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Though the huge centers of the XR industry are mostly stationed on the West Coast of the United States, the MIT Reality Hack hackathon has swiftly emerged as a key gathering spot for XR developers and entrepreneurs on the East Coast. Now in its eighth year, this event has grown not only in size but also in scope, thanks to the addition of the EXPERIENTIAL Conference, which brings fresh opportunities for industry dialogue and networking. Maria Rice, the Executive Director, gives us a glimpse into the highlights and winners of this year’s hackathon.
Maria Rice has been at the forefront of transforming the Hack into a renowned community hub for burgeoning technologies through initiatives like the EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference, the Reality Scholars diversity fund, and the Reality Hack Founders Lab, which is all about fostering startup potential.
From January 23rd to the 27th, MIT’s campus turned into a bustling site as hundreds of enthusiastic and driven hackers, together with tech frontrunners and startup pioneers, participated in the prestigious MIT Reality Hack. This hackathon has become a must-attend event for anyone vested in experiential technology.
A diverse array of global sponsors from the intersecting realms of XR, AI, and deeptech supported the Hack. With assistance from Lambda Labs in AI development, the attendees crafted functional prototypes using cutting-edge gadgets like Meta Quest 3, Snap Spectacles, Qualcomm’s RB3g2 robotics kits, ShapesXR, Cognitive 3D, and STYLY.
This year’s edition of the MIT Reality Hack broke new ground with the introduction of some fascinating hardware kits. Among these were MEMS-based AR lenses from Maradin, a haptic exoskeleton from Haptikos, and a host of biosensing equipment from OpenBCI, featuring the Galea headset.
What truly distinguishes MIT Reality Hack is its earnest dedication to creating technologies for the greater good. Over five intense days, around 600 participants pushed their limits to develop 78 revolutionary solutions across XR and related tech domains.
Innovative projects that stood out included YEIGO, an AR application that ensures the correct use of mobility aids like walkers; CAREGIVR, a compelling platform geared towards preparing families and caregivers for the realities of end-of-life care; and Tac-Man, a tactile tool designed for sculpting in virtual reality.
The entire list of winners for 2025 across both hardware and software categories is worth a look.
Alongside this event, the EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference made its debut, envisioned as a ‘Davos’ for the spatial tech sphere. This one-day intensive hosted global attendees and featured demonstrations of cutting-edge research facing the challenges of deeptech in the contexts of educational innovation, vertical applications, and worldwide development.
Sponsored by IEEE Spectrum, Qualcomm, and the Finnish trailblazer Distance Technologies, the EXPERIENTIAL Conference offered a platform for intriguing company launches as well.
The VR/AR-centric MIT-led Limit Labs introduced RoomSeed, a pioneering genAI tool founded on comprehensive research. Meanwhile, Haptikos launched an affordable hand exoskeleton, a game-changer in the XR application space, boasting twice the precision of its predecessors.
Other highlights included startup demonstrations from MIT spinout Three Space Lab as well as groundbreaking AI products from AUR+A and Taiwan’s Meta Intelligence.
EXPERIENTIAL took the core mission of Reality Hack – inclusive tech development – further into the world by championing creator economies, bridging academic research with market needs.
The conference opened with a thought-provoking fireside chat with tech veterans Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies and Anshel Sag of Moor Insights & Strategy, led by AR pioneer Dan Cui. Throughout this illuminating conversation, the trio delved deep into the current state of the XR industry.
Bajarin, experiencing the Hack as a judge for the first time, noted his participation as “one of the highlights of my career,” after more than four decades in the field, as shared in Forbes.
Ziad Asghar of Qualcomm, in his keynote, explored how the convergence of AI in XR devices is evolving. He emphasized events like the MIT Reality Hack as crucial platforms for nurturing the innovative ideas and talents that propel these rapidly progressing industries.
A riveting panel discussion on global initiatives for a sustainable future included names like Ken Zolot of MIT, influential representatives from the United Nations, The World Bank Group, and industry vanguards like HTC’s Alvin Wang Graylin. They shared insights on leveraging experiential technologies and hackathons to uplift creator communities, drive economic growth, and foster a more inclusive range of human experiences worldwide.
As Ori Inbar from AWE articulated, “For XR to truly become mainstream, it’s imperative we have both seasoned veterans and fresh faces crafting diverse spatial experiences that resonate with everyone globally.”
Interested companies wanting to take part in the 2026 MIT Reality Hack and the EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference can reach out for more details here.
