Eyesynth and UPV: Harnessing the Power of Academic Excellence

I graduated as an Electronics Engineer in Argentina, but during my search to specialize in Digital Signal Processing Systems, I discovered the Digital Systems Research Group (GISED) at Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV).

Driven by motivation and a strong desire to train with them, I secured a scholarship and embarked on my journey to Spain. I began by completing a Master’s degree, followed by a PhD in Electronic Systems at UPV. I completed my doctoral thesis, titled “Algorithms and Hardware Architectures for the Implementation of OFDM in Optical Communication Systems,” with Cum Laude honors, in the GISED laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Vicenç Almenar and Dr. Javier Valls

For several years, I continued working as a researcher at Campus Gandia, focusing on digital communications systems. During this research phase, I had the opportunity to meet many people—professors, technicians, and lab colleagues—many of whom I still stay in touch with today.

In early 2021, a new challenge arose: transitioning from my role as a researcher to becoming the CTO of a company with a significant social impact, a cause that has been close to my heart since I was young. The task was to design new hardware, and I immediately thought of several colleagues from the research group at Campus Gandia to help build the engineering department. As part of the Eyesynth team, we developed smart glasses designed for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Eyesynth is a startup based in Castellón dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with visual impairments through innovative technology. After ten years of development, we have successfully reached the marketing stage and launched our first model of NIIRA Smartglasses.

One example is Ferran Mascarell Català, a graduate from the campus, who leads the hardware and software development efforts. Francisco García Herrero also collaborates with the engineering department I oversee, focusing on research related to artificial intelligence. Francisco is a recent graduate of the UPV who received the National Award for the best academic record. Both completed their Telecommunications Engineering studies and Master’s Degrees at Campus Gandia.

At Eyesynth, we aim to enhance the quality of life for individuals with visual disabilities through our NIIRA smart glasses. These glasses feature an advanced stereoscopic vision and sound processing system, enabling users to interpret their environment in 3D using auditory cues. This innovative system converts images captured by cameras into clear audio information, facilitating navigation and interaction in diverse environments.

Awards Received
In recent years, through hard work and dedication, we have made significant progress that has yielded impressive results. During this time, we have received over twenty international awards, including the prestigious IF Design Award (Berlin) for the design of our glasses. Most recently, in February of this year, we were invited by the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) to participate in its annual “Mobility for All” competition. We now face a significant challenge as we have been selected as finalists, competing alongside nine other companies—six from Japan and three from Europe—for a spot in the second phase of this exciting competition.

In Japan, on November 16 and 17, we will showcase NIIRA to the visually impaired community in collaboration with Toyota. This is a fantastic opportunity to introduce many more people to the work we are doing at Eyesynth in the Valencian Community.

My experience at UPV shaped me into a specialist and researcher in electronic systems, enabling me to lead the engineering efforts of this remarkable project alongside an outstanding team.

Julián Santiago Bruno

CTO Eyesynth