September 18, 2024

Today, we are very excited to announce that the next MIT Reality Hack is confirmed to take place from January 23-27, 2025, set throughout the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA. 

In a first for the Hack, it will be presented this year together with a brand new companion program that showcases a new wave of high-performance hardware, crossing the spectrum From AI to XR and beyond.

EXPERIENTIAL at MIT REALITY HACK

EXPERIENTIAL is an exciting new ticketed companion event taking place contiguous with the Hack on January 25, 2025 at MIT’s Samberg Conference Center. This one-day conference will focus on the cutting-edge of technology discussed and debated in a unique forum. Artificial intelligence, advanced computing, brain-body interfaces, and more are all on the slate. 

Special Hacks and Startups-In-Residence: As part of this initiative, we will be offering qualifying participants a unique opportunity to access both experimental devices and the most exotic hardware from affiliate labs and startups who have made the decision to share their breakthroughs with the MIT Reality Hack community.

Read more about experiential technology at MIT Reality Hack here.

Partnership for Responsible AI
In another breaking announcement today, we are honored to inform you that Reality Hack, Inc. has joined forces with Æthos, the global hub for responsible AI.
Rooted at MIT’s homebase of Kendall Square, Æthos is a mission-aligned organization supporting AI-focused member startups and community partners with resources and physical infrastructure in Boston, Berlin, and Tokyo. We are very excited to share their vision with you all and to add another touchpoint for social impact to our hacker community!

ABOUT US

Embodying MIT’s spirit of Mens et Manus, Reality Hack supports a creator-oriented ecosystem for experiential technology where meaningful ideas are manifested and given form.

Why Experiential? XR and – more broadly – experiential technology is an immensely important category of new and maturing technologies that will play a central role for the human experience in the near and further future.

Minting creators. A new generation of technology enables us to support creators, not just consumers. We pursue this by building an inclusive community focused on collaboration and hands-on learning.

Ideas for good. Prototyping offers a chance to learn and envision a better future. By centering our ideation processes on this concept, world-changing ideas emerge.

Making it real. Prototypes are a crucial first step in building ventures that positively impact the world. We leverage our events, resources, and network to support the entire venture creation process, turning ideas into reality.

A future that works for everyone. We believe a better future for humanity must include everyone, and this future can only be achieved if all are involved in its creation. As stewards of access to knowledge and resources, we play a crucial role in counteracting systemic biases that could otherwise prevent people from participating in our events and community, ensuring everyone contributes to building this better future.

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Join Our List for Priority Follow-up

Potential hackers: Applications for hackers will be opening in October - please ensure that you’re on our email list by signing up on www.mitrealityhack.com

All others: please register your interest for Priority Follow-up here.

To bring your company to The Hack, email sponsorship@mitrealityhack.com

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MIT Reality Hack is organized by Reality Hack, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, volunteer organization and VR/AR @ MIT.

June 17, 2024

Startup Spotlight @ AWE USA 2024

JUNE 18-20, 2024 | LONG BEACH, CA

Overview

Since its inception, MIT Reality Hack has been a meeting ground for established and up-and-coming companies and creators through B2B or B2C (creator) liaisons.

View a hackathon as more than just an event—it's akin to a high-octane job interview and an express ticket into community circles. For investors, developer relations, and recruiters alike, it offers a unique vantage point to observe individuals navigating the rigors of rapid product development and an opportunity to impact the next generation of technology startups at the earliest level. We ask you to consider Reality Hack–our events, community, and initiatives–as a resource for opportunity matching and business development.

This week at AWE USA 2024 in Long Beach, CA, we invite conference attendees to visit our exhibit space at the AWE Expo Playground (booth location) and the Technology Lounge at the GLOW Auggie Awards Afterparty on June 19th (info and tickets here). Take part in a variegated program of product and project demos from our exhibit partners, MIT Reality Hack startup teams, and prize winners. 

They came to learn, create, and connect and we’re here to amplify these connections through a mutually uplifting effort. I believe that if we positively feed into the experiential technology ecosystem, which we consider to encompass–and yet extend well beyond–VR, AR, HCIs, and AI, we will realize Reality Hack’s mission to maximally propel this technology towards the good of society and of this planet. 

Best,

Maria Rice
Executive Director
Reality Hack, Inc.

www.mitrealityhack.com

Startup Spotlight Demo List

We are thankful to the folks at AWE and Big Rock Creative for providing us with these incredible spaces and opportunities, with special thanks to hardware contributions from Leia and Dell. Demos will also utilize mobile devices as well as Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro headsets. Please note that this list pertains only to the Startup Spotlight and is not the complete list of project demos and artist exhibits within our AWE activation.

Company: Arctop

Stage: Late

rhDNA: Official sponsor, Glow Technology Lounge 

In a nutshell: Decoding the language of the brain to empower the human experience.

Industry: Brain-Computer Interfaces

Headquarters: Los Angeles

Year Founded: 2016

Employees: 10

Point of Contact: Ben Kogan, Chief of Staff

Web: https://arctop.com

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out:

Jun 18-20, (11am-5:30pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Jun 19 (7:30pm+)  Glow Technology Lounge @ Glow Auggie Awards Afterparty (tickets)

Company: Heizenrader

Stage: Late

rhDNA: Technology partner, Glow Technology Lounge

In a nutshell: Heizenrader is driving the evolution of medical education through mixed reality.

Industry: Medtech, XR Education

Headquarters: Salt Lake City, UT

Year Founded: 2014

Employees: 12

Contact: Cory Heizenrader, CEO

Web: https://heizenrader.com 

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out: 

Jun 18-20, (11am-5:30pm) AWE Expo, Heizenrader Booth 

Jun 19 (7:30pm+)  Glow Technology Lounge @ Glow Auggie Awards Afterparty (tickets)

Company: Spatial Explorer

Stage: early growth

rhDNA: Judge @ 2023 MIT Reality Hack (w/ Dolby.io)

In a nutshell: Spatial Explorer is an experience engine and platform that transforms legacy 2D content into immersive 3D experiences for the Apple Vision Pro, enabling creative agencies to rapidly create and publish interactive music and brand experiences, democratizing immersive content creation by reducing development time from 6-18 months to 2-3 weeks.

Industry: Music/Entertainment XR

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

Year Founded: 2024

Employees: 1

Contact: Dan Zeitman, Founder

Web: Contact Form

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out: 

Jun 19 (11am-2pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Jun 19 (7:30+) By appt – Contact 415-350-4579 to arrange a demo. Glow Technology Lounge @ Glow Auggie Awards Afterparty (tickets)

Company: Needle

Stage: early growth

rhDNA: Grand Prize Winner @ 2024 MIT Reality Hack (team: In Arm’s Reach), also: Best of Social XR

In a nutshell: Needle Engine empowers designers and developers to create powerful, high-quality spatial web apps with their favorite tools—delivering fast-loading, interactive, and visually stunning results on any platform.

Industry: Spatial Web Apps

Headquarters: Halle, Germany

Year Founded: 2022

Employees: 6

Point of Contact: Felix Herbst, Co-Founder, Software Architecture and Interoperability

Web: https://needle.tools

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out: 

Jun 18 (2pm-5:30pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Jun 19 (7:30+) Glow Technology Lounge @ Glow Auggie Awards Afterparty (tickets)

Company: BeAR

Stage: pre-seed

rhDNA: Winner @ 2024 MIT Reality Hack, Best in Augmented Productivity with Meta Presence Platform (team: Talk to Me)

In a nutshell: We build easy-to-use mobile creative platforms for AR.

Industry: Augmented Reality (Software)

Headquarters: Berkeley, CA

Year Founded: 2024

Employee Count: 6

Point of Contact: Yukun Song, Head of Development

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out: 

Jun 19 (2pm-5:30pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Company: RecoVR

Stage: pre-seed

rhDNA: Bronze Prize Winner, Best of Startup Hack, and Best of Vitality @ 2024 MIT Reality Hack

In a nutshell: We specialize in integrating immersive physical, behavioral, and cognitive rehabilitation technologies.

Industry: Healthcare

Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA

Year Founded: 2024

Employee Count: 5

Point of Contact: Utsav Chudhary, Lead Programmer

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out: 

Jun 19 (7:30+) Glow Technology Lounge @ Glow Auggie Awards Afterparty (tickets)

Jun 20 (10am-1pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Company: Block Party XR

Stage: pre-seed

rhDNA: Silver Prize Winner and Best of Hardware @ 2024 MIT Reality Hack

In a nutshell: We build technology to connect the real and virtual world.
Industry: Augmented Reality (Software) and Object Tracking (Hardware)
Headquarters: Cambridge, MA
Year Founded: 2024
Employee Count: 4
Point of Contact:  Emerson Segura, Co-founder
Web: www.blpxr.com

When to check it out: 

Jun 18 (11am-2pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Company: Augmenos

rhDNA: Reality Hack visionOS Dev-in-Residence and MIT alum

In a nutshell: With products featured in the App Store for visionOS, Augmenos is an independent development studio dedicated to the future of spatial computing.

Industry: visionOS, indie apps

Headquarters: Boston, MA

Year Founded: 2024

Employee Count: 1

Point of Contact: Miguel Garcia Gonzalez, Founder

Web: https://www.augmenos.com

Docs: GDrive

When to check it out: 

Jun 19 (10am-1pm) Playground @ AWE Expo, MIT Reality Hack Booth (PG3)

Jun 19 (7:30+) Glow Technology Lounge @ Glow Auggie Awards Afterparty (tickets)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIT Reality Hack Announces Winners of the 2024 XR Hackathon

Pushing boundaries and fostering innovation:

650+ attendees participate in annual event to learn, connect and create

97 teams compete in XR Hackathon

CAMBRIDGE, MA - February 7, 2024 - MIT Reality Hack, the east coast’s leading spatial computing hackathon, today proudly announced the winners of its 2024 XR Hackathon. More than 650 participants came together January 25-29 for the annual event. MIT Reality Hack is a community-run XR hackathon held at MIT every January, co-hosted by Reality Hack, Inc. (a Mass 501(c)3) and the VR/AR@MIT student group in cooperation with the MIT Media Lab.

Participants from all over the world with various backgrounds and skill levels attended the dynamic MIT Reality Hack five-day event to take advantage of opportunities to learn through educational workshops, collaborate with colleagues, and create projects using newly acquired skills and insights. United by a shared vision to propel XR technology towards a maximally positive role in society, MIT Reality Hack’s mission is to educate, empower, and enable people to be part of the XR industry, creating meaningful immersive experiences.

In all, 97 teams competed for prizes and recognition, ‘hacking’ together over the course of two days to bring their dream projects to life. Prizes included monetary awards, hardware and an opportunity for the winning team to exhibit their project at "The Dream Machine Experience," a mixed reality installation premiering June 2024 at Lincoln Center. Teams also had the opportunity to participate in The Reality Makers Startup Hack pitch competition, a venue for budding entrepreneurs to present their projects to start up investors, venture capitalists and leading technology analysts. All projects were also on display during the public expo held on the final day of the event.

“With a commitment to inclusivity in mind, Reality Hack opens doors to participants of all technical abilities and backgrounds, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, age, or religion. Serving as a melting pot of creativity, MIT Reality Hack enables industry peers to learn, connect, and create alongside their industry counterparts. As the premier XR hackathon for good, Reality Hack anchors much of its competition criteria in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, solidifying its commitment to positive impact. We are proud to honor and recognize this year’s winners whose compelling, clever and impactful projects exemplify excellence in technical execution, originality, user experience, potential, and much more,” said Maria Rice, COO of MIT Reality Hack.

MIT Reality Hack wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of its sponsors. The organizers would like to extend their thanks to the 2024 sponsors:

Meta Quest, Snapdragon Spaces

XREAL, Niantic, Snap AR

Cognitive 3D, Ultraleap, Bezi, Leia Inc., ShapesXR, Meshy, Looking Glass

XR Bootcamp, Foundry, Worlds for Change Challenge ASU

Hardware Hack Sponsors: CombineReality, Prusa Research

Reality Scholars is Made Possible By: Rockefeller Family Fund

Startup Hack VC Sponsors: Philipp Neuhaus, The Venture Reality Fund

Community Sponsors: Guyer Group, XR Terra, Mindsground

The 2024 MIT Reality Hackathon winners are:

Grand Prize | In Arm’s Reach

Silver Prize (2) | Noir & Block Party

Bronze Prize (2) | Bounce Ball & RECOVR

Future Constructors | Noir

Augmented Productivity | SKYWARD

Enhanced Learning | A “Fire” Training App

Vitality Unleashed | RECOVR

Living Harmony | In Arm’s Reach

Culture, Arts, and Technology | In Arm’s Reach

Augmented Productivity with Meta Presence Platform | Talk to Me

Enhanced Learning with Meta Presence Platform | Legacy

Best Use of Snapdragon Spaces | Community Canvas

Social XR: All Together Now | In Arm’s Reach

Best Location AR with 8th Wall | Noir

Best Location AR with Lightship ARDK | snAIder

Best Use of XREAL Glasses | GEOQUEST AR

Best Use of ShapesXR | Noir

Best Use of Ultraleap Hand Tracking | Beesper

Best Use of Bezi | Dr. Trust

Best LeiaSR Application | Community Canvas

Best Use of Meshy | GEOQUEST AR

Best Use of Looking Glass | EduVision

Best of Hardware Hack | Block Party

Hardware: Trash to Treasure | PlantAR

Hardware: Thinking Like a Hardware Engineer | HeaVR

Hardware: Creative Inputs/Outputs | FlexVR Wellness

Best of Startup Hack | RECOVR

Startup Hack Moonshot Prize | Skyward

About MIT Reality Hack

MIT Reality Hack is the premier spatial computing hackathon, hosting a five-day event serving as a convergence point for XR companies and a like minded community of creators motivated to learn the latest tools paving a better future. We strive to nurture vertical synergies, presenting hackers and sponsors alike with opportunities to develop unique prototypes leveraging any combinations of hardware, SDKs, and APIs available at the hack. Unlike many internal hackathons MIT Reality Hack provides a neutral ground fostering a collaborative atmosphere to learn, connect, and create.

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Media Contact:

Matthew Richardson, Guyer Group

mrichardson@guyergroup.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DINÉ/NAVAJO WOMEN LED WORKSHOP ‘SOLD OUT’ AT MIT REALITY HACK

JANUARY 26, 2024 - Cambridge, MA - Indigenous Lifeways and Glittering World Girl presented a workshop as part of the Advanced Design Curriculum at Reality Hack, an annual spatial technology hackathon held on campus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The workshop left not an empty seat in the house. Entitled Social Impact & Economic Equality Through XR, the presentation aimed to explore social impact and innovative economic shifts through XR technology, including the incorporation of empathic storytelling and an introduction into Blender 3D. After attending this workshop, participants walked away with new ideas of how XR technology can help make the world a better place. Participants engaged in conversation, demonstrations and reflective activities to gain a deeper understanding of how they can use XR as a tool for empathic social impact and economic equality.

Indigenous Lifeways is a Diné women led non-profit based in Gallup, New Mexico and is currently working to revitalize and preserve traditional land based practices and native languages while utilizing art as a tool for healing and social justice.

“It is crucial for young content creators to act on their passions, speak truth within their art and express issues their communities are currently facing. By using the Empathic Social Impact framework combined with XR, we can ultimately create meaningful content with positive societal change. It is crucial that BIPOC XR creators are included in convenings such as Reality Hack whom have intentional goals of inclusion, connection and creating purposeful content. We have a solid chance to ensure this medium is inclusive of all voices and has equitable representation. ”

-Krystal Curley, Indigenous Lifeways

Akilah Martinez’ Glittering World Girl is a Diné women-owned multimedia company with expertise on incorporating Navajo language and culture revitalization in XR technology, video production and social media marketing and is based in New Mexico. Akilah was recently awarded the 2024 New Mexico Women In Tech Emerging Leader Award, presented by the New Mexico Technology Council.

“The 2024 Reality Hack invited Indigenous Lifeways and I [Glittering World Girl] to present a workshop titled ‘Social Impact and Economic Equality Through XR.’ Since 2019, I’ve traveled between NYC and LA to learn from leading POC XR technologists, social entrepreneurs and impact investors about how we can use XR technology to create ownership of storytelling while also creating sustainable economic ecosystems using the medium of XR. For me, I include language and culture revitalization into this conversation.”

-Akilah Martinez, Glittering World Girl

Indigenous Lifeways is also participating in the invite-only Reality Shakers Program at MIT Reality Hack. Reality Shakers is a dynamic gathering of change-makers dedicated to creating honest and transformative pathways for systems change. This new space enables participants to collaboratively design solutions for impactful, sustainable progress.

Indigenous Lifeways and Glittering World Girl commend Reality Hack organizers for including the original storytellers of the Western Hemisphere as presenters within their Advance Design Curriculum. We are wishing all Hackers best of luck in creating impact content for societal change while utilizing empathic social impact tools.

For more information about MIT Reality Hack visit https://www.mitrealityhack.com

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Contact:

Krystal Curley, Executive Director

krystal@ourindigenouslifeways.org

505-469-7647

For Immediate Release:

7th Annual MIT Reality Hack Announces “Reality Forum”

Press Roundtable Discussion on the State of the XR Industry

Top Analysts, Editors, Venture Capitalists and MIT Professors to Share Opinions, Expertise and More as Apple Prepares to Jumpstart Spatial Computing

January 16, 2024 - Cambridge, Mass. - MIT Reality Hack - the world’s premier XR hackathon for good - today announced a unique and provocative discussion forum inviting fresh perspectives from academia, industry, and the VC community concerning the state of the XR market and the beginning of the Spatial Computing era.

With the rapid evolution and announcements happening throughout the industry, as well as the advent of a new generation of AI-based LLM (Large Language Model) technologies, there has never been a more exciting or opportune moment to discuss and debate the opportunities and challenges for XR startups and technology in today’s economic climate.

MIT Reality Hack is a community-run XR hackathon held at MIT® every January - co-hosted by Reality Hack, Inc (a Mass 501(c)3) and the VR/AR@MIT student group in cooperation with the MIT Media Lab.

Embodying MIT’s spirit of Mens et Manus (Latin for “Mind and Hand”), participants share a common goal: to propel XR technology towards a maximally-positive role in society as the hackers learn, connect, and create the next-generation of XR projects combining multi-disciplinary hardware and software designs with innovative creativity.

Happening on Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 4:30 PM to 6 PM EST at the Bartos Theatre in MIT Building E15 (location subject to change) the event will be watched by MIT Reality Hack attendees and will also be recorded and available across YouTube®, Facebook® and LinkedIn® for the entire world to watch and learn from.

The event will feature discussions on the future of XR with esteemed guests (subject to change) listed in no particular order:

Harry McCracken - Global Technology Editor, Fast Company

Margo Anderson - News Manager, IEEE Spectrum

Jason Hiner - Editor-in-Chief, ZDNET

Tipatat Chennavasin - Co-founder and General Partner at The Venture Reality Fund

Jon Li - MIT Alumnus and Head of US Operations, XREAL

Fadel Adib - Associate Professor, MIT Media Lab and EECS, Director of the Signal Kinetics Group, CEO of Cartesian

Scott W. Greenwald, Ph.D. - MIT Media Lab Alumnus, Executive Chairman of Reality Hack, Inc.

Moderated by Maria Rice, Chief Outreach and Operations Officer of Reality Hack, Inc.

Exact details for the forum recording will be available from the event website at https://www.mitrealityhack.com/reality-forum starting from January 29, 2024.

Following this engaging 90-minute forum, onsite guests are invited to a light reception, providing an opportunity for further discussion and networking in an informal setting. Invited guests will also have exclusive access to the on-campus Reality Hack Networking event, taking place at 9 PM. This will offer a unique opportunity to connect with leaders and creators throughout the worldwide XR industry.

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All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks Previously Cited Are Hereby Acknowledged and Recognized.

For further information, please contact MIT Reality Hack Press Counsel Jonathan Hirshon at jh@horizonpr.com