Melissa Heidrick’s Post

2024 was a huge year for XR and AI, bookended by the Vision Pro at the start and the Samsung/Google headset at the end. In between we saw the Meta Orion announcement and massive advancements in AI, including the launch of an AI-first agency releasing an ad for one of the biggest brands in the world. What does 2025 hold? More new devices and smarter agents, to be sure. But we now need to make sure these advancements are widely available and equally distributed.

Anya Kanevsky, Senior VP of Product and Engineering at Linden Lab, recently shared compelling insights in a panel discussion with XR Association on interoperability in XR technologies. She highlighted the crucial role of community and ownership in Second Life's long-standing success, emphasizing how open-source initiatives and user-centric development foster broad and lasting impacts. Check out the full discussion for more on her vision for the future of immersive tech! https://lnkd.in/gt5Xd6RK

🌟Meet Marcos! We are thrilled to introduce Marcos, the latest addition to our XR4Human Project team. Following the impactful launch with Lisa, Marcos now takes center stage in our latest video, "Ethical Issues with the Use of Immersive Technologies." Marcos delves into the ethically relevant risks, potential harms, and, most importantly, discusses strategies and recommendations to mitigate these risks. Key takeaways from the video include: ✔ An exploration of the ethical risks associated with immersive technologies. ✔A discussion on potential harms. ✔Actionable strategies and recommendations to safeguard users and promote responsible development of XR applications. ✔Highlights from the XR4Human Project report on the review of Code of Conduct related to XR technology development. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/dAw3XhEQ Shereen Cox, PhD Rigmor Baraas Rosemarie de la Cruz Bernabe

Step into the future with our hands-on XR demo at #CES2025. Join demo champ Mike Corrigan as he walks us through how ADI solutions spanning audio, time of flight, battery, and power management are enabling XR systems to transform productivity, connection, and immersive experiences. #ADIatCES

Calling all technology enthusiasts! Do you know this term that brings physical and digital worlds together to create an immersive experience? Share your answers in the comments. #FutureSkills #augmentedreality #technology #innovations #quiz #mixedreality #virtualrealitygaming #extendedreality #comments #FillInTheBlanks #FutureOfTech #digitalworld #technology #skills

Exploring Immersive Technology: Insights from Unity’s 2025 Industry Trends Report Our new report, Explorations in Immersive Technology, highlights how XR is redefining industries. A standout example? Trigger XR's Tequila Don Julio for Vision Pro project. By leveraging Unity’s game engine, Trigger XR achieved stunning immersion, seamless interactivity, and innovative collaboration—even when hardware limitations posed challenges. Their creative solution for portal effects not only solved real-world problems but also became an industry best practice, demonstrating XR’s ability to set new standards. This is just one of the many stories in the report that show how XR is shaping healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, and more. 📖 Dive into the full report https://lnkd.in/dcFehbv5 📰 Learn about Trigger XR’s case https://lnkd.in/dbXTFabB 🎥 Watch Trigger XR Showreel https://lnkd.in/dKeRicCq #UnityXR #ImmersiveTech #IndustryInnovation

Can virtual reality be a transformative tool in the humanitarian sector? Imagine harnessing immersive technology to tackle global challenges and revolutionize how we deliver aid.

Today,  Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and August Pfluger (R-TX), along with Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mark Warner (D-VA), introduced the “United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act of 2024,” which would establish an immersive technology advisory panel promoting the development, deployment, use, and application of augmented, virtual and mixed reality in the U.S. The XR Association has worked closely with lawmakers to ensure immersive technologies are recognized as a significant technology for the future. XRA applauds the introduction of the "United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act of 2024" and strongly encourages Congress to pass this bill. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-xQE9mQ And, see the full bill text: https://lnkd.in/gtbFmcmb

🎬 𝗠𝗔𝗫-𝗥 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹: 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗫𝗥 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 We’re excited to share our latest showreel, highlighting the key advancements made in the first two years of the MAX-R project. 🌐 MAX-R, a 30-month Innovation Action co-funded by the European Union and Innovate UK, brings together 11 partners from across Europe to develop cutting-edge tools and innovations for creating, processing and delivering high-quality XR content. 👁 The new reel provides a glimpse into solutions developed by the consortium - real-time production tools, large-scale immersive experiences, advanced virtual production techniques and tools aiming for the general democratisation of XR content creation. From real-time colour grading and virtual asset creation to adaptive VR streaming, these advancements are setting 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗫𝗥 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 🔎 With six months of the project remaining, we’re now focused on integrating and validating these tools, ensuring they meet industry needs for efficiency, ease of use and quality. ▶ https://lnkd.in/exUeAGhu Universitat Pompeu Fabra | Disguise | Foundry | FilmLight | Brainstorm | ARRI | Improbable | BBC | Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg | Animationsinstitut | Hasselt University | CREW Brussels European Commission | Innovate UK #MAXRProject #XRInnovation #VirtualProduction #EUInnovation #ImmersiveMedia #ARVR

In Headset preview of what I've been cooking for the Immersive insiders' challenge. still a little more to go, and it's not fully refined yet. Almost there. :D #xrdc #immersiveinsider #XRDesignChallenge #spatialdesign #SpatialInteraction