The xMEMS 'fan on a chip' is ready for smart glasses
As AI reignites Big Tech's push for smart glasses, here's a tech that could play a central role. xMEMS, which debuted a solid-state "fan on a chip" last year, has a new one for wearables. This could help future smart glasses melt your face figuratively — and not literally.
Founded in 2018, xMEMS specializes in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The California-based company started with solid-state speakers. Last year, it introduced its µCooling "fan on a chip" for phones and other thin devices. Now, it's applying its technology to wearables.
As smart glasses incorporate more advanced tech, the devices require cooling. But you can't exactly walk around with fans blowing on your face. That would be… noisy. Mechanical fans would also take up precious real estate, leading to diminished performance or bulky glasses. The tech that xMEMS made its bones on could offer a solution.
xMEMS
xMEMS says its µCooling chip can help smart glasses use their full power without overheating. The company claims the silicon gives glasses 60 to 70 percent more power to work with. (They could use more power before hitting their thermal limit.) The chip also kept the devices up to 40 percent cooler. It also reduced thermal resistance by up to 75 percent.
The company states that this translates to cooler skin-contact surfaces, crucial in a face-worn device. (That's where you avoid melting your face the wrong way.) It also leads to sustained performance, improved comfort and long-term reliability.
The chip architecture doesn't have any motors or bearings. It operates silently and vibration-free. It's also tiny: as small as 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.13 mm.
"Heat in smart glasses is more than a performance issue; it directly affects user comfort and safety," xMEMS Marketing VP Mike Housholder wrote. "xMEMS' µCooling technology is the only active solution small, thin and light enough to integrate directly into the limited volume of the eyewear frame, actively managing surface temperatures to enable true all-day wearability."
xMEMS has samples available for interested manufacturers. The company expects volume production to begin in early 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-xmems-fan-on-a-chip-is-ready-for-smart-glasses-130032660.html?src=rss