Though the heart of the XR scene primarily beats on the West Coast, the MIT Reality Hack hackathon has carved out a significant presence for XR innovators and business leaders on the East Coast. As it celebrated its eighth year, the event embraced new avenues for industry dialogue and connectivity with the addition of the EXPERIENTIAL Conference. Maria Rice, the Executive Director, gives us a glimpse into this year’s hackathon and its standout achievements.
Maria Rice, who has diligently led the MIT Reality Hack as Executive Director for eight years, has successfully transformed it into a pivotal hub for experiential technology. Her efforts have introduced programs such as the EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference, the Reality Scholars diversity fund, and the Reality Hack Founders Lab, all contributing to its prominence.
From January 23rd to the 27th, a swarm of passionate tech enthusiasts, seasoned tech veterans, and emerging startup founders converged on the MIT campus for the celebrated MIT Reality Hack. Sponsored by a diverse array of international entities embedded within XR, AI, and deeptech sectors, the event saw participants create innovative prototypes with cutting-edge tools like Meta Quest 3, Snap Spectacles, and Qualcomm’s RB3g2 kits, thanks in part to AI development support from Lambda Labs.
A remarkable addition to this year’s hackathon was the introduction of new tech kits. From Maradin’s AR lenses powered by MEMS, to Haptikos’s haptic exoskeleton, and OpenBCI’s neurosensing gear including the Galea headset, participants had a plethora of hardware to fuel their creativity.
Operating under the mission statement of “hacking for good,” the MIT Reality Hack generated a whirlwind of inventive energy from its participants and organizers. Six hundred talented individuals pushed their hacking skills to the brim during the five-day marathon, culminating in 78 groundbreaking XR applications and use cases.
Among the innovative projects recognized this year, YEIGO stood out as an AR tool aimed at optimizing the posture in mobility device use. CAREGIVR made an impact as an immersive platform designed to assist families and caregivers in preparing for end-of-life care situations. Meanwhile, Tac-Man impressed as a haptic device for VR sculpting.
The full list of 2025 winners, spanning both hardware and software categories, is a testament to the creativity and technical prowess on display.
Alongside the hackathon ran the inaugural EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference, a one-day global gathering envisaged as the ‘Davos for the spatial tech industry.’ This unique conference provided a platform for presenting cutting-edge research and strategizing innovation across learning technology, vertical applications, and global development challenges.
Sponsored by industry leaders like IEEE Spectrum, Qualcomm, and Helsinki’s Distance Technologies, the conference was instrumental in supporting Reality Hack’s ‘hack-to-market’ initiative. Limit Labs made headlines by unveiling RoomSeed, a genAI innovation born from extensive research. Meanwhile, Haptikos unveiled a revolutionary hand exoskeleton, providing an unparalleled sense of touch in XR applications at an impressively accessible price.
Startup innovations included MIT’s spinout Three Space Lab and the latest AI offerings from AUR+A and Meta Intelligence of Taiwan, showcasing the vibrancy of the evolving tech landscape.
EXPERIENTIAL aims to expand the MIT Reality Hack’s commitment to wide-reaching technology by engaging both academic and commercial sectors with a creator-centric focus. The event kicked off with a lively fireside chat featuring renowned industry figures such as Tim Bajarin and Anshel Sag, moderated by AR pioneer Dan Cui. Their discussion, which centered on the current state and future of XR, set an informative tone for the conference.
Tim Bajarin, who served as a first-time Hack judge, shared his reflections on the experience in a piece for Forbes, praising it as a career highlight in over four decades of tech industry involvement. Qualcomm’s Ziad Asghar delivered a keynote exploring how AI integration is enhancing XR devices and underscoring the importance of events like these in nurturing the talent and ideas crucial for industry advancement.
A panel on global sustainability initiatives further enriched the conference, with insights from representatives of influential organizations such as the United Nations, The World Bank Group, the Inclusive AI Lab, and Qualcomm, among others, moderated by MIT’s Ken Zolot. The discussion underscored how experiential technology and hackathons can empower creative communities and foster inclusive economic growth.
Echoing the enthusiasm of co-founder Ori Inbar, the push for XR to become mainstream relies on a diverse mix of seasoned builders and fresh minds creating spatial experiences that resonate globally. As companies look toward the 2026 edition of MIT Reality Hack and the EXPERIENTIAL Conference, engagement opportunities are open for those ready to contribute to this expanding frontier.
