A miniature cooling fan that can be installed inside the temple of smartglasses has been unveiled. As on-device artificial intelligence (AI) features strengthen, it targets growing heat issues to maintain performance while improving comfort.

On July 21 local time, IT outlet Engadget reported that U.S. semiconductor company xMEMS unveiled the XMC-1200 micro cooling fan for smartglasses and augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR) glasses.

The XMC-1200 is a micro cooling solution designed for the tight internal space of smartglasses. Its biggest feature is its size. With an area of just 46 square millimetres, it can be mounted inside the temple. xMEMS said it designed the product based on its micro cooling platform and made it applicable not only to smartglasses but also to AR and XR headsets.

It also improved power efficiency. When the XMC-1200 is used with the company’s Astra2 drive ASIC, power consumption is about 70 milliwatts. The company said it can lower device temperature by up to 10 degrees in a 1-watt thermal load environment.

Existing smartglasses often have to sacrifice some thickness or performance to secure cooling capacity because of limited internal space. xMEMS expects that applying micro active cooling technology can reduce such constraints.

The company analysed that smartglasses competitiveness will depend on on-device AI performance and lightweight design going forward. As AI functions become more advanced and processor heat rises, it said cooling technology could become a key factor determining device performance.

Smartglasses must integrate processors and batteries, cameras and displays into a small frame, so heat management directly affects performance and comfort. xMEMS emphasised that improved cooling can keep processors in a high-performance state longer, extend video recording time and reduce heat felt while wearing the device.

The product extends its existing miniature components business. xMEMS has supplied silicon-based chip speakers mainly for wireless earphones, and in August last year unveiled an ultra-thin 1-millimetre chip cooling fan. The XMC-1200 optimises that cooling technology for smartglasses, meaning it expands applications into wearable devices.

xMEMS is currently providing engineering samples to qualified manufacturers, with mass production preparation targeted for the fourth quarter of 2027. Commercial smartglasses carrying the fan could be released as early as 2028.

The industry sees the importance of heat-control technology rising alongside higher computing performance in smartglasses as on-device AI spreads. A key point to watch is how much micro active cooling can boost future smartglasses design flexibility and performance competitiveness.