Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 MIT XR Hackathon

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 MIT XR Hackathon

Julian Reyes, Director of Virtual Worlds Museum was honored to be a judge at the 2024 MIT XR Hackathon. MIT Reality Hack is an annual community-run XR hackathon comprising thought leaders, brand mentors and creators, participants, students, and technology lovers, who come together and attend tech workshops, talks, discussions, fireside chats, collaborations, hacking, and more. Participants of various backgrounds and all skill levels attend from all over the world.

‍Julian was extremely impressed by the quality of immersive projects created in such a short time. The innovation, technical prowess, and creativity exhibited by the participants stood out remarkably. ‍

As Julian Reyes states: “Each team presented unique and thoughtfully crafted solutions, demonstrating not only their technical XR acumen but also a profound understanding of the complex challenges they sought to tackle in tracks, such as:  Future Constructors, Augmented Productivity, Enhanced Learning, Vitality Unleashed, Living Harmony, Culture, Arts, and Technology.”

The Director noted the event's vibrant collaborative spirit and the dynamic energy that filled the multiple rooms, making it an extraordinarily engaging and inspiring experience. The MIT XR Hackathon served not only as a showcase of emerging talent, but also as a testament to how events like these can elevate and propel the XR industry forward.

‍‍The challenge was to create a project that extends experience past what you can see on a computer screen but tickles the senses and the emotions. A total of eighteen winners were selected to win $40,400 in prizes in categories such as Grand Prize, Silver Prize, Bronze Prize, Augmented Productivity, and more.

The Grand Prize winner was In Arm’s Reach, an immersive and interactive mixed reality experience that connects the user spatially and emotionally from the comfort of their city to the vast and remote places of nature, with a call to climate awareness and action. The Silver Prize winner was Block Party, which uses an asymmetric experience to connect a person using a VR headset with a person without a headset, and the Bronze Prize went to RECOVR, a tool and experience that allows amputees to reclaim control of a virtual arm. Other winners from the various categories were: Team 71 - Bounce Ball, SKYWARD, A “Fire” Training App, Talk to Me, Legacy, snAIder, Noir, Beesper, Dr. Trust, Community Canvas, GEOQUEST AR, EduVision, PlantAR, HeaVR, and FlexVR Wellness. Visit the project gallery to learn more about the winners and their work: https://mit-reality-hack-2024.devpost.com/project-gallery ‍

Julian sends a big shout out to Catherine Dumas, PhD, and Jared Bienz and thanks them for their hospitality.

‍