I first found Openwater technology around 2018, through a TED talk of company founder Mary Lou Jepsen. At this time, I am very interested in how to establish a direct connection between the human brain and the computer. When it comes to brain-computer interfaces, most people probably think of Elon Musk's Neurink first. There is no doubt a high promise technology, but it has a major drawback: it requires serious brain operation. Is there no method for developing brain-computer interfaces without having to enter a bunch of wires into our brains?
From that conversation, I found out that there was a successor. The closely infrared light can penetrate the skull and brain tissue, and by examining the light release, the information can be read-and with proper focus, even the neurons can be stimulated. From a technological point of view, the task is quite complicated, but it is not impossible. Of course, a device that can be seen within the human body is not useful -only “for reading thoughts. It can also enable early detection of cancer, stroke, and other abnormalities. Essentially, it's like having a wearable MRI machine – but I will eventually be deeper in the article. This was my first encounter with Openwater, and at that time, I had no idea that it was just the end of the iceberg.
From what I have described to this day, it is clear that this is a revolutionary technology – one that can begin to change our world. However, the openwater has made a move that is more groundbreaking than the technology itself.
In 2024, they announced that the openwater would make its patents freely available and provide open access to all its knowledge, including hardware designs, software codes, datasets, and more. I have long been a fan and supporter of open-source principles, but I never dreamed that such a significant technology would be fully open. Mary Lou Jepsen acknowledged the immense opportunity that open-sourcing could bring.
If you really want to change the world, you should eliminate every barrier to the spread of your technology – including those imposed by the patent system. Exponential development cannot be maintained if the free flow of knowledge is hindered in any way.
This is a model we already know in the world of software. Just think of the Linux or the Android operating system. Today, it is almost impossible for a software ownership technology to live a long time-once an open resource alternative appears, it usually reaches the closed version in a short time. We see the same trend today in AI models.
In the software industry, open-sourcing has been practically a necessity. However, in the hardware sector-especially in medical-related fields such as Openwater's-this procedure is still very rare. Jepsen took the role of leadership here, and I could not convert the importance of this decision.
To avoid any misunderstanding: the open-source does not mean free of charge. Just because something is open to the resource does not mean that the company will lose its income-it simply means that the business model is different. There is a huge amount of money within the ecosystems that make up around open-source technology, and companies that operate in this space can still be good investment. We have seen countless examples of this in the software industry, and there are also some successful open hardware projects – although accepted, there is no effect as the importance of openwater device.
As I mentioned earlier, the decision to open technology was a big surprise to me – but the biggest shock came when I saw Jepsen and Vitalik Blerin together on stage. I have a great deal of respect for both of them, because they work with technologies that have a very deep impact on the world. However, until that moment, I saw them as among the two completely different worlds. Jepsen generates revolutionary medical hardware, while Vitalik is the creator of the Ethereum Blockchain.
How did these two end in sharing a stage? The answer is really simple: the usual denominator is Open-Source. Both are dedicated to developing a world where free flow of knowledge and resources are not faced with barriers. As Jepsen acknowledged the changing power of the open-source, Vitalik recognized the potential in Jepsen and Openwater. That's why he supported the project with $ 50 million worth of cryptocurrency. Of course, $ 50 million is a huge amount of money – but the real significance is not in value, but to who gave it. A gesture like this will help draw more attention to this groundbreaking technology.
Mary Lou Jepsen is not Elon Musk. He did not make controversial statements, nor could he make a kind of hype around his technology that Elon could do. But the technology he works for is at least important – otherwise – than Elon Musk's engineering teams projects are developing.
But what exactly can openwater technology do?
Since I have written an entire article about it in Hakernoon, I will only give a brief summary. The company has developed an Acoustic-optic platform-a set of technologies and devices that use near-infrared light and focused ultrasound to be seen within the human body and, if necessary, provoke changes in target locations. I realized that this was a pretty broad description, but this is really the best way to -highlight that we're not talking about a single, specific device. Instead, it is a versatile platform that can be adapted for many different purposes. These devices are constructed using components commonly found on mobile devices-such as laser, CCD cameras, ultrasound sources, and more-which means they can be mass-made cheap and easy. For those who are interested in a deeper technology dive, you can find more detailed explanations in my earlier articles:
OpenWater: A revolutionary open resource that can be worn MRI and BCI device
The Silicon Hospital: Silicon and Software can replace drugs
Next, let's look at some common use cases where the openwater platform can be applied.
Wearable “MRI”
Do you know the real remedy for cancer? No, I didn't think of a special medicine. There is a more straightforward solution: avoiding. Most types of cancer become truly dangerous only once they spread throughout the body. In the early stages, we usually interact with a small cluster of abnormal cells – something that is often easily removed when noticed in time. The real challenge is that cancer can be kept quietly, and through the symptoms of time appear, it is often too late. Imagine if people could go for an MRI scan each month, allowing their entire body to be scacreen and any abnormality was caught in advance. Unfortunately, MRIs are expensive and complex. Singing every month -month is an impossible task.
Here the OpenWater's Wearable Device can offer a solution. Not only can they cope with the monthly body – but they can monitor it continuously, 24 hours a day, and users alert immediately if there is any problem. Not only if cancer begins to develop, but also in cases of blocked blood vessels or any other negative physiological changes. A technology like this can increase hope in human life and significantly improve the quality of life.
And let's not forget: it can also save billions of dollars for public health care systems. Such technology will be very attractive -not only for individuals but also for governments, private health care providers, and insurance companies.
Treatment with no medicine with ultrasound
Focused ultrasound is not only beneficial for body acne -it can also be used to treat existing abnormalities. Experiment promises have shown that focused ultrasound can destroy certain cancer cells and that by stimulating neurons, it is possible to treat conditions such as depression. In many cases, expensive drug therapies can be replaced by affordable hardware-based treatment.
Brain-machine interface
As I mentioned in the introduction, my favorite field is brain-computer interfaces. The openwater platform makes it possible to develop non -invasive neural interfaces that can be read and written in brain neurons using light and ultrasound. I will not go to technical details here, as I have widely covered them with two previous articles linked above.
Openwater technology is clearly a real revolutionary – something that can have a deep impact on our lives and around the world. This is a breakthrough with the advent of the Internet or mobile devices in the field of health care. What is more noticeable is that this technology is paired with an open, revolutionary business model beyond the change itself. In my opinion, given the potential effect, this project still does not accept the attention that is appropriate. Actions like Vitalik's $ 50 million donations can help change that. And maybe, in my own little way, this article can also contribute a little too.
