SEEING THROUGH WALLS
more than 120 potential users, including Soldiers and Marines; special operations personnel; local, state and federal law enforcement officials; firefighters; and search-and-rescue workers. Based on the feedback and information they received, they realized they were going to do more than just solve the problem within the program.
“In Hacking for Defense, the point isn’t just to create a company, you just need to solve the problem. But we were talking to users, and the current devices weren’t really meeting their needs for the tacti- cal applications, so we decided we were going to solve this problem,” explained Lacy. They formed Lumineye shortly after completing the H4D program in April 2017.
X-RAY TECH
The Lumineye Lux uses wall-penetrating radar to help first responders detect people and objects 14.2 feet away on the other side of a wall. (Photo by Jordan Vandegrift, Lumineye)
Megan Lacy, who is now chief design officer for Lumineye, was recruited by Hennen. Lacy was working on her master’s degree at Boise State and had a background in design thinking. She applied what she’d learned to the solution they developed in H4D. Before becoming a part of the program, Lacy had a different plan for her future. “I thought I was going to work in consumer goods. Tis was a total pivot for me,” she said in a Novem- ber phone interview. Lacy became a part of the team to provide a solution because she knew that you can “actually impact some- one’s life by solving these DOD problems.”
As the team members progressed through the H4D program, they interviewed
100 Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2020
NEVER GIVE UP When xTechSearch launched its first iter- ation in 2018, it received more than 340 proposals, including one from Lumineye. During xTechSearch 1.0, the company made it to Phase II and was invited to conduct a live technology pitch to a judg- ing panel of Army experts. Tat panel did not select Lumineye to advance further in the competition.
Instead of giving up, Lumineye used the feedback from the judges and applied for xTechSearch 2.0 with an improved pitch and a prototype it created with the funds it received from xTechSearch 1.0. “We knew immediately when we got done with 1.0 that we were going to apply for 2.0 again,” said Lacy.
When Lumineye entered xTechSearch 2.0, the team members incorporated improve- ments to their technology concept and took a different approach during their pitch events, explaining how they learned where their technology could fit within larger Army systems and integrate with
other fielded products. Tey impressed the judges during each phase of
the
competition, and received valuable feed- back and contact information to connect with collaborators and stakeholders to continue developing their product. Tey also participated in the Y Combinator program, which gave them additional funding opportunities as well as the abil- ity to further develop their technology concept to be presented during Phase IV.
At the conclusion of xTechSearch 2.0, Lumineye was awarded the grand prize of $250,000, bringing its xTechSearch winnings to $385,000, all of which will be used to help create a product that can solve one of the Army’s most critical challenges and provide a safer solution for warfighters.
In addition to xTechSearch, Lumin- eye also participated in the Army SBIR 19.2 “Expeditionary Technology (xTech- Search) Dual-Use Technologies Applicable to Army Modernization Priority Areas,” and was selected as a winner in Phase I. Te company will receive $110,000 over a six-month period to continue the research and development into the technical merit, feasibility and commercial potential for its technology.
Lumineye team members are now actively looking for additional opportunities to receive feedback and funding for their technology concept. They have been speaking and meeting with Army leaders who are interested in using their technol- ogy, and xTechSearch maintains contact with Lumineye to ensure that they are able to make the right connections within the Army. Te company is looking to get to a point over the next five to 10 years where its product is available to all first respond- ers and warfighters.
—JESS STILLMAN
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