Though the heart of XR innovation is pulsating on the West Coast, the MIT Reality Hack hackathon has crafted a robust community for XR developers and entrepreneurs over on the East Coast. Entering its eighth year, the event has significantly grown, thanks in part to the simultaneous EXPERIENTIAL Conference that adds rich layers of industry chat and networking opportunities. Maria Rice, the Executive Director, sheds light on this year’s hackathon and its standout winners.
For nearly a decade, Maria Rice has been steering the MIT Reality Hack to prominence in the experiential tech landscape. Her efforts in establishing programs like the EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference, the Reality Scholars diversity fund, and the Reality Hack Founders Lab have been pivotal.
From January 23 to 27, the MIT campus was buzzing with hundreds of leading-edge hackers-for-good, veteran tech gurus, and startup founders converging for the eighth annual MIT Reality Hack, a beacon of experiential tech innovation.
With backing from international XR, AI, and deeptech giants and AI expertise provided by Lambda Labs, participants got hands-on with tech like Meta Quest 3, Snap Spectacles, Qualcomm’s RB3g2 robotics kits, ShapesXR, Cognitive 3D, and STYLY to craft working prototypes.
A highlight of this year’s hackathon was the debut of new technology, including MEMS-based AR lenses by Maradin, a haptic exoskeleton from Haptikos, and various neurosensing tools from OpenBCI, particularly the Galea biosensing headset.
Carrying a mission to hack for a better tomorrow, the MIT Reality Hack is electrifyingly remarkable for the vibrant energy it fosters among its participants and organizers. Over the course of five days, around 600 attendees pushed their creative boundaries, generating 78 cutting-edge XR applications.
Among the winning projects were YEIGO, an AR tool aimed at proper mobility aid usage; CAREGIVR, an immersive platform for preparing families and caregivers for end-of-life care scenarios; and Tac-Man, a haptic input device for virtual sculpture.
Interested parties can explore the complete list of the 2025 winning achievements across all hardware and software categories.
Parallel to the Reality Hack, the inaugural EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference dubbed the ‘Davos of the spatial tech industry,’ unfolded at MIT, marking a new chapter in industry dialogues. With a backdrop of learning innovation, vertical applications, and global advancement, the conference featured pioneering research from the depths of deeptech.
With support from IEEE Spectrum, Qualcomm, and pioneering Distance Technologies from Helsinki, the conference highlighted two exhilarating company launches as part of the Founders Lab’s efforts to transition projects from hackathons to market-ready products.
At the forefront was Limit Labs, an MIT VR/AR innovator, unveiling RoomSeed, a cutting-edge genAI tool underpinned by rigorous research. Haptikos also made waves, debuting a hand exoskeleton offering precision touch for XR apps at a remarkably accessible price point.
Showcases also featured MIT spinout Three Space Lab and AI innovations from AUR+A and Taiwan’s Meta Intelligence, underscoring EXPERIENTIAL’s aim to transcend traditional hacking, fostering inclusive technology that shapes creator economies.
The opening of the conference was adorned by industry veterans Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies and Anshel Sag of Moor Insights & Strategy, alongside AR pioneer Dan Cui. Their dialogue spanned the XR industry’s current state for over an engaging hour.
Following the hackathon, Bajarin shared his experience on Forbes, celebrating the event as a career pinnacle, even after decades in the tech industry.
Ziad Asghar, Qualcomm’s Senior VP & GM of XR, delivered the keynote, delving into the expanding intersection of AI and XR technologies. He highlighted the role of events like the MIT Reality Hack in nurturing ideas and talent in these fast-developing sectors.
A notable panel, “Global Initiatives Towards a Sustainable Future,” moderated by MIT’s Ken Zolot, brought voices from UNICC, The World Bank Group, Inclusive AI Lab, Qualcomm, and Alvin Wang Graylin of HTC into a lively conversation on leveraging experiential tech and hackathons to empower economic and creative growth.
Emphasizing the industry’s trajectory, Ori Inbar, AWE co-founder and Reality Hack partner, remarked, “XR is going mainstream, but achieving universal relevance requires a diverse array of XR builders to create meaningful spatial experiences.”
For companies keen on jumping into the fray at the 2026 MIT Reality Hack and EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference, your interest is welcome. Reach out to establish connections and influence this vibrant tech future.
