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Boston-based company Metalenz has acquired PxE Holographic Imaging, an Israeli startup that developed a specialized optical layer known as a HoloCoder. This technology aims to replace the traditional Bayer filter used in smartphone cameras, potentially allowing sensors to capture significantly more light and depth information.
Improving Light Sensitivity
Standard smartphone cameras rely on a Bayer filter—a red, green, and blue layer positioned above the sensor—to produce color images. However, this filter absorbs and discards approximately 60 percent of incoming light. According to WIRED, the HoloCoder functions by using microscopic structures to diffract and bend light waves toward the sensor pixels rather than absorbing them.
Metalenz claims this method could allow camera sensors to collect up to 2.5 times more light. This increase in light-gathering capability is expected to enhance low-light photography and improve dynamic range, helping cameras better manage high-contrast scenes without losing detail in shadows or highlights.
Capturing 3D Depth and Data
Beyond light sensitivity, the HoloCoder can capture 3D depth information simultaneously. Currently, most smartphones rely on secondary cameras, dedicated sensors, or artificial intelligence to calculate depth for features like portrait mode. By integrating light and depth sensing into a single layer, the technology could reduce the need for complex hardware, saving both space and processing power.
Metalenz CEO and cofounder Rob Devlin told WIRED that the acquisition aligns with his company’s focus on using nanostructures to unlock data that conventional systems typically discard. He noted that while major manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and Google invest heavily in software to improve image quality, software cannot recover information lost during the initial light-absorption process.
Future Market Impact
Metalenz, which launched in 2021, has already shipped over 300 million metasurface optics. The company is also collaborating with Qualcomm on a secure facial biometric system called Polar ID, which is expected to launch in late 2027. Devlin anticipates that the HoloCoder technology could reach consumer devices between late 2027 and early 2028.
While the long-term goal is to combine these technologies into a single system, Devlin believes the innovation could eventually extend beyond smartphones to autonomous robots and vehicles. By using a single-sensor system, these machines could potentially perform complex spatial tasks with smaller, more efficient hardware.
Industry Perspectives
Arka Majumdar, a researcher in low-energy opto-electronics at the University of Washington, confirmed that the light loss caused by color filters is a significant industry challenge. He noted that other companies, including Samsung and the startup Eyeo, are also exploring alternatives known as “color routers.”
However, Majumdar expressed skepticism regarding the technology’s application in autonomous vehicles. He argued that for self-driving cars, the primary constraint is not image clarity or light sensitivity, but the computational power required for real-time decision-making. He suggested that, in some cases, receiving more complex data could actually increase the processing burden for these systems.
