Introduction to the Augmented World Expo
I’m tired of reality, so last week, I attended the Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, CA, to envision out other options, corresponding to Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR). The Augmented World Expo has been around since 2010, pursuing its lofty goal of "enabling people across the globe to learn, connect and grow inside the XR industry." I do not learn about all that, but I did get to envision out the brand new devices and applications that is likely to be the longer term of how we work, chill out, and relate to one another.
Highlights of the Show
The biggest tech news out of Augmented World Expo 2025 was Qualcomm announcing the Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 chip, the brain that may power much of the following generation of smart glasses. "I don’t love having an enormous thing on my head" and "Wait, I also must pair it to my phone?" are two common problems people have with VR/AR, and the AR1+ goals to resolve each. It allows for on-device AI processing, and improves camera quality, display quality, and energy efficiency.
Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 Chip
I attempted a pair of Snap Spectacle 4 smart glasses powered by this chip, and it’s impressive. The AR1+ chip is a game-changer for the XR industry, and I’m excited to see how it should be utilized in future devices.
RP1’s Spatial Browser
I admit, I used to be just a little puzzled as to what RP1 is attempting to do at first. The "world’s first Metaverse browser" goals to "connect the world’s population in a single, persistent XR ecosystem, providing on-demand access to unlimited self-hosted 3D content and services." But then a helpful representative put it to me like this: "Remember how AOL and Compuserve were totally separate camps? And then the online made a typical place for everybody? We’re doing that with 3D spaces," and all of it made sense. The idea is to supply a platform for all Immersive XR (prolonged reality) spaces, so it doesn’t matter what device you are using to view them.
XREAL Eye
I used to be impressed with the XREAL Air 2 Pro glasses I reviewed last yr, and this enhancement makes them higher. The XREAL Eye is a small camera that adds 6DoF (i.e. 6 Degrees of Freedom so your head and body can move naturally in space: up/down, left/right, forward/back) tracking, making virtual content more immersive and natural. I attempted it out briefly on the show floor, and it is very impressive.
Lumus Z-30 Optical Engine
Sometimes at tech conventions, you get taken right into a back room and shown some pure tech, prototypes that should not yet available commercially. Lumus ("the pioneering developer of geometric waveguide technology for augmented reality") took me right into a bare conference room to envision out the Z-30 Optical Engine. The device left me saying "whoa" like I used to be Keanu Reeves. Check out the image above; the lightweight thing on the side of the glasses’ is tiny projector that throws a 720 x 720 pixel image onto the clear glass of the lenses, and only you may see it.
Other Notable Exhibits
Campfire
The people I do know who often use VR within the workplace are my friends who design sets for stop-motion animation. It’s area of interest, I realize, but anyone working in collaborative 3D design in any way should take an extended have a look at Campfire. It enables you to have a look at CAD at 1:1 scale with other people, everyone in a circle across the virtual 3D object prefer it’s a campfire.
FreeAim Powered AR Shoes
FreeAim VR Shoes aim to resolve the issue of "How do you walk around in virtual reality?" Their solution: Make powered shoes that may return the user to their original position after they take a step. I didn’t get a likelihood to try these out, because I didn’t trust my balance enough, but I’m looking forward to testing a pair in a more controlled environment.
Virtuix Omni One
Another approach for "walking in VR" comes via the Virtuix Omni One, a treadmill device that enables you to virtually walk and run without moving through low-friction technology. In other words, it’s a particularly slippery, bowl-shaped floor with a harness and scaffolding that keeps you upright. Let me let you know, it is very slippery—the type of thing that is disconcerting until you trust it—but when you’re over that hump, it is a viable solution.
Simtryx
I attempted out a bunch of AR and VR games on the AWE Expo, and by far essentially the most fun I had was fiddling with the Simtryx AI medical training device. The (extremely indulgent) Simtryx representative at AWE explained that it’s actually not a game; it is a XR+AI simulator designed to coach medical professionals, but when a VR patient complains of stomach pain, I’m going to play doctor.
Dreampark
The image above looks like some sad inflatables on a concrete floor, but should you slip on a Meta Quest running Dreampark, it becomes a colourful level of a Mario-esque platformer, complete with golden coins to gather, lava to avoid, and more. It’s not the type of thing you might probably do in your own home, however it could be perfect at a child’s birthday celebration space, or on the crumbling stays of a once vibrant retail zone, like Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, that hosts a Dreampark experience weekly.
Kinneta
Lifehacker’s resident spin class instructor Lindsey Ellefson and I disagree concerning the "games" that include a Peloton. She loves them; I believe they’re ass. But that is simply because she hasn’t tried Kinneta yet. It pairs your Meta Quest 2, 3 or 3S with any Bluetooth bike to supply fully gamified fitness on any Bluetooth-enabled treadmill or stationary bike.
Flowborne Spirit VR
There are plenty of VR and AR apps that are supposed to provide leisure, meditation, and a contemplative experience and Flowborne Spirit was the most effective I saw on the show. I just like the progressive use of the Meta Quest’s controller: You rest it in your belly and it responds to your breath. The game made me feel like I had joined a cult, in the easiest way possible!
Conclusion
The Augmented World Expo was an eye-opening experience, and I’m excited to see how the XR industry will proceed to evolve in the longer term. From the Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 chip to the Dreampark platform, there are various progressive technologies and applications which can be changing the way in which we interact with the world. Whether you are excited by gaming, fitness, or simply need to experience something recent, there’s something for everybody on the earth of XR.
