18-03-2026
News
The VR Health Champions consortium is evolving. dotLumen, a Romanian start-up developing “self-driving glasses” for the blind and visually impaired, is joining as a new flagship SME. At the same time, LightSpace Technologies — one of our original flagships — has grown rapidly and joined a larger corporate group. While this means a change in its SME status, it remains a valued technology provider in the project.
The company develops groundbreaking glasses that give blind and visually impaired people the freedom of mobility. In this interview, we spoke with Cornel Amariei, CEO and founder of dotLumen, about the product, company goals, personal motivation, and the biggest lessons.
“For thousands of years, the blind had only two tools: the cane and the guide dog. Yet there are just 28,000 guide dogs for over 300 million people. When we surpass 28,000 devices shipped, we will change a paradigm that is millennia old.”
To bring this vision to life, dotLumen will work closely with the VR Health Champions project.
“With VR Health Champions, we will build a second-generation product — smaller, more refined, and designed for global markets. The project will allow us to test internationally — across different countries, languages and cultures — and adapt our product to real needs. It marks our first step towards going global, starting with Europe.”
This ambitious vision is rooted in both technological innovation and personal experience. From greater independence in daily life to better opportunities in education and employment, dotLumen’s mission is about changing lives at scale. Cornel explained his motivation clearly:
“I was born in a family where everybody but me has a disability. That showed me how much technology can help — and how little actually exists for people with disabilities.”
He also described the broader vision:
“We built a self-driving car that sits on your head — to give blind people the freedom of mobility. Better mobility means better social life, education, and job opportunities. One of my KPIs is the number of smiles we create.”
In the interview, Cornel reflected on resilience, breakthroughs achieved at the most challenging moments, and the company’s milestones as it scales internationally with the support of VR Health Champions.
“We proved that some things can be done. The first blind person ever to go hiking was with one of our devices. The first blind person to shop independently in a supermarket was with one of our devices. There are many more challenges which blind people have never achieved, and we’ll complete them pretty soon.”
🎥 Watch the full interview below and get inspired by dotLumen’s journey.
