<p>Ori Inbar, CEO and Co-Founder of AWE and Super Ventures, will welcome attendees to the 15th annual AWE EU 2024 event where he will break down the state of the XR Industry, celebrate its rich history and the pioneers who built its foundation, and contemplate our XR+AI future.</p>

<p>Learn about Niantic's 3D map powering spatial computing and new releases that make it increasingly seamless to build and deploy high-fidelity real-world XR experiences across devices, from mobile to headset</p>

<p>Food is available for purchase at ACV.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Join us in the Expo Hall and Playground areas to meet sponsors and exhibitors, discover the latest AR/VR tech, check out the newest start-ups, make connections, and more.</p>

<p>In today's fast-paced digital age, where secure, swift, and convenient payments are crucial for everyday interactions, existing financial technologies face limitations. XPANCEO's founders, Roman Axelrod and Dr. Valentyn Volkov, will explain why XR wearables open the future of financial technology and how the technical developments behind them are making this possible.</p>

<p>Join us for 'Play to Learn: Gamified Education in Action,' as we dive into the creation and the success story of 'The Fantastic Palastics' platform, offering educational and entertaining experiences for kids and families at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna. Learn more about seamlessly integrating new technology such as augmented reality. Discover creative collaboration strategies with partners like Niantic, Inc., creators of #PokemonGo. Gain valuable insights into our roadmap and visitor touchpoints. Leave with actionable learnings and practical tips to construct innovative museum experiences for tomorrow’s generation.</p>

<p>In this session, we will dive into what makes a good lens and the properties of optical materials that impact the user experience for true augmented reality glasses. As most of the world’s population requires some form of vision correction, ophthalmic properties must be considered in the design of optical combiners. We will explore how physical aspects such as impact resistance and weight, as well as optical performance, including birefringence and chromatic aberration, affect the vision of reality we aim to augment.</p>

<p>Mobile AR has been around for almost ten years. And yet very few people on earth use AR on a regular basis. The augmented reality medium, which is near limitless in possibilities, can’t seem to gain traction with mass audiences. In this keynote, Tropos AR evangelist Sven Van de Perre clarifies how the medium’s instant focus on advertising stifled its growth. Sven builds his case around several of Tropos AR’s clients, that adopted AR and placed it at the core of their platform, leading to massive success. The Future of Mobile AR is filled with real business cases and best practices on how to motivate brands to embrace the AR medium for non-ads content. Engaging solutions only possible in this powerful medium, coming to life in front of everyone’s eyes, on stage and above the crowd.</p>

<p>In the rapidly evolving landscape of AR, the true value lies in identifying and leveraging use cases where AR distinctly outshines traditional technologies like smartphones. This talk, presented jointly by researchers from Cambridge Consultants will showcase scenarios where AR's immersive capabilities provide unparalleled advantages. We will describe our research, going beyond displaying information, to allow AR users to identify, connect to, and bind digital assets to physical systems, and then control those systems through natural gestures. From revolutionising remote expert collaboration to enabling a user to 'see the unseen', we'll explore how AR is redefining experiences across different industries. We'll also touch on the unique challenges designers and developers face in crafting these experiences, emphasising the importance of collaboration between the roles during product development. Attendees will gain insights into what AR can bring (which couldn't be done via another interface) through real-world examples, coming from those designing and developing the experiences themselves. We'll illustrate how to harness AR to create impactful, innovative solutions that go beyond the limitations of a flat screen.</p>

<p>Despite years of promises that wearable sensors and augmented reality (AR) would revolutionize our lives, mass adoption continues to lag behind expectations. Why is it that, aside from a few exceptions like smartwatches, most people aren’t incorporating these advanced technologies into their daily lives?</p> <p>In this session, Dätwyler will critically examine the intersection of wearable sensors and AR, identifying the barriers that have slowed their mainstream success. We explore shared challenges — such as user comfort, obtrusiveness, and perceived value — and how innovations like Dätwyler's SoftPulse™ technology are helping to overcome these obstacles. Through case studies and comparisons, we’ll uncover lessons AR and wearable sensors can learn from each other and how they might finally achieve mass adoption.</p>

<p>This talk delves into the practical application of Mixed Reality (MR) in the realm of automotive production. Drawing from specific examples for AR-training, Remote Support and Workflow Guidance at Audi, we will discuss what real-world challenges we had and have to solve for a sustainable implementation of MR within our factories.</p>

<p>In today's competitive retail landscape, standing out requires innovative marketing strategies. Immersive marketing, powered by augmented reality (AR), offers a powerful way to engage customers and drive significant returns on investment.</p> <p>Join us to explore how to leverage AR ads, WebAR integration, and spatial websites to create effective marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience and deliver exceptional results.</p>

<p>Buckle up for an exciting journey into Volvo Group’s cutting-edge VR initiatives. Discover how this automotive giant is leveraging virtual reality to transform training and sales efforts across its global operations. With 500+ VR devices deployed across multiple business areas, Volvo Group is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in manufacturing innovation. Discover the top use cases from Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks and Volvo Group University to learn from their challenges in implementing VR modules across multiple departments. This session offers invaluable insights for any organization looking to harness the power of VR for training and operational excellence. Don't miss this opportunity to peek under the hood of one of the most ambitious VR deployments in the transportation industry.</p> <p> </p>

<p>When thinking about how to bring XR technologies to mass adoption, the ISV and end-customers need to consider the trade-offs between HW pricing, features, and supporting services. During this presentation PICO XR will review our HW product roadmap, our associated platform services (SDK, Business Suite, WiFi streaming, LBE mode, etc.), and introduce a new scaling solution coming to PICO devices in Q4 2024.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Mixed Reality is the trend of the moment. After the launch of the Apple  Vision Pro, everyone wants to create experiences in MR. But what is true mixed reality? How is it possible to create a great blend of the real and virtual worlds? This talk tries to address these questions by showing some examples of mixed reality experiences and prototypes that nailed the fusion of realities and giving some hints about how the future of MR could be.</p>

<p>In today's digital immersive landscape, spatial networking and hyper-social virtual worlds are changing the game. Instead of passive livestreams, attendees expect and long for real-time, shared experiences with others. Let's use immersive environments and interaction to transform advertising and digital events. Our goal? Genuine connections that bridge the gap between digital and reality.</p>

<p>Enjoy this break between sessions to grab a snack, visit booths, or network throughout the event.</p>

<p>Drawing on current research programmes in his Trans Realities Lab at Design Academy Eindhoven, Ian will discuss current trends for contextual real-time collaboration at a distance in shared spatial environments (Metaverses / Intravereses / Web 4.0). Ian will present current work on the realisation of super low-latency systems for immersive design collaboration in networked Digital Twins, education, and industry, such as for distributed Virtual Production.</p>

<p>The New Energy for Industry + (NEFI+) network project aims to enhance the understanding and implementation of climate-neutral solutions such as electrification, energy efficiency improvements, circular economy practices, and the use of CO2-neutral gases and hydrogen. NEFI+ is an innovation network comprising science, technology providers, and companies, serving as a central contact point for Austrian-made projects and solutions that significantly contribute to climate neutrality in industry. This initiative, part of the Climate and Energy Fund’s RTI initiative for industrial transformation, strives to accelerate the adoption of domestic innovations on both national and international levels.</p> <p>Leveraging XR, we provide immersive visualizations and simulations that demonstrate the potential impact of GreenTech solutions on reducing carbon emissions. Through case studies and examples within NEFI+, attendees will gain insights into how XR facilitates the design, monitoring, and optimization of these solutions, making complex processes more comprehensible and accessible to stakeholders and the public.</p>

<p>Coming Soon!</p>

<p>Attendees will learn how to conduct competitive analysis specifically tailored for XR design. The talk will provide practical examples and case studies from 2D, 3D, and real-world applications. There will be an emphasis on creating pleasurable and satisfying user experiences through the principles of Hedonomics.</p>

<p>This omnibus study investigates if user characteristics (specifically, age, gender, and previous immersive technology (XR) experience) and enjoyment of a VR experience can predict users’ sense of presence (the “sense of ‘being there’ in the virtual environment”) in VR experiences. Survey data from six VR experiences researched by StoryFutures (part of Royal Holloway, University of London) between 2019 and 2022 was combined for data analysis, using multiple regression. The best model included the variables enjoyment of the VR experience, participants having no or little previous XR experience (i.e., a novelty effect), and gender (females reported slightly higher presence, albeit n.s.). Age and which VR experience were of less importance when it came to predicting presence.</p>

<p>In this session, we explore the integration of HoloLens, Vision Pro, and Microsoft Mesh in dentistry. We'll discuss enhancing the dental workspace with these technologies, focusing on interactive 3D X-ray visualization and patient education. Highlights include the use of Mixed Reality and AI in navigated dental implantology, allowing precise overlay of imaging directly in the patient’s mouth, improving treatment accuracy and reducing risks. Join us for a look at the future of dental practice, culminating in a live demonstration.</p>

<p>Discover how XR technologies are finally ready to revolutionize how we design and manufacture the products of the future. We'll explore real-world use cases across the automotive, aerospace, and consumer products industries, showcasing how XR is enhancing the design process and driving efficiency, innovation and collaboration. Join us to see how XR is reshaping these sectors and enabling the future through Immersive Engineering.</p>

<p>After ten years of consumer-oriented VR, the industry continues to struggle with challenges in accessibility, scalability, and user experience design. This session will explore the ongoing challenges in developing intuitive and inclusive user experiences in this evolving domain. Join David and Lisa for a candid discussion on the present and future of VR design ways forward to more intuitive and inclusive user experiences. Let’s be honest about the industry's current state and how smarter design decisions can improve it for everyone. We’ll provide a critical examination of where VR design stands, including: - Who is VR really for, and who are we excluding? - How do creators feel about their tools? - What do the limitations of VR say about the medium? - How do we design VR experiences that take audience needs into account? - And most importantly, how do we make it better? We aim to move beyond surface-level discussions to critically analyze VR experiences and their trajectory. The session will conclude with actionable advice for VR creators and best practice strategies for considering user needs and improving the VR experience for everyone.</p>

<p>NEcOLEAP is a research and development project which aims to secure the competitiveness of the Finnish shipbuilding industry and high-level cruise ship expertise and know-how also in the future in order to build a climate-neutral cruise ship: The Meyer Avatar. The cost estimate of the NEcOLEAP project is approximately EUR 160 million, and the project brings together hundreds of companies and organisations. Communicating a joint vision to this vast group of stakeholders is challenging with traditional mediums, so Meyer Turku has decided to bring it's designs and concepts to the metaverse, so that they can be experienced, navigated and collaborated on by anyone on any device. Meyer Turku Naval Engineer Liina Vahala explains the why's behind the decision, how it was done and presents the metaverse experience.</p>

<p>The unexpected impact in XR enablement delivered by smaller countries in the European Union is not only meaningful but very diverse. In this panel, we'll discuss industry's growth in Finland, Belgium, Portugal and the Baltics, the main policies behind these and the new opportunities arising for any organization in these spaces.</p>

<p>AR patterns encompass high-level design patterns covering fundamental concepts for crafting immersive AR experiences. AR patterns serve as a valuable means of communicating proven, reusable solutions to recurring design problems encountered during AR development (see AR Patterns paper: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48495-7_6).   We will report on the status of our project to develop a community-driven platform that focuses on AR patterns and that aims to improve collaboration between UX designers and software developers. The project is initiated by Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) together with Zurich University of Arts (ZHdK). The goal is to create and operate a public catalogue of AR Patterns that covers both technical and UX aspects.    A list of AR patterns is collected in a public catalog, including technical as well as User Experience (UX) aspects. AR pattern diagrams foster a consistent presentation and technology-agnostic documentation of AR design patterns. The AR patterns in the catalog are illustrated by textual descriptions, visual illustrations of spatial scenarios, pattern diagrams and UI examples. Additionally, AR patterns are exemplified by platform-specific source code samples.   By releasing the platform in autumn 2024, we are inviting the XR community to contribute and collaborate on AR patterns to jointly establish a common understanding and to provide sample code organized according to AR patterns.</p>

<p>This talk will explore the creation of Engineering-grade Augmented Reality (EGAR) technology for construction, providing an overview of our mission, the technical implications of EGAR for construction and real-world examples.</p>

<p>The introduction of the AI Act marks a pivotal moment for the XR ecosystem, setting a new regulatory framework for AI applications within virtual worlds. This panel will explore the convergence of the AI Act with the rapidly evolving virtual worlds, focusing on the impact of regulations on innovation, user privacy, and market dynamics. The discussion will emphasize how to ensure a balance between technological advancement, compliance, and ethical considerations.</p>

<p>Join us in the Expo Hall and Playground areas to meet sponsors and exhibitors, discover the latest AR/VR tech, check out the newest start-ups, make connections, and more.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Food is available for purchase at ACV.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Through the lens of the Global Collaboration Village, this talk will explore how VR technology is enabling world leaders in government and business to tackle critical challenges such as the climate crisis, global security, and business innovation. By transforming abstract data into immersive, tangible experiences, the Village is enhancing decision-making and fostering collaboration, allowing leaders to visualize, and get close to, complex issues in ways that traditional methods cannot enable.</p> <p>I will also share how the World Economic Forum is using the Global Collaboration Village's VR capabilities to democratize access to global insights and key decision-makers, highlighting the measurable impact of this initiative to drive meaningful change.</p>

<p>What makes companies stand out, what are investors looking for, what are they avoiding, and what are some of the biggest mistakes start-ups make when pitching VCs? During this panel session, investors who focus on AR/VR, spatial computing and related technologies will share best practices, advice, and information to help you capitalize on all opportunities.</p>

<p>Astronaut training has been employing VR and XR technologies since the 1990s. The spatial technologies have been involved for a number of training cases, from moonwalk studies to robotic arm simulators.</p> <p>Until recently, Zero Gravity experiences were found mainly in VR games, but not in real astronaut training. Starting in 2020, the European Space Agency (ESA) has been developing XR training for Zero G methods together with PaleBlue, an industrial VR company. Getting input from astronauts such as Samantha Cristoforetti and Luca Parmitano, ESA and PaleBlue have created a training simulator modeling the effects of Zero G locomotion in an XR setting, allowing simulator training for the astronauts’ work at the International Space Station.</p> <p>Furthermore, parabolic flight campaigns have been employed to perform motion capture of humans in weightlessness to further improve the accuracy of virtual zero gravity motions and effects. Today, astronauts go through XR training to familiarize themselves with the layout of the International Space Station (ISS), learn to move in weightlessness, and the tool is promising in building resistance to motion sickness. ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt has recently completed VR training in the simulator and in 2024 traveled to the ISS on the Muninn mission onboard Axiom-3.</p> <p>This talk will cover the topics of applying XR technologies to advanced professional training, namely preparing astronauts for the work at the International Space Station.</p>

<p>Scaling XR technologies is one of the biggest challenges for large enterprises today when implementing AR and VR. Join Kasper Lyhne Hansen, Product Architect at Vestas, and Mads Troelsgaard and Sune Wolff from SynergyXR, as they share the strategies enabling Vestas to move away from custom-built AR and VR applications to pioneer XR at scale.<br /><br /><strong>What to Expect:</strong></p> <ul><li><strong>Vestas’ XR journey:</strong> Understand Vestas' transition from custom-built solutions to scalable XR platforms across its global operations.</li> <li><strong>Strategic insights:</strong> Understand the key challenges and effective solutions for scaling XR in large organizations.</li> <li><strong>A major announcement:</strong> Get an exclusive preview of a groundbreaking new tool that will transform scalable XR training for businesses, setting a new standard in the industry.</li> </ul><p>This session offers a deep dive into Vestas’ experience with XR and an exclusive look at an innovation from SynergyXR that will unlock the full potential of immersive learning programs for enterprises.<br />  </p>

<p>In a world where technology is rapidly transforming every aspect of life, education must evolve to keep pace. Discover how the learning industry is bridging with tech to create an adaptive learning ecosystem that is not only technologically advanced but deeply human-centered. It's time to challenge conventional educational paradigms and explore the radical possibilities that AI and XR offer for creating more personalized, immersive, and impactful learning experiences. This new ecosystem can reshape learning experiences and prepare the next generation of tech-forward leaders to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Don’t miss this opportunity to see firsthand how cutting-edge technologies are redefining the future of learning, unlocking new possibilities, and daring us to rethink everything we know about education.</p>

<p>This informative session will help attendees learn more about the Enea Operator training bus and how it was implemented. The main goal of the implemented project is to build a flexible, innovative virtual reality system for conducting training of technical service employees, containing interactive virtual training scenarios for selected (15 GPZ) Main Power Supply Points, Medium Voltage stations (9 power facilities) and a training center for live work.</p> <p> The most important feature of the system from the point of view of its implementation in EO is the ability to freely expand the content contained therein with additional scenarios and energy infrastructure objects, thanks to the use of knowledge engineering techniques and partial automation of the content preparation process, among others using contactless digitization techniques.</p>

<p>Throught the work done in different countries : France with the Employment Agency and AFPA, US with Boys and Girls, Pakistan with NED University, we will introduce what are the key elements to make Immersive Learning efficient for talent detection and skills development. We will go throught some essential KPI to follow-up during design and integration of XR content in Education. This should lead to precise and pre-defined ROI that must be tracked once the solution is used. Training team is also a key element for the integration of such a revolution. We will focus on this human factor and how to make sure it will be efficiently integrated into the final equation.</p>

<p>In this session, attendees will learn how to apply the principles of the Play Economy to their own businesses. Participants will learn how to create immersive experiences and integrate AI and XR into their product and marketing strategies. Key elements of this session include: </p> <ul><li>Immersive Experience Design: Participants will learn the basics of crafting immersive, interactive experiences that place customers at the center of the narrative.</li> <li>Leveraging AI and XR: Attendees will explore how to use AI for personalization and XR for creating engaging, hybrid experiences.</li> <li>Ethics and Emotional Intelligence: We'll address ethical considerations of designing these experiences and how to enhance emotional intelligence through play. </li> </ul>

<p>​​Dive into the future of education with RTC Antwerp’s groundbreaking VR initiative. Discover how they orchestrated the world's largest VR education project, deploying 1,100 Pico 4 headsets to empower 150,000 students across 700 schools. From logistical hurdles to content curation, uncover the strategies that made this massive rollout possible. Learn how RTC Antwerp is revolutionizing learning with a 300-strong VR training library spanning 30 subjects, and gain invaluable insights on scaling VR in education and enterprise. This session is a must for innovators looking to transform learning and training at scale.</p>

<p>Learn what it takes to go from pilot to value at scale by following BCG X's 10/20/70 rule (10% of the success of XR transformation stems from the data and algorithm, 20% from the tech and 70% from changing people's behaviors) and hear from a leading railway client on how XR has changed the game for their operations.</p> <p>In short BCG X is equipping technicians with XR capabilities on augmented work, redesigning the workflow end to end and delivering tangible efficiency and quality gains in the maintenance of trains, but the principles discussed in this session could help any enterprise client.</p>

<p>Join us as start-up founders pitch to our panel of judges for a chance to be named AWE EU's "Startup to Watch" for 2024. The winner will be announced at the <a href="https://www.awexr.com/eu-2024/agenda/663-awe-usa-2024-wrap-up-and-best-in-show-awards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wrap-Up and Best in Show Awards</a> on Main Stage.</p>

<p>Talking through use cases we have developed for financial services and the integration of AR/VR, particularly for Data Visuzlaition, and use VR for CMR integration tools such as Salesforce.</p>

<p>Enjoy this break between sessions to grab a snack, visit booths, or network throughout the event.</p>

<p>Get to know more how KLM Ground Services uses XR at Amsterdam Airport. See how VR simulates Ground Handling of our Flying V plane that hasn’t even been built yet; and how this creates a spin-off to bring even more VR to life like the Airbus 321-Neo in VR. Including important Tips and Tricks how to implement XR into your organization.</p>

<p>Join Procter & Gamble (P&G) Poland, alongside IVG.World and Women In Immersive Tech Europe (WIIT Europe), as they showcase their case study of their Mars Immersion XR Program—a groundbreaking initiative designed to inspire and educate through immersive technology. This program invites Gen Alpha and Gen Z girls from Poland to lead a journey to Mars, where they design a new society using the powerful tools of XR. Learn how these young innovators tackled the challenge of 'Period Shaming' by creating 3D immersive worlds that not only break taboos but also empower young women worldwide. Through hands-on experiences in 3D world design, Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT), storytelling, and Metaverse world-building, this program is shaping the future of technology and fostering a new generation of female leaders. Discover the impact this initiative has had, not just on the participants, but on P&G as they cultivate future talent and drive social change."</p>

<p>Step into your colleague's shoes and experience the world through their eyes. That's the transformative power of 'In My Shoes', PwC's VR racial awareness intervention training. Initially deployed to over 25,000 of our employees, this internal-only virtual reality application was so successful that it was eventually requested by clients all over the world from the UK to Australia. Join the team that developed the experience as we relive the emotional highs and lows, debate the technology choices we made, and announce the data we've collected from deploying this groundbreaking initiative.</p>

<p>Join me for an insightful session exploring the synergy between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Discover how Krea.ai facilitates a real-time inspiration feedback loop in VR sculpting in real-time. I will showcase how AI-generated images, created from prompts based on my VR sculptures, can inspire and enhance the creative process. Gain a deeper understanding of how AI can augment artistic vision and transform VR sculpting into a collaborative effort between human and machine intelligence.</p>

<p>As we enter a new technological age, the combined potential for artificial intelligence and immersive media is vast. Powered by devices capable of providing spatial experiences and driven by AI, this new age of computing has the potential to create new experiences that will revolutionise segments -- from education to eCommerce. By approaching these developments with a critical and playful mindset, we as a society can work towards a a new future. To get there, we will need to leave Web2 behind and embrace the principles and opportunities brought by Web3 (and beyond) by combining creativity, inclusivity and a new take into digital literacy. The result will be an exciting new landscape full of immersive-native experiences that will redefine today's media.</p>

<p>Coming Soon!</p>

<p>Join Ethan Rasiel and Amanda Proscia, authors of the Best-Selling book PR Confidential: Unlocking the Secrets to Creating a Powerful Public Image, for expert guidance on how XR companies can earn top-tier media coverage.</p> <p>Rasiel and Proscia are the co-founders of Lightspeed PR/M, a technology-focused PR agency now in its eleventh year of helping tech companies make headlines worldwide and move the needle for growth and sales. Their presentation will walk through both the specific challenges faced by the XR industry and how to create success outside of the EU. We'll cover:</p> <ul><li>The cultural differences between reporters in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere</li> <li>How public relations agencies tend to work differently in different regions</li> <li>The key news outlets that you'll want to target in the U.S. to achieve maximum success</li> </ul><p>Attendees will leave with a clear blueprint for creating a PR strategy that can deliver exposure where you need to be.</p>

<p>Join us for a journey on technical and ethical implications to consider when creating an AI driven chatbot for social VR while also focusing on conducive immersive design approaches for AI NPCs in particular and virtual environments in general. Based on Christina XaosPrincess Kinne's MA thesis, she'll provide insight for attendees about the current capabilities of natural language processing AIs and to provide the knowledge needed to positively influence the evolution of artificial intelligence in immersive environments.<br />  </p>

<p>Join AWE Co-Founder, Ori Inbar for a quick summary of the event and for the announcement of the AWE EU 2024 Best in Show winners!</p>