The 15th Augmented World Expo (AWE) took place in Long Beach this week with a focus on Mixed Reality (MR) on the Oculus Quest and Apple Vision Pro, and a surge in mobile AR tools. Despite the expectation that AI would dominate the show, it had a remarkably low profile. The event featured 500 speakers across multiple tracks over three days, including a fireside chat with Oculus inventor Palmer Lucky and the induction of the first 101 members into the AWE Hall of Fame.
AWE kicked off with a keynote from co-founder Ori Inbar, who highlighted the industry’s growth and projected market size of $35 billion for XR this year. Niantic, Qualcomm, Snap, and Zappar made important announcements about mobile AR and spatial computing tools. Niantic introduced Niantic Studio, a visual interface for developers to build immersive 3D and XR experiences, and an updated version of its Scaniverse mobile app that uses advanced AI techniques for volumetric capture.
Meta announced the Meta Quest lifestyle app accelerator, a six-month program for developers and founders to prototype new experiences with mixed reality and AI in emerging lifestyle categories. Snap showcased its Generative AI tools in Snap Lens Studio, enabling users to prompt GenAI images within AR experiences. Zappar unveiled a major upgrade to its Zap.works AR game engine, now called Mattercraft, offering a no-code WebXR development tool for creating 3D content.
XReal, a popular AR eyewear maker, showcased its success in the market with the Air 2 and introduced the Beam Pro, a dedicated Android device for its headset. Palmer Lucky, founder of Oculus, made an appearance at the event and discussed the evolution of VR over the past decade. Legendary University of Washington Professor Tom Furness also gave a talk on his history with VR dating back to 1966. The AWE expo featured an XR history museum with artifacts like the 1999 Nintendo Virtual Boy.
The event concluded with the recording of the 200th “This Week in XR” podcast featuring co-hosts Professor Charlie Fink and studio executive Ted Schilowitz, along with special guests. AWE 2024 has already generated excitement with reports on new AR, VR, and haptic experiences, including hands-on demonstrations of Freeaim walking shoes, haptic gloves, and Palmer Lucky’s announcement. Stay tuned for more coverage on the Auggie Award winners and Best in Show Awards.
As the industry continues to evolve, events like AWE play a crucial role in showcasing the latest advancements in XR technology and providing a platform for industry leaders, developers, and enthusiasts to come together and share their insights and innovations. The 15th annual AWE event in Long Beach was a testament to the growth and potential of the XR industry, with a focus on mobile AR tools, spatial computing, mixed reality content, and AI applications.
