MIT Reality Hack ‘23: Future of XR
Hello, internet! My name is Arturo J. Real, and I'm the Community Manager at Looking Glass. Looking Glass has just returned from MIT Reality Hack, and we've got some catching up to do!
The Hackathon
A drive, a train, and a flight into Boston would soon find Bryan, Shiyun, and I at MIT’s Media Lab, prepping Looking Glass’ holographic displays and light field photobooth overnight for the following day’s inaugural festivities.
From left to right: Looking Glass’ Arturo J. Real, Bryan Chris Brown, and Shiyun Liu
The pulsing glow of the word “Reality” written in flexible neon formed the backdrop of our photobooth and would welcome hackers, mentors, and sponsors alike throughout the next 4 days of this year’s MIT Reality Hack, an XR (or extended reality) hackathon.
MIT Reality Hack, held annually at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a melting pot of the brightest minds in the XR industry. At this hackathon, everyone (from first-time hackers, to startups, and even established tech giants!) comes together to collaborate, learn, and push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of XR.
Looking Glass was a proud sponsor of this year’s hack, bringing along Looking Glass Portraits for hackers to incorporate into their projects and lending dedicated mentoring time and workshops from our team on all things 3D, holograms, and creation.
Like at last year’s hack, we showcased an interactive demonstration on Looking Glass 32” that would introduce some of the attendees to their very first hologram. Unlike last year, we also brought along our light field photobooth to capture the moment in holograms.
The irreplicable sense of awe and wonder that sweeps across the faces of first-time viewers of a Looking Glass never gets old. I’m looking forward to reliving it vicariously through next year’s attendees.
You can view a collection of all of this year’s Reality Hack holograms at https://blocks.glass/mitrealityhack
Community
Reality Hack is building a world demonstrative of what I'd love to see more of in the XR community. I know I'm not alone in thinking this and you can hear this first-hand from the mentors, hackers and organizers in the video below:
And of course, join our community of thousands of other XR creators and educators on Discord- we can't wait to see you in the third dimension!