Paul van Gerven
28 June 2022

Imec and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) spinoff Swave Photonics has raised 7 million euros to commercialize holographic extended reality chips. HXR is claimed to be capable of projecting lifelike holographic 3D images that eliminate today’s AR/VR/XR challenges of focal depth and eye-tracking, so viewers can easily focus on nearby and faraway objects. Potential applications include metaverse platforms, 360-degree holographic walls, 3D gaming, AR/VR/XR glasses, collaborative video conferencing and head-up displays for automotive and aerospace systems.

holography

“Our vision is to help build the fundamental holographic technology to bring the metaverse to life and work,” says Swave CEO and founder Theodore Marescaux. “Our HXR gigapixel technology will forever change the way we see and experience displayed still images, videos and live imaging. True, lifelike and immersive metaverse experiences powered by Swave technology are poised to replace every AR/VR display and headset to the point where virtual, augmented or extended reality is practically indistinguishable from the real world.”

HXR leverages advances in photonics and holography. The chips are manufactured in standard CMOS technology.