This week, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, emerging XR display innovators XPANCEO showcased four smart contact lens prototypes, including one with deep XR features.
Of its prototypes, the firm aims to build ultra-thin, unintrusive XR contact lenses to replace bulkier AR/VR/VR devices.
Based on research from roughly 40 scientists and engineers from leading Spanish and European universities and research institutions, XPANCEO is prototyping four separate smart contact lenses with various functions.
The XR-focused lens allows users to access features such as XR, health monitoring, and content surfing – with the firm noting how future operators can access immersive visuals previously only achievable by large-scale XR head-mounted displays.
Moreover, users can interact with immersive video calls, social media, and gaming applications via its XR lens. Additionally, integrated biosensors allow the lens to display medical information as a heads-up display.
The other smart contact lens presents new solutions, such as low-light vision and zooming capabilities. Each lens the firm is developing is as thin as a medical lens, with the firm forecasting it will design a “perfect all-in-one smart contact lens” in 2026 – presumably with XR features, as shown at MWC 2024.
The Next Step in XR Contact Lens
The prototypes may be coming at the perfect time. Thanks to the Apple Vision Pro and original leaders in immersive contact lenses, there are more eyes on the space. Additionally, the market is opening for firms such as XPANCEO and Blink Energy due to previous leaders Mojo Vision cancelling its XR contact lens in early 2023.
Due to a lack of capital, the firm shut down its research and operations following a much-publicized campaign, which saw its CEO, Drew Parkins, operating the device himself. However, while Mojo Vision has dropped such ambitions, cutting staff at the time and moving focus solely towards MicroOLED display technology.
XPANCEO and Blink Energy are two companies looking to take the lead in the emerging XR contact lens market. XPANCEO is expected to debut its devices and establish a release forecast at the perfect time, ready to fill a recently opened gap in the market. Meanwhile, Blink Energy has introduced its BlinkIT signalling contact lens to make contact lenses and ocular technology more efficient and user-friendly than ever before.
Blink Energy has collaborated with entrepreneurs, ophthalmologists, and engineers to develop groundbreaking and patented technology for smart ocular devices. Their approach aims to shorten the time-to-market for such devices, reduce the total ownership cost, and maintain a minimal footprint.
As the market for intelligent ocular devices expands, Blink Energy wants to emerge as a critical player, offering device-agnostic power and communication platforms suitable for any ocular device. The firm’s strategic focus involves forging partnerships with leading manufacturers of smart visual devices to tackle power and connectivity challenges. The company believes addressing these obstacles is crucial to realizing the multi-billion dollar market potential for such products.
