Interview with Salvador Garcia Bernal, the CEO of XScopy [2023]

 I really appreciate this time. My name is Salvador Garcia Bernal. I’m a researcher and entrepreneur. I’m primarily interested in image processing, high-dynamic-range imaging and video, and artificial intelligence applications. I like to create things using software and hardware.

XScopy is a mobile application whose main purpose is to aid students, researchers, and hobbyists in reviewing, processing, and obtaining information about their microscopic observations on the go. All of this in a straightforward, fast, and useful manner.

I began coding when I was 16 years old. The internet was not available everywhere at the time. The only way to find resources was to get a book. Every time we went to a bookstore or a supermarket shop, I asked my parents to buy me a book. My first job was as a video engineer in Mexico many years ago. Afterward, I earned a master’s degree in electronics and moved overseas.

During my Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham, I worked as a teaching assistant. I was primarily teaching programming courses. Later, I had the opportunity to relocate to China, where I worked for various companies. One of them develops mobile applications. During these years, I have witnessed the evolution of mobile devices since their inception.

In China, I had the idea for a development studio. This transition was mainly because I saw that mobile devices have very few applications related to scientific use. There are applications available to open, capture, and save images or videos from a wireless camera. There was something missing. What if the user wants to analyze the images, obtain additional information or improve them for a specific task? This is where XScopy comes in handy. During my free time, I began the development process. The app has undergone numerous changes, and I decided to dedicate full-time development to it during the pandemic.

The term is a bit abstract. Assume that you have a small slide with a sample on it. The digital version of this is basically a series of photos taken with different amplification levels. These images have many different microlevels. In a future version that I’m currently working on, XScopy will include an image format where you can save these levels. XScopy currently supports standard file formats such as JPEG and PNG. This feature will be available in a few months.

In fact, there are various adaptors available that can be attached to your mobile device and used with or without a microscope. A mobile device can take very good images. Even with the Photos app, you can improve your image. XScopy includes the most common image tools as well as some extras, such as the uneven illumination filter, oblique contrast, and different color maps, among other things. Many researchers and students will benefit from being able to do it directly on their phone or tablet for previews or quick inspections.

Astronomy and radio astronomy are also areas of interest for me. I intend to work on those areas as well once XScopy has matured. 

I currently have a one-year plan in place for each app. Each new version has a list of features that will be included. In addition, I have a variety of interests, such as hiking and traveling abroad. Time spent with family and friends is both meaningful and educational. It is critical to find a balance between work, leisure, and family.

The strategy is simple, if a little extreme: you must stop. If something isn’t working, stop doing it. and move on to something else. Try once again; the solution will most likely appear.

Yes. I’m playing around with augmented reality. This new paradigm is the third major shift since the widespread adoption of mobile devices. The personal computer was the first.

Science and technology move very fast. My only piece of advice is to finish what you start. Reading, analyzing, and testing take time to get from point A to point B. You must be patient and persistent. 

If you’re interested in science or technology, I recommend you visit interactive museums. Then find books about the topics you like most. Then start writing down your ideas or drawing them. After that, conduct an online search; there is almost certainly something available. I usually try to reimagine how I will do it, what I can do better, or what is missing. That’s what I usually do.

I roughly divided those years into three parts for the XScopy life cycle. I have been developing a software platform for the first part. In the second step, a prototype that will be attached to the mobile device will allow a portable microscope, and I am currently looking for an investor to accomplish this. In the final part, new advanced features are added and the solution is then promoted to various areas. As a result, XScopy may grow in popularity among students, enthusiasts, and anyone else interested in the microworld.