XPANCEO Unveils Smart Contact Lens for 3D Imaging at GITEX

Dubai-based deep tech company XPANCEO introduced its Smart Contact Lens for 3D Imaging at GITEX Global 2024. The lens allows users to view and interact with 3D content directly in their environment, without requiring glasses. Attendees were able to see how this technology could be used in media and entertainment, enabling more natural interactions with visuals. 

XPANCEO utilizes advanced technologies, including 2D materials, artificial intelligence (AI), and nanophotonics, to develop its smart contact lens at its Dubai laboratory. XPANCEO is also working on other smart contact lens prototypes, which integrate extended reality (XR) interfaces for broader use in various industries, and plans to test a fully functional smart contact lens prototype by late 2026. For now, the company is showcasing prototypes with specific features that will later be combined into a single product. 

Another prototype, the Smart Contact Lens for Data Reading, features wireless data transmission, enabling users to interact with data in real-time. Attendees were able to test the technology at GITEX, receiving data from the lens to their mobile devices. 

XPANCEO also featured the updated Smart Contact Lens for AR Vision, which offers improved image quality with low power consumption — 1-3 microwatts, which is significantly lower than conventional AR glasses. 

Additionally, XPANCEO introduced a Smart Contact Lens with an Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Sensor, designed to help detect early signs of glaucoma. Tested on a custom eye model, this lens showed a 50 percent improvement in measuring eye pressure. 

Founded in 2021, XPANCEO was ranked as the number one corporate research institution in Western Asia and one of the top three research institutions in the UAE by The Nature Index.

In 2023, XPANCEO pocketed $40 million in a seed round led by Hong Kong-based Opportunity Ventures. 

Combining XR, AI, and nanophotonics, XPANCEO’s smart contact lens is being designed to disrupt several industries, including sports and healthcare, fintech and banking, the automotive industry, and eventually, space.