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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> SmartGlasses@groups.io <SmartGlasses@groups.io> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Chris Smart via groups.io<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, October 28, 2025 4:37 PM<br><b>To:</b> SmartGlasses@groups.io<br><b>Subject:</b> [SmartGlasses] FW: [Tech-VI] .lumen joins Europe\u2019s VR Health Champions to build the next generation of glasses for the blind<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> tech-vi@groups.io <tech-vi@groups.io> <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Goldfield via groups.io<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p><span lang=EN-CA>.lumen - Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 3:30</span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>\u202f</span><span lang=EN-CA>AM<o:p></o:p></span></p><h1><span lang=EN-CA>.lumen joins Europe\u2019s VR Health Champions to build the next generation of glasses for the blind<o:p></o:p></span></h1><div><div id=viewer-zculc466><div><div><div id=zculc466><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img width=147 height=83 style='width:1.5312in;height:.8645in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:~WRD0001.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. Co-funded by the European Union, the project will help us validate and refine the second-generation AI-powered glasses across countries, languages, and cultures. "></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div id=viewer-rq3u3468><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA> Co-funded by the European Union, the project will help us validate and refine the second-generation AI-powered glasses across countries, languages, and cultures. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><div><p class=r5jqm><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Cluj-Napoca, Romania, October 28, 2025 - </span></strong><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA><a href="https://www.dotlumen.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>.lumen</span></strong></a>, the Romanian deep-tech startup developing</span></span><em><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'> Glasses for the Blind</span></em><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA> is joining the \u20ac7.8 million program called <a href="https://vrhealthchampions.eu/" target="_blank"><strong><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>VR Health Champions</span></strong></a> consortium as a new flagship SME. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>.lumen develops glasses that give the blind and visually impaired the freedom of mobility. Using Pedestrian Autonomous Driving (PAD AI), the company\u2019s patented technology brings the capabilities of a self-driving car into a wearable device, guiding users through real-world environments via gentle haptic feedback. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>\u201cFor thousands of years, the blind had only two tools: the cane and the guide dog. Yet there are only 28,000 guide dogs for over 300 million people. When we surpass 28,000 devices shipped, we will change a paradigm that\u2019s millennia old,\u201d said </span></span><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Cornel Amariei</span></strong><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>, </span></span><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>CEO and founder of .lumen. </span></strong><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>Through the VR Health Champions project, .lumen will co-develop its second-generation product, smaller, more refined, and designed for global markets. The collaboration will enable testing across multiple countries, languages, and cultures, supporting international validation and user adaptation. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>\u201cEurope has the talent and technology to lead in healthcare XR, what\u2019s often missing are the bridges between innovators, healthcare systems and markets,\u201d said </span></span><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Cristina Costa, Project Coordinator at VR Health Champions</span></strong><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>. \u201cBy connecting key players across regions and sectors, we are helping to create strong European value chains that support innovation, strengthen digital competitiveness, and enable healthcare systems to benefit from cutting-edge solutions. This initiative is about ensuring that Europe doesn\u2019t just follow global trends in XR healthcare but actively shapes them.\u201d </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>\u201cWith VR Health Champions, we\u2019re taking our next leap, building a globally scalable version of the .lumen glasses and learning from diverse environments. This project marks our first coordinated step towards global expansion, starting with Europe,\u201d added Amariei. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>The partnership strengthens the consortium\u2019s mission to accelerate the adoption of XR technologies in healthcare, improving accessibility and inclusion through innovation. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>VR Health Champions, co-funded by the European Union, is a European consortium connecting XR innovators, healthcare providers, and research institutions to develop, test, and deploy virtual and augmented reality solutions that enhance medical training, therapy, and patient care. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>The project recently launched its <a href="https://vrhealthchampions.eu/get-involved/?utm_source=news&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=dotLumen&utm_id=dotLumen+PR" target="_blank">Open Call 2026</a>, inviting SMEs and start-ups working with immersive healthcare technologies to apply for \u20ac60,000 in funding and partner with Europe\u2019s top XR healthcare innovators to bring groundbreaking healthcare solutions to market. Applications are open until 30 November 2025. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>About .lumen</span></strong><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA> </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>.lumen is a Romanian research startup developing Pedestrian Autonomous Driving (PAD AI), a technology first showcased through the .lumen Glasses for the Blind. Founded by Cornel Amariei, the company creates AI-powered mobility solutions that restore independence to the visually impaired. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>About VR Health Champions</span></strong><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA> </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>The 3-year project aims to break down market, clinical and regulatory barriers in healthcare across less developed regions of Central Eastern and Southern Europe, while fast-tracking the advancement of VR/AR applications.</span></span><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>\u202f</span></span><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA> </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>It focuses on five flagship SMEs </span></span><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>\u202f</span></span><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA>.lumen, MEEVA, MedApp, Metaskills, and Virtuleap, that are leading this transformation. The total project cost is estimated at \u20ac7.88 million, with \u20ac5.82 million co-funded by the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) instrument under the European Regional Development Fund. We are committed to providing support to businesses undergoing transformations. </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=r5jqm><strong><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Press Contact</span></strong><span class=snnrz><span lang=EN-CA> </span></span><span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p><span lang=EN-CA><a href="https://www.dotlumen.com/post/lumen-joins-europe-vr-health-champions-to-build-the-next-generation-of-glasses-for-the-blind">https://www.dotlumen.com/post/lumen-joins-europe-vr-health-champions-to-build-the-next-generation-of-glasses-for-the-blind</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'>_._,_._,_<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal>Groups.io Links:<o:p></o:p></p><p>You receive all messages sent to this group. <o:p></o:p></p><p><a href="https://groups.io/g/SmartGlasses/message/3064" target="_blank">View/Reply Online (#3064)</a> | <a href="mailto:SmartGlasses@groups.io?subject=Re:%20%5BSmartGlasses%5D%20FW%3A%20%5BTech-VI%5D%20.lumen%20joins%20Europe%E2%80%99s%20VR%20Health%20Champions%20to%20build%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20glasses%20for%20the%20blind" target="_blank">Reply to Group</a> | <a href="mailto:smartwebtester@gmail.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BSmartGlasses%5D%20FW%3A%20%5BTech-VI%5D%20.lumen%20joins%20Europe%E2%80%99s%20VR%20Health%20Champions%20to%20build%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20glasses%20for%20the%20blind" target="_blank">Reply to Sender</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/mt/116001270/318502" target="_blank">Mute This Topic</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/g/SmartGlasses/post">New Topic</a> <br><a href="https://groups.io/g/SmartGlasses/editsub/318502">Your Subscription</a> | <a href="mailto:SmartGlasses+owner@groups.io">Contact Group Owner</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/g/SmartGlasses/leave/13979060/318502/1127316124/xyzzy">Unsubscribe</a> [floza58@bellsouth.net]<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'>_._,_._,_<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>