As a part of our Holoflow Tech interviews, this time we had the honor to interview Andre Miodezky. Andre Miodezky (co-founder, CGO, CMO, and President of the Board) is a self-skilled startup entrepreneur and technologist. He worked for over 30 years with tech companies in Europe, the USA, and Asia in multiple positions as founder, CEO, board member, strategist, business, and technical management. Andre co-founded and managed the 3D ToF CMOS sensor startup (Optrima) and orchestrated the merger with SoftKinetic until the acquisition in 2015 by Sony as CEO, Co-CEO, President, and Chief Strategist. 

Andre and his team at VoxelSensors are developing a brand new, game-changing spatial computing technology that can achieve ultra-low power consumption and latency at the same time. You’ll find excellent information about their solution product in this interview. Furthermore, Andre has an interesting perception of the future of the metaverse and AR, which is unique and eye-opening. Without further delay, I welcome you to read.

1. As a business developer and strategist, please describe the process you follow to achieve your goal.

I tend to study market trends extensively. I gather inputs from a diverse range of individuals, allowing this mixture of information to mature. I often rely on my instincts to conclude. Once I’ve identified a direction, I establish milestones to achieve my goals, continuously monitor progress, and adapt as necessary. Moreover, I excel at recognizing talented and capable individuals and value their feedback and expertise in their respective domains.

2. Regarding the previous question, can you tell us what keeps you motivated to achieve that goal?

I have a genuine inclination toward innovation, experimentation, and exploration. I also have the willingness to embrace risks as I pursue exciting objectives and embrace new challenges. Technology, in particular, aligns perfectly with this inclination, providing a fertile ground for exploring novel opportunities and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. This enthusiasm for pushing the envelope and embracing uncertainty has consistently led me to discover uncharted territories within the realm of technology. I enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone.

3. In your opinion, what is the most important personality trait someone would need to be successful in your job?

In this scenario, I believe that charisma and luck are significant factors. A Fortune 500 CEO entrusted his assistant with the task of choosing a new top executive. Following an exhaustive selection process, they shortlisted three candidates. The CEO then randomly selected one of the three CVs and humorously remarked, “I’ve chosen this one because I have a hunch they bring luck with them.”

4. Please tell us about the company you co-founded, VoxelSensors.

VoxelSensors is a Brussels-based deep-tech semiconductor company at the forefront of redefining Extended Reality (XR). Our founder’s team, including Johannes Peeters, Ward van der Tempel, and me, previously led SoftKinetic’s successful venture into 3D sensing products, culminating in Sony’s acquisition. Recognizing persisting industry challenges, we regrouped in 2020 and founded VoxelSensors together with Christian Mourad, Boris Greenberg, and Frederic de Laminne, aiming to revolutionize spatial computing by addressing energy and latency issues.

To address the challenges of power consumption and latency, we are developing a novel game-changing Spatial Computing technology. What makes this innovation truly exceptional is its unique ability to achieve ultra-low power consumption and latency at the same time. By seamlessly blending the physical and digital worlds, our solution sets the stage for the emergence of sleek and immersive Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) devices, effectively meeting the soaring demands of the industry. 

5. Please discuss your company’s product, SPAES, and how it has the potential to revolutionize 3D perception systems.

The Single Photon® Active Event Sensor (SPAES) represents our cutting-edge 3D Perception technology tailored to the specific requirements of XR device manufacturers. Its primary focus lies in energy efficiency and rapid responsiveness to the external environment.

Diverging from older systems notorious for power consumption, SPAES employs an optimized approach to information processing. It excels at swiftly creating intricate spatial maps, pinpointing crucial elements within that environment, and fostering a more natural interaction between devices and their surroundings. The ultimate objective is to seamlessly integrate the real and virtual worlds, creating an immersive experience. This has significant advantages, particularly in the realm of virtual reality (VR) and, eventually, augmented reality (AR) wearables. 

6. How far is your product from mass production?

VoxelSensors is in the process of fine-tuning the Evaluation Kit Andromeda EVK1 to allow customers to start evaluating the technology. Building on the success of our pilot program, we’re setting our sights on achieving mass production in the coming years, contingent upon securing final customer interest and adoption. Our product roadmap is strategically aligned with the growing XR market, specifically targeting next-generation devices, as we continue to innovate and advance in this exciting field. 

7. Can you tell us what kind of clients you have and how your product promoted their business?

While we’re currently in the development stage, we’re actively involved in pilot programs with select tech giants like GAFA and other prominent OEMs. The objective is to seamlessly integrate the real and virtual worlds in spatial mobile computing, and these strategic partnerships play a pivotal role in achieving this goal. 

8. What needs to happen for the metaverse to be widely available to users?

I am no longer convinced we need a strong concept like metaverse. Market and technology acceleration of Augmented Reality will create the next generation, the next killer app or world. No need to give it a revolutionary expectation, evolution will do fine. We are entering the fourth digital wave. The first wave was the mainframe, followed by a second wave of personal computing and the Internet. The third wave was mobile and cloud. Artificial intelligence (AI) and Spatial Computing (virtual worlds, 3D interfaces, and holograms) are the fourth digital wave. 

Humanity is not meant to be framed in 2D spaces. We are species that interact in space and time. The current 2D digital space seriously limits the number and types of applications:

• Many applications require working statically in front of a screen (e.g., e-learning, e-commerce, e-health, gaming, videoconferencing, ticket and vending machines, etc.), providing limited functionality and poor user experience as a result.
• Mobile applications are limited to small displays on smartphones, vehicles, or devices (e.g., GPS navigation, restaurant menus, on-site information apps, etc.), which increase fatigue and risks for the user when walking or driving and limit the possibilities of digital technologies to help users in daily tasks.

Providing 3D experience services solves most of these issues, especially by implementing mobile AR technologies that combine and overlay digital items with the physical world. The next evolution, mixed reality (MR), goes one step beyond, making physical and digital elements interact in real-time (e.g., using glasses that digitally attenuate the lights of a car approaching in the opposite direction when blinding the driver). The whole set of applications that include VR  (extensively used in gaming), AR, and MR are defined as Extended Reality (XR) and are meant to transform social habits, services, and economies the same way it happened with cloud, mobile, and social technologies in the previous revolution.

However, XR requires novel XR devices to enable the adoption of real-time rendered immersive and augmented 3D worlds. Blending the physical and digital worlds, with seamless transitions from the physical to the digital and from the digital to the physical worlds, is an unsolved problem in XR. Incumbent perception technologies lead to clumsy, large form-factor devices, frequently tethered to smartphones or computer platforms to provide power and computing.

The XR revolution entails four principles that are currently unsolved:

• Massively scaled: Devices, such as wearables, should not be corded to smartphones or computers to provide power and computing, yet be light, standalone, and available at all times and for prolonged uses.
• Real-time-rendered 3D virtual worlds: Ultra-low latency and reliable sensing and communication technologies are required to capture, transfer, and render experiences from one end to another.
• Synchronous and persistent: Spatial Computing experiences are coexistent. Everyone needs to be experiencing it together at the same time. Each trace one is making should be persistent. When an object (e.g., a drawing) is put on a wall, this should be manifested so that when you – or any other user – look back at that wall, it is still there.
• Continuity of data: Data availability, authenticity, and security will be critical elements to prove identity and ownership.

9. Can you describe your most fascinating immersive experience?

Meta Quest 3 latest video call was very impressive. 

10. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over your career?

In our industry, the only constant is change itself. Trust your instincts, as often the initial impression is the correct one.

11. Could you share your motto with our audience?

Think, Build, Succeed!

12. How can people follow you online or get in touch with you to learn more about your work?

You can always find me on LinkedIn, or get in touch with us via our website, or company LinkedIn page.