The bustling city-state of Singapore once again played host to the cutting-edge world of Extended Reality (XR) as the Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Asia unfolded on August 27th and 28th, 2024. This second edition of AWE XR Asia in Singapore, marking the 15th successful year for AWE globally, proved to be a pivotal moment for the XR industry in the region and beyond.
A New Era of Optimism
Compared to last year's event, the atmosphere was charged with a palpable sense of optimism. The XR ecosystem has matured significantly, showcasing real-world applications across both enterprise and consumer domains. This shift from potential to practical implementation was evident throughout the two-day event, with industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts converging to share their visions and breakthroughs.
Scanning the World, One Pixel at a Time
One of the most intriguing presentations came from #Niantic, the company behind Pokémon GO. They introduced Scaniverse 4, a tool leveraging Gaussian splatting technology with the ambitious goal of putting 3D scanning capabilities into everyone's hands. The end game? Nothing short of scanning the entire world in 3D.
The implications of a fully 3D-scanned world are mind-boggling. Imagine:
Virtual tourism allowing people to explore any corner of the globe from their living rooms
Architectural and urban planning simulations using real-world data
Enhanced navigation systems that guide you through photorealistic 3D environments
Historical preservation of landmarks and artifacts in their full three-dimensional glory
Real-time disaster response planning using up-to-date 3D models of affected areas
Meta's Vision for the Workplace of Tomorrow
As the main sponsor of this year's event, #Meta made its presence felt with Mark Jeffrey delivering a compelling keynote on "The Future of Mixed Reality and Workplace Connection." The talk painted a picture of workplaces where physical and virtual seamlessly blend, enabling unprecedented levels of collaboration and creativity.
Breaking Down Walls with Open Standards
Jimmy Alamparambil from #ByteDance brought attention to a critical issue in the XR world: interoperability. He discussed the development of an open-source protocol/framework that would allow XR applications to work cross-platform, from #Pico to #Quest to #HTC and beyond. This initiative could be a game-changer, potentially unifying the fragmented XR landscape.
The AI-XR Convergence
A recurring theme throughout the panels and discussions was the convergence of AI/Generative #AI with #XR. Speakers explored how this synergy is adding value to both enterprise and consumer applications, from more intuitive user interfaces to AI-driven content creation in virtual spaces.
Snap AR: Empowering Creators
#SnapAR's team took the stage to showcase their advancements in AR technology. They demonstrated how Snap's tools like Lens Studio, Camera Kit, and Gen AI are empowering developers and creators globally to build immersive experiences that push the boundaries of self-expression, play, shopping, and creation.
Diverse Perspectives, Unified Vision
The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers and panelists:
Prof. Mark Billinghurst delved into the fascinating world of empathetic computing
Alvin Wang Graylin, CEO of HTC Vive, made a compelling case for why AI and XR need each other to flourish
Panels covered a wide range of topics including healthcare, volumetric capture, education, avatars in e-commerce, retail, climate change, privacy, human rights in the metaverse, and even psychedelic therapy
Hands-On with the Future
The expo space was a playground for XR enthusiasts, offering hands-on experiences with cutting-edge technologies:
Waveguide tech for AR/VR/MR glasses
Sony's 3D Spatial Display
Volumetric Capture
Haptic Gloves
Indian metaverse projects like Maayaverse
A sneak peek at upcoming AR lenses from XPANCEO & many other interesting XR Startups from around the world and their offerings.
Looking Ahead
As the curtains fell on #AWEXR #Asia #Singapore 2024, attendees left with a renewed sense of excitement for the future of XR. The event reinforced the belief that we are moving closer to a world where we transition from carrying technology to wearing it, where our entire environment becomes a canvas for digital interaction.
The success of this second edition in Singapore, coupled with AWE's 15-year legacy, cements its position as a crucial event in the XR calendar. As media partners for the second consecutive year, #XROM was honored to witness and document this pivotal moment in XR history.
As we look forward to AWE XR Asia Singapore 2025, one thing is clear: the tireless efforts of visionaries like David Weeks, Ori Inbar, and countless others continue to fuel the #XR revolution, bringing us closer to a future where #extendedreality is simply our reality.
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