why we are proud to be home to some of the world’s top researchers in fields like 2D materials and photonics. Their ideas allowed us to look past the status quo in the industry and see new opportunities.
- New materials define the next step in the technological revolution. There is no shortage of visionary versions of the future technology. We believe that one thing that sets truly potent ideas apart from fantasies and pure extrapolations of existing technology is acknowledgement of the role of the new materials. The modus operandi of our science team is that computer components can only really make a leap forward if we leave behind our assumptions about the materials that are typically used in electronics. Thus, we have turned our attention to the emerging class of 2D materials.
- We believe that any success story in tech can be boiled down to a combination of the right form-factor and a ubiquitous use case (and on the contrary big flops can usually be explained via these two not lining up right). This is the key principle in defining the parameters of the product we are building and its feature set.
- Transparency and agility. Balancing at the intersection of advanced scientific research and product development, we apply the strong sides of both cultures to our ways of working. Peer review and data-driven decision-making, combined with an iterative, agile approach to defining priorities and next steps help us move fast and achieve results.
- Radical honesty. Working with a brilliant team on a revolutionary product is a high-stakes game. We believe it is of utmost importance to keep communication within the team as straightforward and open as possible. It extends to all aspects of our work: from shared understanding of the mission and the product roadmap to simple day-to-day team interactions. Trust in the idea, trust in each other’s expertise, and trust in the leadership all go together.

Everything we do is guided by these simple principles, from the core concept of a smart contact lens as the primary personal gadget, to the choice of enabling technology, to our workflow, to the way we make design and user experience decisions.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/principles_e02434256e_843b384d53.jpg" alt="principles.jpg">
Our leadership principles
It is no accident that XPANCEO’s mission statement has been ambitious from day one. We’re not merely developing a new product, nor even creating a new product category, we are working on the next generation of personal computing. We believe being bold is the best way to make sure we keep the eye on the prize and make the right choices when we pave the way to the next big thing in personal tech.
Here are some core principles that XPANCEO is founded on and how they apply to our business:
<ul>
<li>Science matters. We believe science is the ultimate source of answers to questions and challenges we have in front of us. When we're in doubt whether something is feasible we don’t look to the market or the industry, we question the science behind it. This is why we are proud to be home to some of the world’s top researchers in fields like 2D materials and photonics. Their ideas allowed us to look past the status quo in the industry and see new opportunities.</li>
<li>New materials define the next step in the technological revolution. There is no shortage of visionary versions of the future technology. We believe that one thing that sets truly potent ideas apart from fantasies and pure extrapolations of existing technology is acknowledgement of the role of the new materials. The modus operandi of our science team is that computer components can only really make a leap forward if we leave behind our assumptions about the materials that are typically used in electronics. Thus, we have turned our attention to the emerging class of 2D materials.</li>
<li>We believe that any success story in tech can be boiled down to a combination of the right form-factor and a ubiquitous use case (and on the contrary big flops can usually be explained via these two not lining up right). This is the key principle in defining the parameters of the product we are building and its feature set.</li>
<li>Transparency and agility. Balancing at the intersection of advanced scientific research and product development, we apply the strong sides of both cultures to our ways of working. Peer review and data-driven decision-making, combined with an iterative, agile approach to defining priorities and next steps help us move fast and achieve results.</li>
<li>Radical honesty. Working with a brilliant team on a revolutionary product is a high-stakes game. We believe it is of utmost importance to keep communication within the team as straightforward and open as possible. It extends to all aspects of our work: from shared understanding of the mission and the product roadmap to simple day-to-day team interactions. Trust in the idea, trust in each other’s expertise, and trust in the leadership all go together.</li>
</ul>
Everything we do is guided by these simple principles, from the core concept of a smart contact lens as the primary personal gadget, to the choice of enabling technology, to our workflow, to the way we make design and user experience decisions.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Leadership principles of XPANCEO

A smart contact lens can encompass various functionalities, and we perceive it as the primary digital hub in your life, taking on the role currently held by a smartphone in most cases. However, it offers a wide range of features specific to contact lenses. Let's explore the full scope of these features and consider how a fully developed and advanced device like this can enhance your vision. In this discussion, our focus is primarily on features that enhance the imaging capabilities of your own eyes, rather than relying on external content such as geo and mapping data, messaging, or other integrations.

1. Night vision – This ranges from the intense infrared vision seen in action movies to providing gentle assistance in low-light conditions. While users with night blindness will find this particularly useful, there is a broader market for this feature, as twilight conditions are challenging for anyone, especially when driving or cycling.
2. Vision correction – Although vision correction remains an essential feature, a smart lens can offer more flexibility and responsiveness. Similar to bifocal glasses accommodating two use-cases, the lens can adapt its specifications based on the user's needs, time of day, eye fatigue, and other factors at play.
3. Enhanced imaging – A smart contact lens can dynamically adjust to provide the optimal image 'mode' for the user, sharpening contrast, reducing glare, and adjusting colour saturation. This feature can be applicable to driving, cycling, sports, and addressing special needs such as colour blindness. The modes can activate automatically or on-demand, based on the user's profile, surroundings, and activity.
4. Zoom – A smart contact lens enables zooming in and out as necessary, or switching to a 'macro' mode to obtain a better view of distant or small objects. The manipulation of light using innovative 2D materials opens up previously unimaginable possibilities. This feature has both professional and personal applications.
5. Third-party view – A smart lens allows you to see through someone else's eyes, whether it's a teammate, a drone, or any other camera accessible to you. This capability can be highly valuable in critical situations where additional visual information is invaluable. We envision applications in areas such as search and rescue, sports, civil engineering, aviation, transportation, and many others.

These are five ways in which a smart contact lens can evolve beyond the contact lenses you are familiar with, all centered around enhancing the images you perceive from the world around you. The combination of 2D materials that enable unique interactions with light, along with the capabilities of digital imaging, computing, and AI, unlocks a range of possibilities for the smart contact lens as a vision enhancement device. We are determined to fully utilize these opportunities. Stay tuned for more updates.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

A smart contact lens can encompass various functionalities, and we perceive it as the primary digital hub in your life, taking on the role currently held by a smartphone in most cases. However, it offers a wide range of features specific to contact lenses. Let's explore the full scope of these features and consider how a fully developed and advanced device like this can enhance your vision. In this discussion, our focus is primarily on features that enhance the imaging capabilities of your own eyes, rather than relying on external content such as geo and mapping data, messaging, or other integrations.
<ol>
<li>Night vision – This ranges from the intense infrared vision seen in action movies to providing gentle assistance in low-light conditions. While users with night blindness will find this particularly useful, there is a broader market for this feature, as twilight conditions are challenging for anyone, especially when driving or cycling.</li>
<li>Vision correction – Although vision correction remains an essential feature, a smart lens can offer more flexibility and responsiveness. Similar to bifocal glasses accommodating two use-cases, the lens can adapt its specifications based on the user's needs, time of day, eye fatigue, and other factors at play.</li>
<li>Enhanced imaging – A smart contact lens can dynamically adjust to provide the optimal image 'mode' for the user, sharpening contrast, reducing glare, and adjusting colour saturation. This feature can be applicable to driving, cycling, sports, and addressing special needs such as colour blindness. The modes can activate automatically or on-demand, based on the user's profile, surroundings, and activity.</li>
<li>Zoom – A smart contact lens enables zooming in and out as necessary, or switching to a 'macro' mode to obtain a better view of distant or small objects. The manipulation of light using innovative 2D materials opens up previously unimaginable possibilities. This feature has both professional and personal applications.</li>
<li>Third-party view – A smart lens allows you to see through someone else's eyes, whether it's a teammate, a drone, or any other camera accessible to you. This capability can be highly valuable in critical situations where additional visual information is invaluable. We envision applications in areas such as search and rescue, sports, civil engineering, aviation, transportation, and many others.</li>
</ol>
These are five ways in which a smart contact lens can evolve beyond the contact lenses you are familiar with, all centered around enhancing the images you perceive from the world around you. The combination of 2D materials that enable unique interactions with light, along with the capabilities of digital imaging, computing, and AI, unlocks a range of possibilities for the smart contact lens as a vision enhancement device. We are determined to fully utilize these opportunities. Stay tuned for more updates.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

Enhanced vision

“From a young age, I was deeply immersed in the world of technology, inspired by my grandfather, a pioneering engineer who played a key role in constructing the first computers in the 1950s. This unique upbringing, which involved soldering computers and circuits with my grandfather, instilled in me a profound appreciation for technology and innovation,” reminisced Roman Axelrod.

Axelrod is the Founder of XPANCEO, a deeptech startup which is at the forefront of the next generation of computing. The startup is developing an invisible and weightless smart contact lens that feels as natural to the wearer as their own vision.

**PEERING INTO XPANCEO**

Discussing XPANCEO’s smart contact lens, Axelrod said: “Our lens reinvents the whole concept of human-technology interaction and redefines the way we experience both real and digital worlds, including social media, content consumption, and gaming.”
The idea dawned on the founder when he began feeling that existing gadgets were outdated, and the rate of innovation in tech had become stagnant.

Axelrod explained: “It became clear to me that current computers were not equipped to meet the ambitious goals humanity has set for the next 100 years. Recognising that the current generation of computers was both inadequate and outdated, I became driven by a desire to create the computers of the future.” 

“At that time, I was renovating my apartment, and all of my belongings were gathered in one room, packed in boxes that blocked my view of the television. Because of this, I couldn't play PlayStation. At that moment, an idea came to me. How cool would it be to project the game onto the ceiling, with WhatsApp in the upper right corner and Excel on the floor? And I realised – that's it, this needs to be done.”

Researching smart contact lenses, Axelrod realised that the next step was to find the correct material to use, as silicon-era technologies were too bulky. This is when Axelrod turned to graphene: “After a brief search for scientists specialising in two-dimensional materials, I found Valentyn's [Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, Co-Founder of XPANCEO] contact information and began persuading him to join the project and work
together to build a new future. That's how XPANCEO was born.”

**THE LENS**

XPANCEO has already developed four prototypes of smart contact lenses which are as thin as medical ones with XR, health monitoring, night vision, and zoom features. Currently, there is a separate prototype for each feature, but the final product, which is scheduled for testing in 2026, will combine these features into a single, all-in-one lens.

“First of all, we incorporated holographic technology into the first prototype of the lens, so that it displays content directly in the user's field of vision, replacing the need for AR/VR headsets or glasses for a more integrated and discrete augmented reality experience.“

“The second product is a lens with biosensing capabilities that boasts continuous health monitoring capabilities and interacts directly with the eye's surface. One of the features integrated in this lens was a biosensor that measures intraocular pressure,” Axelrod described. This biosensing feature aids in early glaucoma detection, which is particularly important due to the projected rise in glaucoma cases by 2040.

He continued: “The other prototype uses nanoparticles, extremely thin particles that form a 'super material' to enhance vision. These nanoparticles improve vision in low-light conditions and enable adaptive zooming capabilities, offering better visual clarity and flexibility. Integrating electronics into another lens, it features a working one-pixel
display using quasi-two-dimensional gold conductors. This ensures the components remain thin and flexible, maintaining the lens's comfort and usability.”

Security may be a cause for concern, but this is something XPANCEO has already considered: “For security, the lens includes a unique optical pattern that acts as a 3D barcode, providing enhanced protection. This pattern appears differently from various angles, making it difficult for scanners to read accurately and partially overlapping with the iris pattern for an extra layer of security.

“The lens can be wirelessly charged through the air, allowing continuous operation without frequent removal for charging, thereby enhancing user convenience,” Axelrod explained.

![Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.43.36.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Snimok_ekrana_2024_08_05_v_14_43_36_048d558737.png)

**EYE-OPENING HURDLES**

When developing a product that is so complex, challenges can present themselves along the way.

Axelrod mentioned: “A major challenge for designing smart contact lenses is that it is very complex to incorporate numerous features into one lens while ensuring it remains wearable, thin, and comfortable. The fabrication of wireless sensors typically requires high temperatures and corrosive chemicals, which is why electronic circuits are normally built on hard materials. However, these rigid materials are unsuitable for use
in the human eye.

“XPANCEO addresses this issue by utilising two-dimensional materials and pioneering technologies in the field of advanced optics, photonics, and holography. To overcome the limitations of traditional disciplines, we employ new materials at the atomic scale, transparent and flexible conductors, advanced optics, and photonics.”

Developing and producing the lenses is complicated and costly, which means a reduced number of market participants, and a raise in the prices of items for end customers.

**SEEING IS BELIEVING**

Behind XPANCEO is a team that is working hard to bring the product to market. Axelrod enthused: “XPANCEO has gathered a strong and diverse team of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers to help the company launch the first smart contact lenses on the market and stay competitive.”

The startup is already very successful, with an impressive funding round under its belt and recognition in the field. “We raised $40 million in a seed funding round, becoming one of the most-funded early-stage companies in the world.

“XPANCEO's contributions has earned us significant regional and international accolades, including recognition by Nature Index, Inc. Arabia Best in Business award, and Globee Awards for Technology.

“The XPANCEO lab was named one of the Top Five optics laboratories in the world by BCG. The publication of our research papers in Nature are also key highlights, underscoring our role as leaders in the field and contributing to our continued success and recognition.”

**”Driven by a vision to revolutionise technology and create a lasting legacy, I founded XPANCEO.”**

**A NEW VISION**

With the final product scheduled for testing in 2026, XPANCEO still has a way to go before its product hits the market.

Looking ahead, Axelrod mentioned: “Next for the company is the continuation of our groundbreaking work on smart contact lenses, focusing on refining and testing the various advanced features we have integrated.

“This year, we will be focusing on the integration and refinement of advanced features within our smart contact lenses. Our primary areas of development will include a combination of augmented reality capabilities and comprehensive health monitoring functions in one device. This version will be the first step towards an integrated, all-in-one lens.”

Commenting on what’s to come, the founder said: “Innovation remains at the heart of our mission. We will continue to explore new materials, technologies, and applications that can be integrated into our lenses. This includes the integration of the prototypes, enhancing XR visuals, and incorporating new health monitoring features.”

When asked where he imagines the technology over the coming years, Axelrod commented: “As we transition from traditional silicon technologies, we envision leading the charge towards a ‘Graphene Valley’ future. Our research and development in novel materials, particularly graphene, will enable the creation of more efficient, durable, and versatile optoelectronic devices. This shift will not only elevate the performance of our smart contact lenses but also open doors to new applications across various high-tech fields.

“Our ultimate goal is to replace all conventional gadgets, embracing the philosophy that the best device is no device. We are not just creating a product but redefining the very essence of technological interaction for a global audience.”

**”Our ultimate goal is to replace all conventional gadgets, embracing the philosophy that the best device is no device.”**

“From a young age, I was deeply immersed in the world of technology, inspired by my grandfather, a pioneering engineer who played a key role in constructing the first computers in the 1950s. This unique upbringing, which involved soldering computers and circuits with my grandfather, instilled in me a profound appreciation for technology and innovation,” reminisced Roman Axelrod.
Axelrod is the Founder of XPANCEO, a deeptech startup which is at the forefront of the next generation of computing. The startup is developing an invisible and weightless smart contact lens that feels as natural to the wearer as their own vision.
PEERING INTO XPANCEO
Discussing XPANCEO’s smart contact lens, Axelrod said: “Our lens reinvents the whole concept of human-technology interaction and redefines the way we experience both real and digital worlds, including social media, content consumption, and gaming.”
The idea dawned on the founder when he began feeling that existing gadgets were outdated, and the rate of innovation in tech had become stagnant.
Axelrod explained: “It became clear to me that current computers were not equipped to meet the ambitious goals humanity has set for the next 100 years. Recognising that the current generation of computers was both inadequate and outdated, I became driven by a desire to create the computers of the future.”
“At that time, I was renovating my apartment, and all of my belongings were gathered in one room, packed in boxes that blocked my view of the television. Because of this, I couldn't play PlayStation. At that moment, an idea came to me. How cool would it be to project the game onto the ceiling, with WhatsApp in the upper right corner and Excel on the floor? And I realised – that's it, this needs to be done.”
Researching smart contact lenses, Axelrod realised that the next step was to find the correct material to use, as silicon-era technologies were too bulky. This is when Axelrod turned to graphene: “After a brief search for scientists specialising in two-dimensional materials, I found Valentyn's [Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, Co-Founder of XPANCEO] contact information and began persuading him to join the project and work
together to build a new future. That's how XPANCEO was born.”
THE LENS
XPANCEO has already developed four prototypes of smart contact lenses which are as thin as medical ones with XR, health monitoring, night vision, and zoom features. Currently, there is a separate prototype for each feature, but the final product, which is scheduled for testing in 2026, will combine these features into a single, all-in-one lens.
“First of all, we incorporated holographic technology into the first prototype of the lens, so that it displays content directly in the user's field of vision, replacing the need for AR/VR headsets or glasses for a more integrated and discrete augmented reality experience.“
“The second product is a lens with biosensing capabilities that boasts continuous health monitoring capabilities and interacts directly with the eye's surface. One of the features integrated in this lens was a biosensor that measures intraocular pressure,” Axelrod described. This biosensing feature aids in early glaucoma detection, which is particularly important due to the projected rise in glaucoma cases by 2040.
He continued: “The other prototype uses nanoparticles, extremely thin particles that form a 'super material' to enhance vision. These nanoparticles improve vision in low-light conditions and enable adaptive zooming capabilities, offering better visual clarity and flexibility. Integrating electronics into another lens, it features a working one-pixel
display using quasi-two-dimensional gold conductors. This ensures the components remain thin and flexible, maintaining the lens's comfort and usability.”
Security may be a cause for concern, but this is something XPANCEO has already considered: “For security, the lens includes a unique optical pattern that acts as a 3D barcode, providing enhanced protection. This pattern appears differently from various angles, making it difficult for scanners to read accurately and partially overlapping with the iris pattern for an extra layer of security.
“The lens can be wirelessly charged through the air, allowing continuous operation without frequent removal for charging, thereby enhancing user convenience,” Axelrod explained.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Snimok_ekrana_2024_08_05_v_14_43_36_048d558737.png" alt="Снимок экрана 2024-08-05 в 14.43.36.png">
EYE-OPENING HURDLES
When developing a product that is so complex, challenges can present themselves along the way.
Axelrod mentioned: “A major challenge for designing smart contact lenses is that it is very complex to incorporate numerous features into one lens while ensuring it remains wearable, thin, and comfortable. The fabrication of wireless sensors typically requires high temperatures and corrosive chemicals, which is why electronic circuits are normally built on hard materials. However, these rigid materials are unsuitable for use
in the human eye.
“XPANCEO addresses this issue by utilising two-dimensional materials and pioneering technologies in the field of advanced optics, photonics, and holography. To overcome the limitations of traditional disciplines, we employ new materials at the atomic scale, transparent and flexible conductors, advanced optics, and photonics.”
Developing and producing the lenses is complicated and costly, which means a reduced number of market participants, and a raise in the prices of items for end customers.
SEEING IS BELIEVING
Behind XPANCEO is a team that is working hard to bring the product to market. Axelrod enthused: “XPANCEO has gathered a strong and diverse team of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers to help the company launch the first smart contact lenses on the market and stay competitive.”
The startup is already very successful, with an impressive funding round under its belt and recognition in the field. “We raised $40 million in a seed funding round, becoming one of the most-funded early-stage companies in the world.
“XPANCEO's contributions has earned us significant regional and international accolades, including recognition by Nature Index, Inc. Arabia Best in Business award, and Globee Awards for Technology.
“The XPANCEO lab was named one of the Top Five optics laboratories in the world by BCG. The publication of our research papers in Nature are also key highlights, underscoring our role as leaders in the field and contributing to our continued success and recognition.”
”Driven by a vision to revolutionise technology and create a lasting legacy, I founded XPANCEO.”
A NEW VISION
With the final product scheduled for testing in 2026, XPANCEO still has a way to go before its product hits the market.
Looking ahead, Axelrod mentioned: “Next for the company is the continuation of our groundbreaking work on smart contact lenses, focusing on refining and testing the various advanced features we have integrated.
“This year, we will be focusing on the integration and refinement of advanced features within our smart contact lenses. Our primary areas of development will include a combination of augmented reality capabilities and comprehensive health monitoring functions in one device. This version will be the first step towards an integrated, all-in-one lens.”
Commenting on what’s to come, the founder said: “Innovation remains at the heart of our mission. We will continue to explore new materials, technologies, and applications that can be integrated into our lenses. This includes the integration of the prototypes, enhancing XR visuals, and incorporating new health monitoring features.”
When asked where he imagines the technology over the coming years, Axelrod commented: “As we transition from traditional silicon technologies, we envision leading the charge towards a ‘Graphene Valley’ future. Our research and development in novel materials, particularly graphene, will enable the creation of more efficient, durable, and versatile optoelectronic devices. This shift will not only elevate the performance of our smart contact lenses but also open doors to new applications across various high-tech fields.
“Our ultimate goal is to replace all conventional gadgets, embracing the philosophy that the best device is no device. We are not just creating a product but redefining the very essence of technological interaction for a global audience.”
”Our ultimate goal is to replace all conventional gadgets, embracing the philosophy that the best device is no device.”

A sight for smart eyes

Opening Students’ Eyes to the Possibilities of Future Technology 

Dubai, UAE, 21 May 2024 – Middlesex University Dubai and deep tech company XPANCEO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in technological innovation, research, and education.  

**Middlesex University Dubai,** an international branch campus of Middlesex University in London, is the largest KHDA-licensed university in Dubai for the fourth consecutive year as per student enrolments, and offers over 70 UK undergraduate and postgraduate programs. 

**XPANCEO** is a pioneering deep tech company founded in 2021 that is developing the next generation of computing via invisible and weightless smart contact lenses, designed to integrate all existing gadgets into a single innovative device. The company has already showcased four prototypes of its groundbreaking technology. 

This partnership will involve organizing roundtables including staff and students from Middlesex University Dubai, sharing innovations, and educating students on new innovative processes. Activities will include internships, tours, and collaborative research initiatives. By leveraging the expertise of both institutions, Middlesex University Dubai and XPANCEO aim to drive scientific progress and technological innovation in the UAE. This collaboration aligns with the UAE's Vision 2021 and its strategy to diversify the economy through innovation and knowledge-based sectors 

**Professor Cedwyn Fernandes**, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University and Director of Middlesex University Dubai, and **Dr. Valentyn Volkov**, the Co-founder and Scientific Partner at XPANCEO met to discuss the importance of this collaboration for advancing scientific progress in the UAE. Both parties believe that this partnership will support the nation’s goals of becoming a global hub for science and technology by fostering a culture of research and development. It will also provide students with valuable hands-on experience, preparing them to contribute to the UAE’s dynamic and rapidly evolving technological landscape. 
![MOU XPANCEO -2.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/MOU_XPANCEO_2_14429ed02c.jpg)

Dr. Volkov emphasized: _"Typically, our collaborations with universities focus on joint research and publications, but this partnership will allow us to do much more. It will enable us to actively share our innovations, engage with talented students through tours and internships, and directly contribute to fostering the most talented young minds of the region. We are excited to announce that we have already performed the first steps in this direction." _

Professor Fernandes said: _“Partnering with XPANCEO represents an exciting opportunity to bridge academic knowledge with industry innovation. This collaboration will empower our students with hands-on experience and insights into the latest technological advancements, preparing them to be leaders in the rapidly evolving tech landscape of the UAE.” _

 
![MOU XPANCEO -7.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/MOU_XPANCEO_7_e14d28bf6f.jpg)
 

Opening Students’ Eyes to the Possibilities of Future Technology
Dubai, UAE, 21 May 2024 – Middlesex University Dubai and deep tech company XPANCEO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in technological innovation, research, and education.
Middlesex University Dubai, an international branch campus of Middlesex University in London, is the largest KHDA-licensed university in Dubai for the fourth consecutive year as per student enrolments, and offers over 70 UK undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
XPANCEO is a pioneering deep tech company founded in 2021 that is developing the next generation of computing via invisible and weightless smart contact lenses, designed to integrate all existing gadgets into a single innovative device. The company has already showcased four prototypes of its groundbreaking technology.
This partnership will involve organizing roundtables including staff and students from Middlesex University Dubai, sharing innovations, and educating students on new innovative processes. Activities will include internships, tours, and collaborative research initiatives. By leveraging the expertise of both institutions, Middlesex University Dubai and XPANCEO aim to drive scientific progress and technological innovation in the UAE. This collaboration aligns with the UAE's Vision 2021 and its strategy to diversify the economy through innovation and knowledge-based sectors
Professor Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University and Director of Middlesex University Dubai, and Dr. Valentyn Volkov, the Co-founder and Scientific Partner at XPANCEO met to discuss the importance of this collaboration for advancing scientific progress in the UAE. Both parties believe that this partnership will support the nation’s goals of becoming a global hub for science and technology by fostering a culture of research and development. It will also provide students with valuable hands-on experience, preparing them to contribute to the UAE’s dynamic and rapidly evolving technological landscape.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/MOU_XPANCEO_2_14429ed02c.jpg" alt="MOU XPANCEO -2.jpg">
Dr. Volkov emphasized: _&quot;Typically, our collaborations with universities focus on joint research and publications, but this partnership will allow us to do much more. It will enable us to actively share our innovations, engage with talented students through tours and internships, and directly contribute to fostering the most talented young minds of the region. We are excited to announce that we have already performed the first steps in this direction.&quot; _
Professor Fernandes said: _“Partnering with XPANCEO represents an exciting opportunity to bridge academic knowledge with industry innovation. This collaboration will empower our students with hands-on experience and insights into the latest technological advancements, preparing them to be leaders in the rapidly evolving tech landscape of the UAE.” _
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/MOU_XPANCEO_7_e14d28bf6f.jpg" alt="MOU XPANCEO -7.jpg">

Middlesex University Dubai and XPANCEO Sign MoU to Foster Innovation in The Region 

XPANCEO has announced a successful proof of concept for the world’s first augmented reality holographic lens testing system, marking an essential step towards progressing from Apple Vision Pro to the next generation of computing – XR smart contact lenses. The system allows for the reproduction of AR experiences in various situations such as sports, gaming, navigation, enabling safe immediate tests without the necessity of trials on humans. Moreover, the company assessed the production cost for this setup, which will be approximately just $100,000.  

According to[ Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentyn-volkov/), XPANCEO’s co-founder and scientist with an h-Index of 38 and over 8000 citations in leading international publications, “The primary focus for us during this year will be the production of new prototypes and enhancing the current ones, so such optic testing system is a pivotal step towards the first all-in-one XR smart contact lenses. This system will allow XR industry players to evaluate every necessary parameter, which will speed up the development process and may lead to growth in the smart lenses market.” 

The startup has the proof of concept ready for implementation, with an estimated 8 months development period for the device. Currently, there is only one device on the market with relatively similar functionality to test AR and VR glasses. This device can only test 30% of the necessary parameters and costs approximately $300,000. Testing all these parameters is essential before declaring that the product meets all the requirements and is ready for clinical trials and market launch. XPANCEO’s testing device fully meets the requirements to test all essential parameters. This installation is crucial for objectively evaluating lens prototypes and understanding the quality of the reproduced image, marking a significant advancement in research for the whole industry. 

This setup will be able to evaluate the following key parameters for testing holographic smart contact lenses: 

- **Field of View**. The XR smart contact lens is the only gadget designed to allow users to see images from any angle, so precise  measurements are needed to ensure the gradual increase of this parameter.  

- **The brightness of virtual images**. Typically, brightness is easily quantified for traditional light bulbs. However, with virtual images, it is a subjective experience that cannot be objectively assessed without a precise testing system. This is crucial as there are strict medical guidelines regarding image brightness to ensure it does not harm the human eye. Therefore, an accurate assessment of this parameter is essential.  

-  **Contrast** , representing how brightly an image stands out from the background. This metric is crucial for comfortable and safe viewing and should remain stable regardless of the brightness of the surrounding environment and the image itself.  

- **Changes in image contrast vary with different weather conditions.** The surrounding environment can have varying levels of brightness, for example, on a cloudy or sunny day, so it's important for the brightness to be adaptive, as is the case of phone screens. However, it should not be excessive to ensure that the virtual image does not blind the user if they happen to look directly at the sun.  

- **The gradient of intensity across the field**. Virtual images exhibit varying brightness due to optical reasons that cause the edges to be always less bright than the center. However, this effect is accentuated as the image is projected at an angle, resulting in some parts appearing less distinct. Precise measurement of this parameter will help to correct it when the image is recorded for projection. 

- **Line sharpness**, representing how clear the user can see the image, particularly, thin lines.  

- **The micro projector’s permissible angle of inclination**. The projector is positioned at an angle, but it’s impossible to fix it fully accurately. Therefore, for comfortable use, it is crucial to create an image that remains bright even with some margin of error, which is important to measure. Otherwise, there is a risk that the image may disappear completely when it’s placed in the wrong part of the field of view or simply when it’s not bright enough to be visible.  

   

XPANCEO has announced a successful proof of concept for the world’s first augmented reality holographic lens testing system, marking an essential step towards progressing from Apple Vision Pro to the next generation of computing – XR smart contact lenses. The system allows for the reproduction of AR experiences in various situations such as sports, gaming, navigation, enabling safe immediate tests without the necessity of trials on humans. Moreover, the company assessed the production cost for this setup, which will be approximately just $100,000.
According to<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentyn-volkov/"> Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov</a>, XPANCEO’s co-founder and scientist with an h-Index of 38 and over 8000 citations in leading international publications, “The primary focus for us during this year will be the production of new prototypes and enhancing the current ones, so such optic testing system is a pivotal step towards the first all-in-one XR smart contact lenses. This system will allow XR industry players to evaluate every necessary parameter, which will speed up the development process and may lead to growth in the smart lenses market.”
The startup has the proof of concept ready for implementation, with an estimated 8 months development period for the device. Currently, there is only one device on the market with relatively similar functionality to test AR and VR glasses. This device can only test 30% of the necessary parameters and costs approximately $300,000. Testing all these parameters is essential before declaring that the product meets all the requirements and is ready for clinical trials and market launch. XPANCEO’s testing device fully meets the requirements to test all essential parameters. This installation is crucial for objectively evaluating lens prototypes and understanding the quality of the reproduced image, marking a significant advancement in research for the whole industry.
This setup will be able to evaluate the following key parameters for testing holographic smart contact lenses:
<ul>
<li>
Field of View. The XR smart contact lens is the only gadget designed to allow users to see images from any angle, so precise measurements are needed to ensure the gradual increase of this parameter.
</li>
<li>
The brightness of virtual images. Typically, brightness is easily quantified for traditional light bulbs. However, with virtual images, it is a subjective experience that cannot be objectively assessed without a precise testing system. This is crucial as there are strict medical guidelines regarding image brightness to ensure it does not harm the human eye. Therefore, an accurate assessment of this parameter is essential.
</li>
<li>
Contrast , representing how brightly an image stands out from the background. This metric is crucial for comfortable and safe viewing and should remain stable regardless of the brightness of the surrounding environment and the image itself.
</li>
<li>
Changes in image contrast vary with different weather conditions. The surrounding environment can have varying levels of brightness, for example, on a cloudy or sunny day, so it's important for the brightness to be adaptive, as is the case of phone screens. However, it should not be excessive to ensure that the virtual image does not blind the user if they happen to look directly at the sun.
</li>
<li>
The gradient of intensity across the field. Virtual images exhibit varying brightness due to optical reasons that cause the edges to be always less bright than the center. However, this effect is accentuated as the image is projected at an angle, resulting in some parts appearing less distinct. Precise measurement of this parameter will help to correct it when the image is recorded for projection.
</li>
<li>
Line sharpness, representing how clear the user can see the image, particularly, thin lines.
</li>
<li>
The micro projector’s permissible angle of inclination. The projector is positioned at an angle, but it’s impossible to fix it fully accurately. Therefore, for comfortable use, it is crucial to create an image that remains bright even with some margin of error, which is important to measure. Otherwise, there is a risk that the image may disappear completely when it’s placed in the wrong part of the field of view or simply when it’s not bright enough to be visible.
</li>
</ul>

XPANCEO to develop first laboratory optic testing system to accelerate smart contact lens production worldwide  

Welcome to the future! Our dedicated team of 50 scientists has been working endlessly on the prototype of the smart contact lens so it won’t be long until you can get your hands on it. Peek behind the curtain and join us in picturing what your life will look like once it’s out and you unleash your new superpowers the second the lens touches your eye. If it sounds all a bit too futuristic, don’t be quick to dismiss it, the picture painted below is based on our in-house research done by our excellent team.

Here is what you need to know about us before we dive into the year 2030 where smart contact lenses are a part of your everyday life.

## Morning

Jeremy is an ordinary 27-year-old marketing specialist and a full-time smart lens user. Just like any other day, his morning commences with an alarm ringing right beside him on a bedside table. Jeremy jolts awake and the first thing he sees is his smart contact lenses charging in an XPANCEO companion that is programmed to wake him up at 7 am every morning. The display on the companion informs Jeremy that the pair is fully charged and he puts them on, submerging into an infinite eXtended reality within seconds.
 
Jeremy has been wearing smart contact lenses for three years now and so far has never regretted his decision to switch from a smartphone. Firstly, he didn't have to adjust to the new feel of the smart lens on his eye or relearn how to put it on as it rests on the eye the same way his traditional lenses did. Secondly, Jeremy had to keep upgrading his phone to keep up with all the new features, but now with smart lenses, he only needs to return the used pairs to be recycled, which was a game changer for him because of his concerns for the environment. Additionally, the smart contacts perfectly align with his health worries, allowing him to be more mindful of his well-being. 

Jeremy turns on a smart lamp with just a glance and directs his gaze toward a couple of framed pictures next to him, observing the first visual change. The lenses automatically adjust to his specific case of hyperopia once he attempts to make out the faces in the photographs, making it possible for him to be greeted by his family’s smiling faces every morning. 

It’s time for exercise and a health check-in, all done from the comfort of Jeremy’s house. He receives the health data registered from the moment he put the lenses on in the morning, learning about his glucose and cortisol levels. Simultaneously, Jeremy is informed of a recommendation mentioning that he would be able to prevent heightened stress levels if he went to bed just 18 minutes earlier and is enticed with a guided meditation right away to lower the stress hormone. His glucose levels are already in the norm which is good news because Jeremy was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic, first detected by the smart lens. And of course, it’s time to make a 2-minute eye training program, something he used to keep forgetting before.

![l1.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/l1_ce3cd36e32.png)
Upon assuming the lotus pose, Jeremy looks over the available meditation backgrounds which he can enjoy even with his eyes closed, while the lens connects to an external speaker. One of Jeremyl's favorite features is the lens’ ability to adapt to technological nuances and environmental conditions, enhancing them, something he takes full advantage of. Instantaneously, he is transported to a beach, surrounded by endless sand and blue water while birds chirp in his ears and waves crash nearby. Jeremy carefully follows auditory instructions, gradually lowering his stress levels before the busy day ahead. Once he completes the meditation session, he proceeds to a personalized exercise routine. It has been meticulously curated to consider both Jeremy’s preferences in physical activity and his lifestyle, creating the perfect exercise routine which he had the hardest time finding before the lens came into his life.
![l2.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/l2_664f48654e.png)
## At the office

Jeremy heads down to the garage and unlocks the car with another glance. Since buying the smart lens he stopped worrying about losing his car keys or someone stealing his vehicle. The lens not only confirms that Jeremy is unlocking a car that can be opened with his lens but also ensures that Jeremy is the one wearing it. Once his identity is confirmed via safe scanning of his iris, Jeremy buckles into his seat. The field of view swiftly transforms and now displays the speed of his car and directions to his workplace. Throughout the drive, these indicators do not clutter Jeremy’s field of view, ensuring safe navigation and a visually pleasing drive. The lens has helped Jeremy to tackle the driving anxiety that he has been suffering from in his early twenties and only managed to lessen with the security of his new smart device. 

Jeremy arrives at his futuristic office and enters the building by completing biometric identification. Scanning his eye has definitely been easier than endlessly forgetting his pass and having to bother his colleagues to come get him. Upon entering the marketing agency Jeremy’s lens displays the upcoming meetings for the day and reminds him of tomorrow's deadline. For the past 3 years, he has been working at an agency designing personalized ads for various businesses to display in their stores that can be viewed via smart lenses. The upcoming deadline is for a pitch based on exploring new ad concepts for a chain of retail stores so Jeremy has a big chunk of work to do that he is already planning on optimizing with the smart lens. The task is to design the last out of three personalized ads for the campaign. These ads will pop up for potential customers both on foot and driving whenever there are retail deals available that fit the upcoming agenda on the customer’s calendar. 
![l3.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/l3_bbf4f0a029.png)

Jeremy settles at his desk which is cluttered with empty coffee cups from the night before and sets up his workstation with the help of the lens. He pulls up a screen into his field of view and avoids using a keyboard by typing with mental commands, freeing his hands for multitasking. Jeremy brainstorms for an hour, writing, or rather thinking, down the most promising ideas. After cleaning up his notes and formatting them, he sends over the proposal to his boss with another glance, a capability extendable to any colleague within his field of view. From the corner of his eye, Jeremy notes the mountain of dirty coffee mugs again while considering another energizing drink but receives a cautionary alert from the lens indicating elevated blood pressure levels. He settles for water and decides to take a lunch break as he can see his energy levels slowly dragging down below the norm. Jeremy heads for the office vending machine and looks over the available meal options while the lens highlights the ones with the highest protein contents to attest to Jeremy’s lifestyle and regular diet. He continues interacting with the machine’s interface via the smart lens picking a sandwich with salmon. Jeremy begins his lunch while at the same time checking his friends’ stories that are strategically pinned within his physical surroundings. This ensures that any head or eye movement does not knock the media out of his field of view, as it follows his motions and always remains in his line of sight. For the rest of the workday, Jeremy remains in the lunchroom, employing the table as a virtual keyboard with two screens pinned in his field of view, one for editing the proposal with the comments from his boss littered all around the file and the other one for emails.
![l4.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/l4_542c6a831c.png)

## Evening agenda

Once Jeremy finalizes the pitch for tomorrow’s meeting, he rushes home to be on time for his evening plans. The universe works against him and he ends up stuck in traffic. Jeremy decides to make the most out of an annoying situation and pulls up his favorite online store to search for a much-needed pair of new jeans. With the lens, Jeremy browses the store pair after pair of carefully curated jeans until finding the perfect ones. The ability to see his avatar trying on different clothing during browsing has simplified the whole shopping process he used to avoid. He confirms the purchase and pays, the delivery is already on its way to Jeremy’s house, just in time for the evening agenda. Once the traffic clears out a safety feature that prevents online shopping, gaming, and other distracting activities while driving or navigating the subway, turns on and redirects Jeremy’s attention to the road.

![l5.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/l5_7e4e80b357.png)

When Jeremy  gets home, the new pair of jeans is already waiting for him. He changes into a perfectly fitting pair and heads out for the evening. He recalls the irritating traffic situation from his trip home and turns to the smart lens to build the quickest route to his destination, this time it involves the subway. During the trip, once seated, Jeremy pulls up his favorite video game and directs his character with his gaze while battling the final boss and activating power-ups with mental commands. Minutes away from beating the boss the gameplay stops abruptly and is automatically saved since Jeremy is at his stop and has to pay his full attention to his surroundings. Exiting the subway Dans walks another two blocks following the arrows generated by the lens and is finally approaching his destination, a concert hall. Once he’s in front of it he redirects his attention to the real world and enters the building to indulge in an evening of classical music. At the entrance, he is reminded of a customary rule that prohibits the filming of the audience while permitting the capturing of the stage via a smart lens to ensure the privacy of the attendees.

Once the concert is over, Jeremy makes his way home and enters the house tired and hungry, noting how low his energy levels are. He settles into his living room, looks over at the fireplace to turn it on and his favorite relaxing playlist is already playing in the background. Jeremy opts for food delivery and displays the delivery application on the wall of the room scrolling through the options effortlessly. Browsing the application, he prioritizes meals with carbs, yet again with the help of the lens which sent him a recommendation just a minute earlier for the best fitting meal. Moments later, the delivery robot is at Jeremy’s door holding his fresh order and the payment is processed in seconds after he gazes at the robot to confirm the transaction.
After Jeremy is done with his meal and his energy levels are in the safe range he recycles the trash from the delivery and realizes it’s the end of the month which means it’s time to also dispose of the current pair of lenses. He places the lenses into the packaging he received along with the initial order, which lasts him six months and puts it away. Before retiring for the night,Jeremy sets out a new pair of lenses and activates an alarm for the next day using the companion device to ensure yet another seamless morning.

![l6.png](https://assets.xpanceo.com/l6_797061bc0e.png)

Welcome to the future! Our dedicated team of 50 scientists has been working endlessly on the prototype of the smart contact lens so it won’t be long until you can get your hands on it. Peek behind the curtain and join us in picturing what your life will look like once it’s out and you unleash your new superpowers the second the lens touches your eye. If it sounds all a bit too futuristic, don’t be quick to dismiss it, the picture painted below is based on our in-house research done by our excellent team.
Here is what you need to know about us before we dive into the year 2030 where smart contact lenses are a part of your everyday life.
<h2>Morning</h2>
Jeremy is an ordinary 27-year-old marketing specialist and a full-time smart lens user. Just like any other day, his morning commences with an alarm ringing right beside him on a bedside table. Jeremy jolts awake and the first thing he sees is his smart contact lenses charging in an XPANCEO companion that is programmed to wake him up at 7 am every morning. The display on the companion informs Jeremy that the pair is fully charged and he puts them on, submerging into an infinite eXtended reality within seconds.
Jeremy has been wearing smart contact lenses for three years now and so far has never regretted his decision to switch from a smartphone. Firstly, he didn't have to adjust to the new feel of the smart lens on his eye or relearn how to put it on as it rests on the eye the same way his traditional lenses did. Secondly, Jeremy had to keep upgrading his phone to keep up with all the new features, but now with smart lenses, he only needs to return the used pairs to be recycled, which was a game changer for him because of his concerns for the environment. Additionally, the smart contacts perfectly align with his health worries, allowing him to be more mindful of his well-being.
Jeremy turns on a smart lamp with just a glance and directs his gaze toward a couple of framed pictures next to him, observing the first visual change. The lenses automatically adjust to his specific case of hyperopia once he attempts to make out the faces in the photographs, making it possible for him to be greeted by his family’s smiling faces every morning.
It’s time for exercise and a health check-in, all done from the comfort of Jeremy’s house. He receives the health data registered from the moment he put the lenses on in the morning, learning about his glucose and cortisol levels. Simultaneously, Jeremy is informed of a recommendation mentioning that he would be able to prevent heightened stress levels if he went to bed just 18 minutes earlier and is enticed with a guided meditation right away to lower the stress hormone. His glucose levels are already in the norm which is good news because Jeremy was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic, first detected by the smart lens. And of course, it’s time to make a 2-minute eye training program, something he used to keep forgetting before.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/l1_ce3cd36e32.png" alt="l1.png">
Upon assuming the lotus pose, Jeremy looks over the available meditation backgrounds which he can enjoy even with his eyes closed, while the lens connects to an external speaker. One of Jeremyl's favorite features is the lens’ ability to adapt to technological nuances and environmental conditions, enhancing them, something he takes full advantage of. Instantaneously, he is transported to a beach, surrounded by endless sand and blue water while birds chirp in his ears and waves crash nearby. Jeremy carefully follows auditory instructions, gradually lowering his stress levels before the busy day ahead. Once he completes the meditation session, he proceeds to a personalized exercise routine. It has been meticulously curated to consider both Jeremy’s preferences in physical activity and his lifestyle, creating the perfect exercise routine which he had the hardest time finding before the lens came into his life.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/l2_664f48654e.png" alt="l2.png">
<h2>At the office</h2>
Jeremy heads down to the garage and unlocks the car with another glance. Since buying the smart lens he stopped worrying about losing his car keys or someone stealing his vehicle. The lens not only confirms that Jeremy is unlocking a car that can be opened with his lens but also ensures that Jeremy is the one wearing it. Once his identity is confirmed via safe scanning of his iris, Jeremy buckles into his seat. The field of view swiftly transforms and now displays the speed of his car and directions to his workplace. Throughout the drive, these indicators do not clutter Jeremy’s field of view, ensuring safe navigation and a visually pleasing drive. The lens has helped Jeremy to tackle the driving anxiety that he has been suffering from in his early twenties and only managed to lessen with the security of his new smart device.
Jeremy arrives at his futuristic office and enters the building by completing biometric identification. Scanning his eye has definitely been easier than endlessly forgetting his pass and having to bother his colleagues to come get him. Upon entering the marketing agency Jeremy’s lens displays the upcoming meetings for the day and reminds him of tomorrow's deadline. For the past 3 years, he has been working at an agency designing personalized ads for various businesses to display in their stores that can be viewed via smart lenses. The upcoming deadline is for a pitch based on exploring new ad concepts for a chain of retail stores so Jeremy has a big chunk of work to do that he is already planning on optimizing with the smart lens. The task is to design the last out of three personalized ads for the campaign. These ads will pop up for potential customers both on foot and driving whenever there are retail deals available that fit the upcoming agenda on the customer’s calendar.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/l3_bbf4f0a029.png" alt="l3.png">
Jeremy settles at his desk which is cluttered with empty coffee cups from the night before and sets up his workstation with the help of the lens. He pulls up a screen into his field of view and avoids using a keyboard by typing with mental commands, freeing his hands for multitasking. Jeremy brainstorms for an hour, writing, or rather thinking, down the most promising ideas. After cleaning up his notes and formatting them, he sends over the proposal to his boss with another glance, a capability extendable to any colleague within his field of view. From the corner of his eye, Jeremy notes the mountain of dirty coffee mugs again while considering another energizing drink but receives a cautionary alert from the lens indicating elevated blood pressure levels. He settles for water and decides to take a lunch break as he can see his energy levels slowly dragging down below the norm. Jeremy heads for the office vending machine and looks over the available meal options while the lens highlights the ones with the highest protein contents to attest to Jeremy’s lifestyle and regular diet. He continues interacting with the machine’s interface via the smart lens picking a sandwich with salmon. Jeremy begins his lunch while at the same time checking his friends’ stories that are strategically pinned within his physical surroundings. This ensures that any head or eye movement does not knock the media out of his field of view, as it follows his motions and always remains in his line of sight. For the rest of the workday, Jeremy remains in the lunchroom, employing the table as a virtual keyboard with two screens pinned in his field of view, one for editing the proposal with the comments from his boss littered all around the file and the other one for emails.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/l4_542c6a831c.png" alt="l4.png">
<h2>Evening agenda</h2>
Once Jeremy finalizes the pitch for tomorrow’s meeting, he rushes home to be on time for his evening plans. The universe works against him and he ends up stuck in traffic. Jeremy decides to make the most out of an annoying situation and pulls up his favorite online store to search for a much-needed pair of new jeans. With the lens, Jeremy browses the store pair after pair of carefully curated jeans until finding the perfect ones. The ability to see his avatar trying on different clothing during browsing has simplified the whole shopping process he used to avoid. He confirms the purchase and pays, the delivery is already on its way to Jeremy’s house, just in time for the evening agenda. Once the traffic clears out a safety feature that prevents online shopping, gaming, and other distracting activities while driving or navigating the subway, turns on and redirects Jeremy’s attention to the road.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/l5_7e4e80b357.png" alt="l5.png">
When Jeremy gets home, the new pair of jeans is already waiting for him. He changes into a perfectly fitting pair and heads out for the evening. He recalls the irritating traffic situation from his trip home and turns to the smart lens to build the quickest route to his destination, this time it involves the subway. During the trip, once seated, Jeremy pulls up his favorite video game and directs his character with his gaze while battling the final boss and activating power-ups with mental commands. Minutes away from beating the boss the gameplay stops abruptly and is automatically saved since Jeremy is at his stop and has to pay his full attention to his surroundings. Exiting the subway Dans walks another two blocks following the arrows generated by the lens and is finally approaching his destination, a concert hall. Once he’s in front of it he redirects his attention to the real world and enters the building to indulge in an evening of classical music. At the entrance, he is reminded of a customary rule that prohibits the filming of the audience while permitting the capturing of the stage via a smart lens to ensure the privacy of the attendees.
Once the concert is over, Jeremy makes his way home and enters the house tired and hungry, noting how low his energy levels are. He settles into his living room, looks over at the fireplace to turn it on and his favorite relaxing playlist is already playing in the background. Jeremy opts for food delivery and displays the delivery application on the wall of the room scrolling through the options effortlessly. Browsing the application, he prioritizes meals with carbs, yet again with the help of the lens which sent him a recommendation just a minute earlier for the best fitting meal. Moments later, the delivery robot is at Jeremy’s door holding his fresh order and the payment is processed in seconds after he gazes at the robot to confirm the transaction.
After Jeremy is done with his meal and his energy levels are in the safe range he recycles the trash from the delivery and realizes it’s the end of the month which means it’s time to also dispose of the current pair of lenses. He places the lenses into the packaging he received along with the initial order, which lasts him six months and puts it away. Before retiring for the night,Jeremy sets out a new pair of lenses and activates an alarm for the next day using the companion device to ensure yet another seamless morning.
<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/l6_797061bc0e.png" alt="l6.png">

The year 2030 through the Smart Lens

_The prototypes that scientists will present demonstrate how XPANCEO managed to overcome limitations related to the thickness of the lens. The company created components such as a microprojector, biosensors, and electronics that can be integrated into the lens, maintaining the device transparent, thin, and lightweight._

XPANCEO officially opened a laboratory in Dubai and publicly presented three intermediate prototypes of a revolutionary smart contact lens for the first time. Ultimately, the company is aiming for a device as thin, invisible, and weightless as traditional lenses, seamlessly integrating AR, health monitoring, and supervision features. 

Fitting a plethora of components needed for this project such as microprojectors, biosensors, and power electronics into a small, comfortable lens is a challenge. XPANCEO’s R&D team, uniting 40 scientists and engineers from leading universities and research centers worldwide, steps away from traditional tech, utilizing novel low-dimensional materials as thin as an atom, advanced optics and nanophotonics, and transparent, flexible conductors. 

In October, XPANCEO announced a [$40 million](https://www.wamda.com/2023/10/xpanceo-raises-40-million-seed-launch-ar-contact-lenses) investment from [Opportunity Ventures](https://ov-asia.com/) (Asia), underscoring the pioneering nature of their technology. This funding not only allowed them to start the work on uniting the prototypes into a single device but also facilitated the construction of their cutting-edge laboratory, covering an expansive area of over 250 square meters.

**The first prototype** XPANCEO will unveil introduces the world's first holographic lens. This device, with a resolution of 640x480 and a thickness of merely 0.2 millimeters, just like human hair, displaying images comparable to those previously only possible with glasses and full AR/VR headsets. Already showcasing a field of view comparable to traditional headsets, the lens has the potential to become the only gadget with an unlimited field of view. 

**The second prototype** demonstrates the capability of creating small yet accurate biosensors suitable for integration into the lens. The ongoing focus is on achieving a high detection level for analyzing lacrimal fluid, constantly secreted in our eyes, facilitating the measurement of glucose, cortisol, and other hormone levels. Additionally, these sensors can measure vibrations or dimensional changes on the eye, corresponding to different levels of heart rate, dry eye, or intraocular pressure. 

**The third prototype** introduces a patent-pending technology of transparent and flexible conductors based on quasi-two-dimensional gold. These conductors, the thinnest in the world, enable the integration of various electronic components into the lens without sacrificing invisibility, flexibility, or thinness. From power supply components to electrochemical sensors, this technology builds the platform to seamlessly integrate any details into the lens. 

The prototypes that scientists will present demonstrate how XPANCEO managed to overcome limitations related to the thickness of the lens. The company created components such as a microprojector, biosensors, and electronics that can be integrated into the lens, maintaining the device transparent, thin, and lightweight.
XPANCEO officially opened a laboratory in Dubai and publicly presented three intermediate prototypes of a revolutionary smart contact lens for the first time. Ultimately, the company is aiming for a device as thin, invisible, and weightless as traditional lenses, seamlessly integrating AR, health monitoring, and supervision features.
Fitting a plethora of components needed for this project such as microprojectors, biosensors, and power electronics into a small, comfortable lens is a challenge. XPANCEO’s R&amp;D team, uniting 40 scientists and engineers from leading universities and research centers worldwide, steps away from traditional tech, utilizing novel low-dimensional materials as thin as an atom, advanced optics and nanophotonics, and transparent, flexible conductors.
In October, XPANCEO announced a <a href="https://www.wamda.com/2023/10/xpanceo-raises-40-million-seed-launch-ar-contact-lenses">$40 million</a> investment from <a href="https://ov-asia.com/">Opportunity Ventures</a> (Asia), underscoring the pioneering nature of their technology. This funding not only allowed them to start the work on uniting the prototypes into a single device but also facilitated the construction of their cutting-edge laboratory, covering an expansive area of over 250 square meters.
The first prototype XPANCEO will unveil introduces the world's first holographic lens. This device, with a resolution of 640x480 and a thickness of merely 0.2 millimeters, just like human hair, displaying images comparable to those previously only possible with glasses and full AR/VR headsets. Already showcasing a field of view comparable to traditional headsets, the lens has the potential to become the only gadget with an unlimited field of view.
The second prototype demonstrates the capability of creating small yet accurate biosensors suitable for integration into the lens. The ongoing focus is on achieving a high detection level for analyzing lacrimal fluid, constantly secreted in our eyes, facilitating the measurement of glucose, cortisol, and other hormone levels. Additionally, these sensors can measure vibrations or dimensional changes on the eye, corresponding to different levels of heart rate, dry eye, or intraocular pressure.
The third prototype introduces a patent-pending technology of transparent and flexible conductors based on quasi-two-dimensional gold. These conductors, the thinnest in the world, enable the integration of various electronic components into the lens without sacrificing invisibility, flexibility, or thinness. From power supply components to electrochemical sensors, this technology builds the platform to seamlessly integrate any details into the lens.

XPANCEO Unveils Three Innovative Smart Contact Lens Prototypes in Dubai Lab

![2025.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/2025_a83ad24162.jpg)

According to research by Snap Inc and IPSOS, 82% of brands believe that the use of AR enables them to provide a seamless customer experience, thereby driving conversion. Brands offer digital try-ons, personalized tips, and deals, along with the visualization of goods in a customer's environment before actual purchase. For instance, the IKEA Place app lets you virtually 'place' furnishings in your space to see how they would fit into your house or apartment.

The use of smart contact lenses will elevate the AR shopping experience to a new level for both customers and sellers. Let's delve into both perspectives.

From a seller or advertiser's perspective, the applications for smart lenses are plentiful and evident: personalized ads and special offers can now be delivered seamlessly and instantly in the real world, without the need for a dedicated app or loyalty card, and without making exclusive offers visible to everyone. Best practices from CRM and e-commerce can now be extended to offline retail. A customer's shopping history can shape their in-store experience, with the items they've shown interest in generating "cookies" for remarketing. Loyalty programs can display available deals to customers as they traverse the store. For products with a prolonged consideration phase, like cars, customers can bookmark advertised items and then identify them in the real world to form an opinion.

The consumer perspective is equally fascinating. Numerous apps are designed to assist people in making better buying decisions by helping customers choose products based on their preferences (e.g., dietary restrictions, sustainability, fair trade, and local production). However, these apps can be inconvenient to use, requiring manual input or the use of phone cameras. A smart contact lens app, triggered by contextual awareness or a simple command, can provide all this supplementary information in a non-intrusive manner.

The compact form of a smart contact lens simplifies the balance between seller and consumer interests. Customers can choose which data they are willing to share and immediately see the benefits it yields, unlike a fully digital experience where determining the baseline can be challenging. The ambient nature of smart contact lens apps could also make the concept of personal data empowerment and monetization by the consumer a reality.

Businesses will need to be aware of this dynamic from the outset. The advent of social ads has stirred awareness and a certain degree of anxiety around personalized marketing tools, so it's likely that once XR gadgets become commonplace, we won't experience a 'wild west' phase for advertising. Businesses will need to navigate privacy regulations and other concerns with care. Nonetheless, this future holds exciting prospects for everyone: sellers, thrifty consumers, conscious buyers, and concerned citizens alike. It offers businesses more opportunities for effective marketing and CRM, while simultaneously giving individuals greater control.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/2025_a83ad24162.jpg" alt="2025.jpg">
According to research by Snap Inc and IPSOS, 82% of brands believe that the use of AR enables them to provide a seamless customer experience, thereby driving conversion. Brands offer digital try-ons, personalized tips, and deals, along with the visualization of goods in a customer's environment before actual purchase. For instance, the IKEA Place app lets you virtually 'place' furnishings in your space to see how they would fit into your house or apartment.
The use of smart contact lenses will elevate the AR shopping experience to a new level for both customers and sellers. Let's delve into both perspectives.
From a seller or advertiser's perspective, the applications for smart lenses are plentiful and evident: personalized ads and special offers can now be delivered seamlessly and instantly in the real world, without the need for a dedicated app or loyalty card, and without making exclusive offers visible to everyone. Best practices from CRM and e-commerce can now be extended to offline retail. A customer's shopping history can shape their in-store experience, with the items they've shown interest in generating &quot;cookies&quot; for remarketing. Loyalty programs can display available deals to customers as they traverse the store. For products with a prolonged consideration phase, like cars, customers can bookmark advertised items and then identify them in the real world to form an opinion.
The consumer perspective is equally fascinating. Numerous apps are designed to assist people in making better buying decisions by helping customers choose products based on their preferences (e.g., dietary restrictions, sustainability, fair trade, and local production). However, these apps can be inconvenient to use, requiring manual input or the use of phone cameras. A smart contact lens app, triggered by contextual awareness or a simple command, can provide all this supplementary information in a non-intrusive manner.
The compact form of a smart contact lens simplifies the balance between seller and consumer interests. Customers can choose which data they are willing to share and immediately see the benefits it yields, unlike a fully digital experience where determining the baseline can be challenging. The ambient nature of smart contact lens apps could also make the concept of personal data empowerment and monetization by the consumer a reality.
Businesses will need to be aware of this dynamic from the outset. The advent of social ads has stirred awareness and a certain degree of anxiety around personalized marketing tools, so it's likely that once XR gadgets become commonplace, we won't experience a 'wild west' phase for advertising. Businesses will need to navigate privacy regulations and other concerns with care. Nonetheless, this future holds exciting prospects for everyone: sellers, thrifty consumers, conscious buyers, and concerned citizens alike. It offers businesses more opportunities for effective marketing and CRM, while simultaneously giving individuals greater control.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

AR Shopping to Balance Seller and Consumer Interests

![Patent_4.jpg](https://assets.xpanceo.com/Patent_4_ead784ddaa.jpg)

The life of any startup is best described by the Red Queen from “Through the Looking-Glass”: “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place”. It is a constant race to deliver on your promise faster than anyone else can. What makes this race so excruciating is that most of the time you don’t even have the full picture of who you're racing against, particularly when you work in the deep tech segment of the venture economy.

Any data that provides insight into the landscape you’re operating in is precious. One often-overlooked way to gain that insight is by delving into the patent activity of your rivals. In this blog post, we explore the immense value of researching competitors' patent activity and how it can empower deep tech startups to thrive.

**Understanding the Competitive Landscape:**

The first step is to identify the keywords and/or International Patent Classification codes you’re interested in and run a search to see who is filing patents in these categories. In our case, we find that a significant portion of patents pertinent to building a smart contact lens are filed by major manufacturers of conventional contact lenses like Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb, Novartis, followed then by tech giants like Google/Alphabet or IBM. Other important metrics include the share of relevant patents in a company’s total portfolio of patents in a given time period and the pace of filing new patents. This helps identify companies that are focusing on your areas of interest. However, remember that in the case of giants like Intel, IBM, Samsung, even a small fraction of their resources dedicated to a project can be an overwhelming force.

**Understanding Geography:**

Another insight you can glean from this research is the geography of patent filings. The key information here is the countries where your competitors are attempting to legally protect their intellectual property. These are likely your priority markets. Large companies, with their broader insights, access to customers, market research, and experience, can make better assumptions about the markets with the greatest potential.

In our case, patenting activity in North America, the UK, and the leading economies of Southeast Asia were not surprising. However, we also observed high patenting activity in Australia and Brazil. In Europe, all patents are concentrated in France and Denmark. Still, this observation shouldn’t influence your conclusions too much, given the EU’s common market.

**Identifying Areas of Focus:**

Each patent is filed under the International Patent Classification system that categorizes patents by topic. Reviewing the data on where a company's patents are categorized can help you understand its focus areas.

You should typically pay attention to the IPC codes in ranking positions #2 and below. #1 would be the most general one (like “Optical parts of glasses and contact lens” in our case) and the same for all players, but then you might begin to see very different focuses. Some of these differences are obvious (like J&J having more patents in actual lens technology, while IBM or Mojo Vision having more patents in non-optical elements), but sometimes you may identify unexpected forays into new territories by your competitors that could alert you.

The differences in patent geography between companies can be a good indication of their priorities and their concerns about competition. For example, in our case, we could see that healthcare companies like Johnson & Johnson tend to spread their patent coverage worldwide, while IT companies, like IBM, typically focus on the US.

**Avoiding Duplication/Finding Partners and Customers:**

Researching competitors' patents helps startups avoid reinventing the wheel and duplicating efforts. Identifying existing patents allows deep tech entrepreneurs to gain insights into the prior art, preventing costly mistakes and potential legal battles related to patent infringement. This knowledge also enables startups to focus their resources on areas with less competition, accelerating their time to market and reducing development costs.

On the other hand, collaboration is often key to success. By analyzing competitors' patent activity, startups can identify potential collaboration opportunities. Patent filings often reveal complementary technologies or areas where partnerships could enhance both parties' market position. Leveraging these insights, startups can explore strategic alliances, joint ventures, or licensing agreements to drive innovation and accelerate growth.

The value of researching competitors' patent activity cannot be underestimated. From understanding the competitive landscape to identifying collaboration opportunities and optimizing IP strategies, deep tech startups gain a wealth of insights that can drive success and propel their innovation forward. By embracing this research approach, startups can unlock the hidden treasure within their rivals' patent activity.

© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

<img src="https://assets.xpanceo.com/Patent_4_ead784ddaa.jpg" alt="Patent_4.jpg">
The life of any startup is best described by the Red Queen from “Through the Looking-Glass”: “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place”. It is a constant race to deliver on your promise faster than anyone else can. What makes this race so excruciating is that most of the time you don’t even have the full picture of who you're racing against, particularly when you work in the deep tech segment of the venture economy.
Any data that provides insight into the landscape you’re operating in is precious. One often-overlooked way to gain that insight is by delving into the patent activity of your rivals. In this blog post, we explore the immense value of researching competitors' patent activity and how it can empower deep tech startups to thrive.
Understanding the Competitive Landscape:
The first step is to identify the keywords and/or International Patent Classification codes you’re interested in and run a search to see who is filing patents in these categories. In our case, we find that a significant portion of patents pertinent to building a smart contact lens are filed by major manufacturers of conventional contact lenses like Johnson &amp; Johnson, Bausch &amp; Lomb, Novartis, followed then by tech giants like Google/Alphabet or IBM. Other important metrics include the share of relevant patents in a company’s total portfolio of patents in a given time period and the pace of filing new patents. This helps identify companies that are focusing on your areas of interest. However, remember that in the case of giants like Intel, IBM, Samsung, even a small fraction of their resources dedicated to a project can be an overwhelming force.
Understanding Geography:
Another insight you can glean from this research is the geography of patent filings. The key information here is the countries where your competitors are attempting to legally protect their intellectual property. These are likely your priority markets. Large companies, with their broader insights, access to customers, market research, and experience, can make better assumptions about the markets with the greatest potential.
In our case, patenting activity in North America, the UK, and the leading economies of Southeast Asia were not surprising. However, we also observed high patenting activity in Australia and Brazil. In Europe, all patents are concentrated in France and Denmark. Still, this observation shouldn’t influence your conclusions too much, given the EU’s common market.
Identifying Areas of Focus:
Each patent is filed under the International Patent Classification system that categorizes patents by topic. Reviewing the data on where a company's patents are categorized can help you understand its focus areas.
You should typically pay attention to the IPC codes in ranking positions #2 and below. #1 would be the most general one (like “Optical parts of glasses and contact lens” in our case) and the same for all players, but then you might begin to see very different focuses. Some of these differences are obvious (like J&amp;J having more patents in actual lens technology, while IBM or Mojo Vision having more patents in non-optical elements), but sometimes you may identify unexpected forays into new territories by your competitors that could alert you.
The differences in patent geography between companies can be a good indication of their priorities and their concerns about competition. For example, in our case, we could see that healthcare companies like Johnson &amp; Johnson tend to spread their patent coverage worldwide, while IT companies, like IBM, typically focus on the US.
Avoiding Duplication/Finding Partners and Customers:
Researching competitors' patents helps startups avoid reinventing the wheel and duplicating efforts. Identifying existing patents allows deep tech entrepreneurs to gain insights into the prior art, preventing costly mistakes and potential legal battles related to patent infringement. This knowledge also enables startups to focus their resources on areas with less competition, accelerating their time to market and reducing development costs.
On the other hand, collaboration is often key to success. By analyzing competitors' patent activity, startups can identify potential collaboration opportunities. Patent filings often reveal complementary technologies or areas where partnerships could enhance both parties' market position. Leveraging these insights, startups can explore strategic alliances, joint ventures, or licensing agreements to drive innovation and accelerate growth.
The value of researching competitors' patent activity cannot be underestimated. From understanding the competitive landscape to identifying collaboration opportunities and optimizing IP strategies, deep tech startups gain a wealth of insights that can drive success and propel their innovation forward. By embracing this research approach, startups can unlock the hidden treasure within their rivals' patent activity.
© 2023 XPANCEO. All rights reserved.

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