XR AI Spotlight

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XR AI Spotlight gives the stage to founders and makers at the intersection between XR and AI. You will learn what happens when technology and creativity collide, how AI apps and XR tools are built and brought to market, the personal stories and workflows of leaders and creatives pushing the boundaries of what these 2 technologies can offer and the opportunities they unlock.

Gabriele Romagnoli


    • Feb 19, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 46m AVG DURATION
    • 101 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from XR AI Spotlight

    VR Vs CAVE Ship Simulators at MARIN

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2026 48:25


    Giorgio Ballestin is a Technical Product Manager and XR specialist at MARIN, the Netherlands' maritime research institute, where he owns the XR development roadmap and helps shape long-term simulation and digital twin capabilities. In this episode, we unpack how MARIN's ship handling simulators evolved from large CAVE and motion-platform bridge systems into hybrid setups that add VR for deck-level and off-bridge operations. Giorgio explains why VR adoption is slower than it looks on paper, including cybersickness, interaction design, and the lack of industry standards. You will learn how MARIN combines in-house hydrodynamics models with Unreal Engine visualization, where high fidelity matters and where it does not, and how multi-user scenarios are orchestrated by instructors and researchers. We also cover security constraints, local-first stacks, and why physical props and tracking often beat camera-based mixed reality.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The Role of AI in 3D Animation

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 33:05


    A single Cascadeur post on X triggered an uproar on social media. From excitement to hatred, the community of professionals and creatives voiced their feelings, asked legitimate questions and tried to understand how AI is reshaping the work of animators. To answer these questions, I talked with Alexander Grishanin, CTO of Cascadeur, who explains how Cascadeur defines AI versus machine learning, what is the state of the art when it comes to “procedural motion”, the ethical implications around training data and the impact AI is having on professional animation workflows.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Geospatial AI Explained by Niantic Spatial

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 46:02


    Asim Ahmed, multi-award-winning game developer and head of product marketing at Niantic Spatial, joins the show to break down how geospatial AI is reshaping both digital experiences and real world infrastructure. As one of the early marketing leaders behind Pokémon GO and a key force behind the Peridot franchise across mobile, mixed reality and AR glasses, Asim explains how Niantic Spatial is building a large geospatial model that gives machines a true understanding of the physical world. Listeners will learn how reconstruction, localization and semantic understanding work together, why spatial intelligence matters for robotics, inspection, logistics and entertainment, and how new partnerships with Snap, Meta, Apple and Meow Wolf are shaping the next generation of immersive products. He also shares how embodied AI companions like Project Jade may change how we navigate cities, workplaces and daily life.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Gaussian Splatting for Cultural Heritage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2026 50:30


    In this episode we talk with Thomas Flynn, a digital heritage specialist with deep experience in 3D digitisation, open access, and online publishing. Thomas has worked with UNESCO, Europeana, Oxford University, Creative Commons, and served as cultural heritage lead at Sketchfab, where he helped launch the British Museum's first open 3D collection. In this conversation, he explains how museums and cultural organisations think about 3D capture, what Gaussian splatting can and cannot do for heritage workflows, and why long term storage, metadata, and interoperability matter just as much as scanning quality. He breaks down real examples of 3D printing for visitor engagement, web based publishing options, VR use cases, and the growing challenge of managing massive data sets.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Social VR Identity and Economy: What the Data Shows

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2026 54:37


    Mila is a PhD student in Switzerland and a researcher of social VR culture, known for a multi-year survey series on metaverse identity, harassment, and now virtual economies. In this episode, we unpack what people actually do in worlds like VRChat, and why platform design shapes everything from avatar choices to spending habits. Mila explains the shift toward semi-humanoid avatars, why many male users present as feminine, and how researchers handle sensitive questions across English and Japanese. We also dig into money flows, from avatar fashion and seasonal drops to tipping performers, paid events, and services like tarot readings, plus what it means when users spend thousands on headsets, PCs, and full-body tracking.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    These AI Smart Glasses Last the whole day

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2026 47:36


    Cayden Pierce, CEO of Mentra, joins the show to discuss how his team is building an operating system for the next generation of personal computing through #smartglasses. Drawing on experience from MIT, building #AI agents, and earlier work with Steve Mann, he explains why all day wearability is the true barrier to mass adoption and how Mentra approaches power, latency, and ergonomics differently. Cayden breaks down the distinct roles of display glasses and camera glasses, why accessibility use cases like captions and support for blind users are leading adoption, and how enterprise workflows benefit from hands-free AI assistance. He also outlines how developers can build with Mentra OS using open web technologies, how emerging opportunities in consulting and enterprise deployment are forming, and what new hardware the company plans to release in 2026.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    This AI Game Engine Feels Like a Toy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2026 43:47


    Nuno Leiria, founder and CEO of Nilo and former performance lead for Unreal Engine 5 and Fortnite at Epic Games, breaks down how Nilo lets anyone build playable 3D worlds in the browser in minutes without complex #GameEngines. He explains the sketch to #3D pipeline, where #AI handles modelling, rigging, animation, and starter code, and why latency is the key design constraint. We dig into real-time co-creation, remixable templates, and “creative generation” that assembles complex scenes from primitives. Nuno also shares how aspiring builders from #Roblox or Minecraft can ramp up without learning traditional DCC tools and monetise their creations.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    This AI Can Control Characters in Real Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2025 43:16


    Viren Tellis, co-founder and CEO of Uthana, joins the show to discuss how generative AI is reshaping motion creation for games, VFX, and interactive worlds. With over 15 years of experience leading product and operations teams at AppNexus and Hedado, Viren explains how Uthana's technology can generate animation from text, video, or even in real time, giving creators instant, controllable motion without traditional mocap setups. He breaks down how developers use Uthana's SDKs and APIs in Unreal, Unity, and web platforms, what defines high-quality motion, and how foundation models for human movement could power the next generation of AI-driven characters. Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    From 3D GenAI to the End of Game Engines

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2025 40:44


    Tejas Kulkarni, CEO of Common Sense Machines and PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and AI from MIT, explains how CSM turns images and sketches into game-engine ready 3D assets. He breaks down why CSM ranked highly on the 3D Arena human evaluation, what “good” means in 3D generation, and how geometry, texture, topology, and parts segmentation affect real workflows. We discuss modular pipelines, UV mapping, controllability, and integration with Blender, Maya, Unity, and Unreal. Tejas contrasts mesh pipelines with splats and NeRFs, then argues that neural network driven game engines are coming, with artists guiding structure while networks fill detail. He also tackles ethics, brain hacking loops, and adoption advice for students and studios. Listeners get concrete guidance on quality metrics, parts based editing, and near term toolchain decisions.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The Next Evolution of Motion Capture for VFX Artists

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2025 46:37


    Nikola Todorovic, filmmaker, VFX supervisor, and co-founder of Wonder Dynamics (now Autodesk's Flow Studio), shares how AI is reshaping 3D animation and post-production. In this episode, he explains how Flow Studio simplifies motion capture and compositing through video-based mocap, motion prediction, and automatic generation of passes like lighting and camera tracking. Nikola discusses the shift from black-box AI tools to transparent, editable workflows, the importance of synthetic data, and the tension between human creativity and automation. He also reflects on how AI can expand access for indie creators while elevating professional pipelines. Listeners will gain insight into the future of VFX, synthetic data training, and the evolving role of artists in AI-driven production.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Gaussian Splats Are Now Web Ready

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2025 47:05


    Will Eastcott, CEO of PlayCanvas and veteran of EA, Sony, and Activision with credits on GTA, Call of Duty, and Max Payne, explains how Gaussian splatting is moving from experiments to production. He breaks down SuperSplat, an open source editor for cropping, recoloring, and optimizing splats for the web, and details a streaming level of detail system that scales from phones to desktops. Will shares how the new SOG format, built on lossless WebP, can cut files by up to 95 % while preserving quality. You will learn practical capture options like lidar based rigs, when to use streaming, how to ship WebXR viewers, and where splats are gaining traction in ecommerce, real estate, and cultural heritage. Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Why Laser Dance Took 3 Years to Build

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2025 48:02


    Thomas van Bouwel is an indie XR game developer known for Cubism, one of the most successful puzzle games on Quest. In this episode, he shares the three-year journey of building Laser Dance, a rhythm stealth game that turns your living room into a laser-filled obstacle course using mixed reality. Thomas explains how rapidly evolving SDKs, scene meshing, and body tracking changed the game's design mid-development, why real room geometry creates both magic and technical chaos, and how extensive playtesting across player abilities and physical spaces shaped the final product. He also discusses accessibility settings, music design, and the realities of sustaining an indie career in XR. Listeners will learn the hidden challenges of room-scale MR development, how to design for unpredictable environments, and how shifting market demographics impact creative and business decisions in today's XR ecosystem.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Why These AI Glasses Beat Big Tech

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 48:46


    Bobak Tavangar, co-founder of Brilliant Labs, joins the show to unpack Halo, the lightweight open-source AR glasses built for AI-first computing. Unlike camera-heavy smart glasses designed for social media, Halo focuses on continuous low-power sensing, on-device AI inference, and full-day wearability—turning an AI agent into a true “second brain.” Bobak explains how Halo handles privacy by discarding raw media and storing only embeddings, why open source is critical for innovation, and how developers are already building real-world applications across healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and robotics. He breaks down the tech stack behind real-time multimodal AI, memory recall, and “vibe coding,” a natural language way to create apps without writing code. The conversation also explores pricing strategy, hardware trade-offs, business models, and where AR input and display technology must evolve next. Listeners will learn what it actually takes to build meaningful AI glasses and where the industry is heading in 2026–2027.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    AI Workflows for XR Developers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 46:33


    Preston Platt, CTO and founder of Rock Paper Reality, joins the show to share how his team pushes the limits of XR development by blending AI workflows with rapid prototyping. With more than 16 years of experience in 3D modelling, animation, and spatial computing, Preston has built AR and MR projects for mobile, smartglasses, and headsets like the Apple Vision Pro. In this conversation, he explains how his studio embraces AI to accelerate code and asset generation, the role of generalists in creative teams, and why open XR remains critical for cross-platform development. He also reflects on the challenges of AI-driven characters, latency in NPC interactions, and the tradeoffs between artistry and automation. Listeners will gain insights into emerging workflows, platform adoption, and the future of shared immersive experiences across devices.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Roy Rodenaheuser

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 52:50


    Roy Rodenaheuser is a London-based Creative Technologist with over 12 years of experience at Yahoo, Unity, and Capgemini. In this episode he shares the story behind Canvastique3D, a project he launched in 2024 that blends physical creativity with real-time 3D visualization. Canvastique3D allows designers, artists, and even industries like textiles and furniture to project physical materials and artwork directly onto digital 3D models, opening new possibilities for rapid prototyping and product visualization.We discuss how creatives across fashion, interior design, toys, and even beverage branding are experimenting with the tool, and why simplicity often wins over photorealism. Roy also explains his approach to balancing full-time work with side projects, the role of storytelling in product demos, and why sharing prototypes early is crucial. Listeners will gain insights into bridging physical and digital workflows, strategies for validation, and practical advice for creative technologists.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Creativity in the Age of AI Is Not What You Expect

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 52:02


    Manuel, a TEDx speaker, former head of XR Design at IBM Canada and Currently Emerging tech Advocate at Unity, brings 15 years of experience across industries from aerospace to gaming and now teaches at institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. In this episode, he discusses how creativity is shifting in an era where AI lowers barriers to entry, allowing more diverse voices to contribute. Manuel shares insights from his cultural preservation project Protopica, created with filmmaker Will Selviz, which uses AI, to explore Caribbean futurism and interactive storytelling. He reflects on the surprises and limitations of AI in creative workflows, the balance between specialization and generalist skills, and the importance of play and curiosity for future generations of creatives. The conversation also dives into education for AI-native children, ethical considerations around tools, and how recruiters now value storytelling and adaptability more than formal credentials.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    What Nobody Tells You About 3D GenAI

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 41:36


    Philip is a VFX artist at RiseFX creating visual effects for Films and TV Shows. He is growing an incredible a youtube channel called Pixel Artistry covering the latest tools and workflows in the rapidly evolving world of 3D GenAI to share his learning with a growing community of over 8000 subscribers. His content is some of the best I have found when it comes to 3D GenAI. His videos are both clear and actionable and today I sit down with him to learn:How he deals with the current limitations of 3D models generated by AIWhat are his favourite 3DGenAI models and why What is the next thing you should do if you are serious about 3D GenAI.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Breaking Into XR: A Developer's Journey from Content Creator to Meta Engineer

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 47:26


    Roberto Coviello is an engineer at Meta Reality Labs, where he builds open-source showcases and samples to help push XR development forward. He's also known for his YouTube Channel full of in-depth XR tutorials that played a key role in his career. In this conversation we look at:How he started his professional journey as a developer, turned content creator, and the path that led him to become a Software Engineer at MetaWe look at several SDKs provided by Meta and what he thinks is a must-have for any MR appWhat are his thoughts on the role of AI for artists and developersHow he finds the right balance between employment and cultivating his dreamsSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How XR and AI Are Reshaping Fitness

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 44:33


    Sam Cole is the CEO and a co-founder of FitXR. He is a firm believer in the benefits of regular exercise for physical and mental health, and since the conception of VR, he turned his vision of delivering immersive fitness into a reality for hundreds of thousands of people who have rediscovered that movement can be fun thanks to FitXR. In this conversationWe take a deep dive into FitXR and learn how the team keeps innovating He shares the lessons he learned as a founder when rapidly growing and then downsizingHis down-to-earth impressions on AIHow he sees fitness evolving on smart glasses and some of the associated risksSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Rethinking the role of Designers in XR and AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 52:59


    Mo dedicated over 18 years to designing solutions that empower people and make a meaningful impact. This includes more than 8 years in immersive XR, spatial computing, and AI-powered products, leading in-house and remote teams across pioneering startups like ShapesXR, Gravity Sketch and FitXR, forward-thinking agencies and more recently as Senior product designer at Meta. We tap into his experience when hiring designersHis take on the role of designers within bigger and smaller organisationsWhat was his experience when working in startups, being a freelancer and also what he loves about working in corporatesThe role of designers when designing FOR AI productsSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Disney Imagineer Shares Worldbuilding Secrets

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 41:56


    Don Carson started as an illustrator, but soon his work expanded beyond the sketchbook to focus on the design of physical and virtual spaces. He worked as a Senior Show Designer, as an Imagineer, he designed entire lands for the Disney Parks and he is now Sr. Art Director at Mighty Coconut, the team behind Walkabout Minigolf, one of the most popular and loved apps on the Meta Quest. In this conversation we look at:How the team has embraced the low-poly graphics to create worlds people loveSome of the major challenges when it comes to building worlds and telling storiesHis secret for engaging and keeping players hookedDon offers me a guided tour of Raptor's Cliff to experience firsthand some of the storytelling techniques that make Walkabout's worlds so popular and of course, I get the chance to showcase my terrible golfing skillsSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    AR, AI, and the New Playbook for Digital Commerce

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 47:16


    Dmytro Kornilov is an innovation marketing futurist with 15+ years of experience in the industry. He is the founder of FFFACE.ME an award-winning innovation company, and LOOOK.AI an AR and AI Mirrors company. With practical experience in AR, MR, Digital Beauty and Fashion, AI and Phygital, Dmytro has led omnichannel innovation projects for global brands like Prada, Inditex, PUIG, Ralph Lauren, D&G, Valentino, Burberry, L'Oréal, Mugler, Meta, and many moreNathan C Bowser (they/them): is a product strategist and founder of Awesome Future, an innovation studio that helps global technology brands break through go-to market barriers and grow great ideas faster. Nathan has spent the last decade demystifying cutting edge tech for the endterprise as a podcaster, product leader, technology writer, and speaker who has been teaching and using AR and VR in marketing since 2015.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    What is 4D Gaussian Splatting? From Capture to VR Streaming

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 56:11


    Lennard Wolff, holds a Master in Cinematography and he is an expert in volumetric capture technology. He is Former Senior Technical Director at Synthesia and now the CEO of AdventuryXR a London based a startup revolutionising corporate learning through photorealistic immersive experiences.Georgii Vysotskii the co-founder and CEO of Gracia.ai a deep tech company specializing in the visualization and distribution of Gaussian splatting even in VR.Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Why Spectacles Are The Future of AR

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025 48:32


    Andrew Seleznov. Head of AR Production at Arcadia. Snap's internal creative studio for branded experiences working with the Biggest brands in the world and reshaping the way user interact and angage digitally and with the world around them. Some of the capabilities of Lens Studio you might not know aboutWe look at 2 of their biggest collaboration with Nike and NYX and break down the types of brands working with Arcadia and the secret to a successful collaborationDive into his experience working on SpectaclesSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The GenAI Tool for Businesses (Sorry, Indie Creators)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 55:26


    Kent Keirsey is the founder and CEO of Invoke. He has been in the tech industry for over 14 years, serving as a product and business leader in startups across B2B, B2C, and Enterprise SaaS. In 2022, he was an early contributor to Invoke's generative AI tools in open-source, building solutions for professional creatives. Recognising the need for these tools to serve teams, he founded Invoke in 2023 to provide image-generation software for established creative teams and enterprises. During this conversation, we will look at:The Pros and cons of consumer-grade GenAI toolsWhat it takes to create a tool made for professional teams to solve specific creative challengesThe opportunities unlocked by a higher degree of control and customisation of creative workflowsWe dive into some of the key issues faced by GenAI tools used for professional workflows, like the datasets used for the training and who owns the final productSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Varjo Just Made Gaussian Splatting Enterprise-Ready

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 50:34


    Knut Nesheim has a background in large-scale machine learning systems and big data. He leads the engineering teams building Teleport, the Gaussian splatting tool created by Varjo, the Finnish hardware company renowned for the top-tier MR headset used by the most demanding businesses and enterprises worldwide. In this conversation we take a deep dive at the intersection of Gaussian splatting and VR.We look at the very technological foundation of TeleportUnique features it offers to usersThe obvious consequences of their unrelenting pursuit of photorealism… with 2 caveatsHow this all fit within the bigger vision of serving top-tier enterprises worldwideSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How to Build Worlds (and Make Money) on Viverse

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 47:50


    Andranik Aslanyan is Head of Growth for VIVERSE at HTC, where he leads business strategies across marketing social media and product development to grow and scale this world-building platform built on the web for the web. In this conversation, we look at:A unique feature offered to world builders to help them overcome the limitations of the webHow can creators monetise their work on ViverseHow Viverse has implemented Gaussian SplattingA precious advice he gives to world buildersSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    What It's Really Like to Build Vision Pro Apps Today

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025 50:05


    Matt Hoerl is a designer building things that feel inevitable once they exist. He founded Beautiful Things in 2024, a studio crafting AI native spatial experiences for the Apple Vision Pro. His visionOS apps have been globally featured by Apple Editors and selected as “Best in Education” and “Best in Design.” In this conversation we look at:His impressions about WWDC and what it unlocks for developers and usersWe went to the moon to experience Beautiful thingsSeveral ways in which the team has implemented AI in their appsThe second biggest wish Matt wants from AppleSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The Art of Designing Believable AI Agents

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025 47:30


    Yuqian Sun is a Chinese AI narrative researcher based in London and currently a doctoral student at the Royal College of Art.Leveraging her expertise in interactive media, she creates narrative experiences that feel alive and extend beyond video games and into our daily lives through conversational AI agents. She explores this topic through chatbots, games and interactive installations, which expand the boundary of fiction through human or non-human language interactions. In this conversation, we look at:The driving principles she follows when building believable AI AgentsLanguage and cultural barriers in the context of AI and HumansHer strong stance on AI-generated contentA precious advice she gives to all creators out there who simply “hate AI”Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The Best (and Worst) of the Camera API on Quest

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 47:07


    Christoph is an XR veteran, he worked as an XR developer at Axel Springer, and is now one of the minds behind Laser Limbo, a successful mixed reality game on Quest that turned into a full AR arcade in Berlin. Over the past years he has worked on several projects and full games that merge physical and digital and push the boundaries of what the current generation of headsets is capable of.His recent research has been focused on the camera API leading to some of the craziest AND most polished prototypes I have seen, giving us a glimpse of the future of human computer interaction. Today we will dive into the Camera API and understand:- What is currently the biggest limitation- What are some creative uses you might not have thought about- How he implemented ball tracking in the working prototype, I personally tested- An important question you should ask yourself before even startingSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    3D Animation with AI and Beyond

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2025 41:19


    Naureen Mahmood is the CEO & co-founder of Meshcapade, an award-winning tech startup based in the heart Europe's largest AI ecosystem, Cyber Valley.At Meshcapade she is applying her work on human understanding for training AI avatars to see, understand and interact just like humans. This goes way beyond animating game characters. Meshcapade is developing the world's first and only 3D human behavior engine to power human-like interactions and behaviors for AI characters, virtual beings and humanoid robots.We look at the very research foundation built by MeshcapadeThe SMPL model, that is now the de facto standard for computer visionHow Meshcapade fits within the workflows of animatorsThe broad range of use cases that go beyond gamingAnd all this effort is the foundation for how we will be able to interact with avatars, characters or virtual agentsSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Physical First: Rethinking UX for Spatial Computing

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 46:37


    Orlando Mathias is a truly hands-on designer traversing the full breadth of product innovation from Strategy through to the nitty gritty of design & prototyping. He has led product innovation projects with Meta, Samsung 's Design Studio, and worked alongside Google's team on their gestural technology. He has now funded THE BLEND a design firm championing a physical first approach helping organisations anticipate and design our blended future. In this conversation, we will discover:What is his ideation and design processHis experience with Snap SpectaclesWhat are the lessons he learned from working with those who understand the physical space much better than digital designersHow to avoid the biggest mistake you can make when designing spatial interactions and interfacesWhat he learned from leading teams during high-stakes design projects Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Why Gaussian Splatting Changes Everything for the 3D Web

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 47:02


    Lisa Maria Egger, Co-founder & COO at Arrival.Space, an award-winning immersive web-based platform developed by Stratum1 that empowers people to create, connect, share, and explore next-generation content wherever you want on VR headset, mobile or the browser. In this conversation, we will look at:The key feature that turns Gaussian Splatting into the next level web contentHow these spaces can be experienced on web, mobile, and in VRA storytelling feature  I have never seen in any other platformThe core reasons why this must be built on the open webSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Designing the Future of E-Commerce with XR and AI at Amazon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 46:55


    Xiaobi (Iris) Pan is a globally recognised pioneer in the field of Emerging Technology Design. She is the mind behind interactive installations that blend digital and physical, visited by millions of participants.Currently, Iris is a Lead Designer at Amazon. There, she is dedicated to using technologies such as Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence to revolutionise the consumer experience for both business and social good. (snippet 1)We covered a lot during this conversation. We start discussing:How these technologies drive business impactThe one question that helped her bring her ideas to another levelA design model she follows to combine gamification, interaction and value for brandsWe end up discussing the future of human-computer interactionSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Why Pros Use ComfyUI and How to Get Started

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 49:09


    Lovis Odin is a French interactive designer specialising in 3D, XR and motion. With the advent of AI he started digging into tools and workflows to accelerate and augment the work of creatives, and today he will share with us how comfy UI has become one of the primary weapons in his toolset. ComdyUI can feel quite intimidating but I ended the conversation knowing so much more and ready to dive in. We will talk about:How to get started with ComfyUIWhat are the hardware requirements for various applications and alternatives if your rig is not up to the taskHis professional experience when working with brandsAdditional resources and platforms to help AI artists in their professional journeySubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Tools, Workflows, and Optimizations for Gaussian Splatting

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 53:39


    Olli Huttunen is an entrepreneur, video editor, 3D specialist, software developer and a real authority when it comes to Gaussian Splatting. I got to know Olli thanks to his Youtube channel, a priceless resource for anybody who wants to dive into this new 3D paradigm and today we take a deep dive into the world of Gaussian splatting:Olli explains why PostShot is his favorite tool and how to make the most out of itHe shares best practices to minimize file sizesHe tells us about a Blender add-on he has developed to create virtual camera arrays and why turning a mesh into a splat is not as dumb as it soundsAnd how the capabilities of the same camera array tool can be pushed even further to create synthetic 4DGSSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    What Deploying XR for Millions Taught Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 49:44


    Marcus Ernst is Project Manager at MACK One, one of the drivers behind the AUREA Award community and a member of the MACK Research Team.He has been instrumental in creating attractions that have been the first immersive experience for hundreds of thousands of visitors in Europa Park the second largest theme park in Europe!In this conversation, we take a deep dive into: The successes and failures along this journeyWhat is the most important KPI when operating at this scaleHow scaling down was actually the key to successWhy AR hasn't been more widely adopted in theme parks yetSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    This App Turns Doomscrolling into Roomscrolling

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 53:37


    Jason was a PM Director at Meta, GM at Vine, at Google he worked on Youtube and Gmail and all this experience in Big tech companies taught him a hard lesson on what to keep and what to get rid of when building products people love.He is now the founder & ceo of Things.inc, the company behind the award-winning app Rooms: a platform that has successfully replaced doom scrolling with Room scrolling and unlocked a new way to create in 3D and tell stories, all wrapped in an app recognized as best Apple-designed. In this conversation, we will dive into:- How they have built such an addictive app and why people spend an incredible amount of time just creating- What he learned from building some of the most popular VR Creative tools- We look at the many ways Rooms is already implementing AI, what is coming in the short term and a bold vision for the future- Heartfelt advice to founders building productsSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The Future of 3D Generative AI with Meshy's CEO Ethan Hu

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 49:02


    Ethan Hu holds a PhD in computer graphics and AI from MIT, he is the CEO at Meshy a Silicon Valley based startup creating an AI-powered tool that generates textured 3D models from images or text, in under a minute. Meshy is the ONLY 3D AI tool featured in A16Z's 2024 AI Tools Survey and only in 2024 Over 20 million 3D assets were generated thanks to Meshy. In this conversation, we will dive into the world of 3D Gen AI. We will discover:- How are professionals using 3D assets generated with AI- How is the industry reacting to the rapid advancements- Look more broadly at 3D content for various use cases, from visualization to full games generated with AI- An ambitious prediction about the future of 3D GenAISubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    HoverFit: The VR Fitness Game That Works in Your Browser

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 39:01


    Yin-Chien Yeap is an XR developer who believes in making accessible immersive experiences for everyone. As part of that mission, he and his team have decided to bring a popular genre to the WebXR: Fitness. In this conversation, we will discuss:How they managed to prevent motion sickness despite being an intense racing appHow the web is more powerful than you thinkThe implications of web-based content for the future of XRSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    AI Meets AR: Building the Future with Snap Spectacles

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 46:11


    Ernest Spicer is a data scientist, game developer, and technology executive developing new immersive learning and gaming experiences in AR powered by AI, and I don't say that lightly because Ernest and his team were the first to deploy AI on the new Snap Spectacles.In this conversation, we will dive into His experience when developing for various smart glassesHow as a special Olympic coach he sees AR helping neurodivergent athletesWe talk about the future of wearable AIHis experience when developing AI tools for the education systemSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The XR Company That's Powering Over 2 Billion Products

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 50:23


    Connell Gauld is the CTO and Co-Founder of Zapworks. Zapworks was funded in 2011 and is one of the world's leading XR Platforms and creative studios. Since then the team kept building and innovating launching:- An affordable headset unlocking untapped growth opportunities- An editor for both designers and developers to build AR experiences directly on the web- A technology deployed on millions of products leveraging their knowledge of computer visionSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How Kiri Solved Gaussian Splatting's Biggest Limitation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 53:29


    Jack Wang is the CEO of Kiri engine a powerful 3D scanning app for Android, iOS (and web browsers!). I have experienced Kiri myself and trust me, there some key features that makes it different from anything else on the market. Today we will dive into the world of Gaussian splatting with Jack discussing:Some of the current limitations of Gaussian splatting- The benefits of Gaussian Splatting compared to photogrammetry and the verticals benefitting from it- Some of the unique features that make Kiri engine the must have scanning app for Gaussian Splatting- A new path the team has taken after making an unexpected discovery Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    Wisear: Neural Interface that fits in your ears

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 40:42


    Yacine Aciakh spent over six years as a Senior AI Product Manager at Criteo, one of France's first unicorns, where he grew multiple products to $100M in annual revenue. In 2019, he co-founded Wisear with one clear goal: connecting humans and computers like never before. In this conversation: We start by looking into the foundation of neural interfaces What were some of the challenges when building neural interfaces that fit in your earbuds He showed me how he could select swipe and even play games completely hands free We talk about accuracy and how hard it is to learn for users Yacin shared the launch date and price that felt shockingly closer and cheaper than what I expectedSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How Jeri Ellsworth Built Tilt Five AR Glasses

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 48:31


    Jeri Ellsworth is an inventor, product creator, chip designer, and system-level engineer.Her combined passion for gaming and invention has fueled the creation of many cutting-edge technologies, culminating in the creation of Tilt Five, the world's first augmented reality gaming system. Today we will look at:What are the biggest outstanding challenges when designing AR glassesWe dive into product design and learn some of the principles that shaped what Tilt 5 is todayReal examples of how Tilt5 is expanding beyond gaming Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    The Present and Future of XR Gaming with Jesse Schell

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 46:19


    Jesse Schell is the CEO of Schell Games, a team of more than one hundred fifty people with an impressive success streak. Some of their greatest success include games like Among Us and  the “Expect You To Die” Trilogy and today we will dive into:What was the driving design principle when creating immersive experiences that stick with usersHow Schell games got affected by the changes on the Meta StoreHow he sees AI impacting the way we design and play gamesWhy we don't have a Killer app for XR yetSubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How to Build Co-Located MR Games for Quest

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 40:33


    Steven founded Fantail Games to create Mixed Reality games that deepen our connection with the real world, the physical environment and our friends/family. He has worked on 40+ games with clients including Disney, Universal, EA and Hasbro working across many roles including coding, design, producing and even sales. He recently released Game Night a multiplayer mixedreality experience with no UI and where your body is the controller. Steven is a true believer in co located mixed reality and in this episode we discover: Why it took him so long to realize his dream of creating a co-located MR experience What was needed to create an MR game anybody could pick up and play in their livingroom What was his biggest mistake and how playtesting come to the rescue What co-located MR has to offer beyond Games Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How to Build a Better Typing Experience in XR Powered by AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 47:32


    Olivier Plante has over 12 years of experience as an innovator, team lead, founder, and is now the CEO of Fleksy: a white-label keyboard powering the best typing experiences in the world. I jumped into this conversation curious and unsure of what to expect, but Olivier opened a world to me and made me realize how important and reach a challenge like typing is in 2D, in 3D in the era of AI. We discussed: Why voice will never fully replace typing How the typing experience is evolving thanks to AI Real examples of where a “simple” keyboard is more important than you might think What makes Fleksy the perfect keyboard for XR Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

    How to Design the Product and Experiences of the Future

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 50:05


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    How to use AI to Rig and Animate Characters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 42:33


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    The Impact of AI on XR, Education, Employment, and the World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 53:01


    Charlie Fink is a Producer, Podcaster, Author, Professor, and Forbes columnist, covering AI, XR, and the Metaverse. In this interview, we discuss: The current state of XR How AR might not be the perfect match for AI as we all might think Some of the similarities and differences between the rise of the internet and the rise of AI The impact AI is having on teachers and students How AI will take people's jobs… even his own Subscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

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