MIT Reality Hack Emerges as a Hub for East Coast XR Developers and Entrepreneurs

Though the heart of the XR scene typically beats on the West Coast, the MIT Reality Hack hackathon has emerged as a vital hub for East Coast XR developers and entrepreneurs. Now celebrating its eighth year, this event has broadened its scope by welcoming the EXPERIENTIAL Conference, offering fresh avenues for industry discussion and networking. Maria Rice, the Executive Director, sheds light on this year’s hackathon and its outstanding winners.

Over the course of five lively days from January 23-27, the MIT campus buzzed with life as hundreds of enthusiastic hackers for good, alongside seasoned tech veterans and startup founders, gathered for the annual MIT Reality Hack. This hackathon is regarded as a premier gathering for those immersed in experiential technology.

The hackathon received backing from a diverse group of international XR, AI, and deep-tech players. Lambda Labs, supporting AI development, enabled participants to create working prototypes utilizing a variety of advanced tools such as Meta Quest 3, Snap Spectacles, and Qualcomm’s RB3g2 kits, along with software from ShapesXR, Cognitive 3D, and STYLY.

This year, attendees were greeted with some intriguing new hardware, like MEMS-based AR lenses from Maradin, Haptikos’s haptic exoskeleton, and a suite of neurosensing devices from OpenBCI, including the notable Galea biosensing headset.

Underpinning MIT Reality Hack is a passionate commitment to hacking for positive outcomes. The event challenges the talents of approximately 600 participants, culminating in 78 pioneering applications and solutions in XR and related technologies.

Among the recognized projects were YEIGO, an AR tool designed to improve the use of mobility aids by ensuring proper posture, CAREGIVR, a platform offering immersive experiences to help families prepare for end-of-life care, and Tac-Man, a haptic input device designed for VR sculpting.

For those interested, a comprehensive list of the 2025 award winners across all hardware and software categories is available.

Running concurrently with the hackathon, the inaugural EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference aimed to be the ‘Davos of the spatial tech industry.’ This one-day event was a platform where global attendees showcased and discussed cutting-edge research across learning innovation, application development, and global tech advancements, all supported by sponsors like IEEE Spectrum, Qualcomm, and Distance Technologies from Helsinki.

Supporting the hackathon’s ‘hack-to-market’ initiative, the EXPERIENTIAL Conference also saw two notable company launches: Limit Labs introduced RoomSeed, a powerful AI tool grounded in rigorous studies, while Haptikos launched a precise, cost-effective hand exoskeleton for XR apps.

MIT spinoff Three Space Lab and AI innovators like AUR+A and Taiwan’s Meta Intelligence also demonstrated exciting new products.

The conference’s mission is to extend the community focus from Reality Hack beyond mere hacking, nudging it toward fostering creator economies and shaping current industry trends. The conference featured both academic and industry insights, starting with a lively fireside chat between industry stalwarts Tim Bajarin and Anshel Sag, mediating challenging topics under the skilled moderation of AR pioneer Dan Cui.

Renowned analyst Tim Bajarin, serving as a first-time judge at the Hack, described this experience as a career highlight. His reflections are detailed in a recent Forbes article.

A keynote by Qualcomm’s Senior VP & GM of XR, Ziad Asghar, delved into the growing intersection of AI capacities within XR devices and underscored the role of events like MIT Reality Hack in nurturing the ideas and talent that rapidly evolutionize industries.

A standout panel, examining Global Initiatives Towards a Sustainable Future, featured MIT Senior Lecturer Ken Zolot as moderator, with insights from representatives of the UNICC, World Bank Group, and others, reflecting on how experiential tech and hackathons stimulate creativity, economic growth, and inclusive experiences.

Ori Inbar, AWE co-founder and Reality Hack partner, aptly summarized the broader vision: “XR is edging into the mainstream, but achieving full integration demands that we invite seasoned XR creators and a diverse set of newcomers to forge spatial experiences that resonate globally.”

For those interested in being part of the 2026 MIT Reality Hack or the EXPERIENTIAL Innovation Conference, feel free to reach out for more information.