These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (2025)

These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (1)
  • XPANCEO has unveiled a trio of smart contact lens prototypes at MWC 2025
  • Technology showcased includes fully remote power transfer
  • Other prototypes include a biosensing smart contact lesns, and a lens that can help manage glaucoma

A self-acclaimed "deep tech" company focused on the next generation of computing has unveiled three smart contact lens prototypes at MWC 2025, giving us a glimpse into the technology that could shape vision health of the future.

XPANCEO took the covers off its three prototypes, each one showcasing a unique technology that could feature in future "smart" contact lenses.

The company's prototypes highlight fully remote power transfer (charging over the air), biosensing, and intraocular pressure sensors for managing and detecting diseases such as glaucoma.

You may like

  • The three best health and fitness products unveiled at MWC 2025
  • I can't decide if I love or hate Halliday Smart Glasses with its ultra-tiny display and nosey AI

Here are the three prototypes and what they could mean for the future of vision health. After all, we'll happily wear the best smartwatches and smart rings, as tech progresses, it seems only natural that more and more ubiquitous items take on the "smart moniker."

These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (2)

XPANCEO's first prototype (and these are all prototypes likely years from production) showcases fully remote power transfer technology. Naturally, any "smart" device including a contact lens requires power from a battery or other source to run. This prototype technology offers twice the range of previous industry solutions, powering a contact lens wirelessly from a compact companion device such as a contact lens case you'd carry around.

Having literal electricity fired into your eye doesn't sound like a great starting point for any smart health device, but XPANCEO says its solution puts out radiation levels similar to other common wearables such as the best wireless headphones.

2. Biosensing Smart Contact Lens

These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (3)

XPANCEO's prototype biosensor can measure body parameters directly from tear fluid. The lens purportedly uses nanoparticles to enable high-sensitivity monitoring of biomarkers such as glucose, hormones such as cortisol, estradiol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, and D.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

While Apple is still trying to wrap its head around non-invasive blood glucose monitoring on Apple Watch, XPANCEO is proposing a decidedly more clinical sci-fi future where you can measure body metrics through tears.

These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (4)

XPANCEO's third tech prototype is a non-invasive glaucoma management system. Using an AI-powered smartphone app and a built-in intraocular pressure sensor, the company says it can provide "instant, highly precise measurements" that can be used to detect early glaucoma before significant vision loss occurs.

XPANCEO's other smart lens tech

XPANCEO also showcased improved tech for its smart contact lens featuring augmented reality, which no longer uses external image sources but instead features an integrated microdisplay that can show images previously only viewable through smart glasses or AR/VR headsets. Finally, the company showcased a smart contact lens for data reading using a wireless data transmission antenna to send real-time data from the contact lens to a smartphone.

Naturally, showing off these prototypes is world's away from developing a contact lens that incorporates all of this technology in a commercially viable package that can be mass produced. But if XPANCEO can crack even one of these technologies for mass market, it might have a major health breakthrough on its hands.

You may also like

  • Honor's new Android smartwatch has a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, 15 days of battery life, and works with iPhone and Android
  • How AI-powered informatics and smart technologies could revolutionize healthcare
  • Your Samsung Galaxy Ring might be the key to a smarter home thanks to SmartThings' connected device roadmap
These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (5)

Stephen Warwick

Fitness & Wearables writer

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more

The three best health and fitness products unveiled at MWC 2025
I can't decide if I love or hate Halliday Smart Glasses with its ultra-tiny display and nosey AI
TCL has 3 new smart glasses which are all in the running for the best of 2025 already
Look out Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Xreal is coming for your crown with its new AR specs
BleeqUp's new 4-in-1 cycling glasses come with an AI-powered camera, one-tap video editing and a walkie-talkie feature
The best smart glasses 2025: the top AI and AR glasses you can find

Latest in Health & Fitness

Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review: A powerful seven-mode, Swiss-made sonic brush
"I'm an idiot": Garmin user reveals how fixing one setting completely changed their training after months of making no progress
Sprint! The best cheap Garmin for runners is back down to its lowest-ever price
The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill looks like it was designed by an architect and costs $15,000
This Redditor installed a game engine on their smartwatch, and now it runs Doom, Quake, and Half-Life
5 hidden features on your Garmin watch you're probably not using, but should be

Latest in News

Apple will finally enable encrypted RCS messages between iOS and Android, and it's about time
Believe it, baby: Ted Lasso season 4 is officially in development for Apple TV+ and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the titular soccer coach
Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #1146)
NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #377)
NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #643)
The world's leading website builder aims to save businesses time with new tool

More about health fitness

Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review: A powerful seven-mode, Swiss-made sonic brushThe Upeak Sport Strap is so comfortable I forgot I was wearing my Apple Watch – but it’s not the most premium band out there

Latest

Apple Intelligence is a fever dream that I bet Apple wishes we could all forget about

See more latest

Most Popular

Apple will finally enable encrypted RCS messages between iOS and Android, and it's about time
The world's leading website builder aims to save businesses time with new tool
GitLab has patched a host of worrying security issues
NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #377)
7 new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (March 14)
NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #643)
Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #1146)
Volt Typhoon threat group had access to American utility networks for the best part of a year
Believe it, baby: Ted Lasso season 4 is officially in development for Apple TV+ and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the titular soccer coach
US government warns Medusa ransomware has hit hundreds of critical infrastructure targets
These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Kieth Sipes

Last Updated:

Views: 6061

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kieth Sipes

Birthday: 2001-04-14

Address: Suite 492 62479 Champlin Loop, South Catrice, MS 57271

Phone: +9663362133320

Job: District Sales Analyst

Hobby: Digital arts, Dance, Ghost hunting, Worldbuilding, Kayaking, Table tennis, 3D printing

Introduction: My name is Kieth Sipes, I am a zany, rich, courageous, powerful, faithful, jolly, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.