The annual US Augmented World Expo (AWE XR) conference is taking place this week in Long Beach California with over 5,000 attendees from around the world celebrating that โXR is Going Mainstreamโ. AWE Co-Founder Ori Inbar opened the event yesterday highlighting the latest trends in the Extended Reality (XR) industry. From new AR glasses integrating with AI to reflecting on the current market adoption trends, Ori highlighted how the XR industry is going mainstream thanks in part to AWE! HealthySimulation.com Founder/CEO Lance Baily was on-hand to cover how these XR innovations will impact the expanding healthcare simulation industry.
More than 200 exhibitors showcased the latest XR technologies, ranging from 4K 3D passthrough glasses for real-time surgical practice, to newly launched RF motion tracking systems, and from spatial augmented reality screens to virtual reality headset innovations โ all of the latest Extended Reality technologies were on display at AWE. Industry vendors who demonstrated new XR technologies at the conference included both big names like Sony, Pico, Lenovo, and Meta, alongside smaller startups under IVRHAโs pavilion, such as Kopin, HouseCall VR, and Simtryx. Noticeably absent from the trade show floor was Meta, Microsoft and Varjo. Here is a recap of technologies shown from these groups and more:
Sony: Sony showcased their new XYN technologies first announced at CES earlier this year, which includes an XYN Headset designed for high-quality spatial content production workflows, Spatial Reality Display for precise spatial images in immersive 3D experiences, mocopi motion capture for 3D content creation, and XYN Spatial capture solution which transforms real-world objects and environments into high-quality 3D assets.
PICO: PICO, now a ByteDance company, focused their exhibit areas on three key areas including the Pico 4Ultra Enterprise which is powered by QualCommโs Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 with 4K+ display and 1200 ppi resolution, PICO Motion Tracker which provides lightweight 6DoF to capture moment in 3-dimensional space and rotational movement around all three axes with long lasting charge, and PICO Device Manager to quickly set up devices, secure login control, remote oversight with dashboard analytics of user activity.
View the HealthySimulation.com HTC VIVE Webinar on How to Transform Medical Simulation Education Curriculum with Generative AI and VR to learn more!
Fantastic Voyage Labs: Demonstrating high-quality medical lab learning, Fantastic Voyage Labs showcased their visually-stunning medical lab training VR platform.
Lucid Reality Labs: US and Ukrainian-based Lucid Reality Labs demonstrated their wide range of high quality virtual reality and augmented reality projects with high profile clients ranging from Medtronic to Universal Studios. The quality of Lucid Reality Labs virtual experiences must be seen!
Kopin: Partnering with HMDmd, Kopin unveiled at AWE the new CR3 HMD, a Wearable Surgical 4K 3D retractable headset, allowing surgeons to turn their heads away from the patientโs body while still seeing highly realistic anatomy. CR3 HMD has obvious application with surgical simulation training, but also allows for increased situational awareness in-situ, with real-time data access.
SIMTRYX: A division of PXRLABS, SIMTRYX showcased their dedicated healthcare simulation VR platform which focuses on AI-enabled IPE multiplayer training with hand gestures recognition. Certainly a new VR company to keep an eye on!
Supported by Bob Fine, members of the International Virtual Reality Healthcare Association (IVRHA) also showcased their innovative technologies in the healthcare pavilion which included:
- HouseCall VR: Patient education training to teach complex health concepts to improve patient understanding, engagement, and outcomes.
- Ringling College of Art + Design: Shared examples of their studentsโ XR projects in medical education and training.
- Haptikos: Provided hands-on demos of their haptics device for XR, providing the added experience of touch to medical simulation experiences.
- MedMicroMaps: MedMicroMaps showcased a novel way of teaching microbiology for K-12, which was created during the pandemic on foundations of the neuroscience of memory.
View the new HealthySimulation.com Community XR – Extended Reality Group to discuss this topic with your Global Healthcare Simulation peers!
Over 450 presenters contributed to the AWE event covering a multitude of topics related to the use of Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality and Augmented Reality, with several presentations specific to the healthcare simulation community including:
- Digital Healthcare Solutions for a Lifetime of Walking on Your Own Two Feet
- Building Immersive Learning Ecosystems: A Blueprint for Scalable Implementation
- PANEL: Navigating the XR Healthcare Ecosystem
- Immersive Technologies, AI, and the Future of Learning
- Clinical Virtual Reality: A Brief Review of the Future
- XR as a Catalyst for Youth: Training the Next Gen through Immersive Learning
- XR: The Next Step in Enterprise Training and Collaboration
- Introduction to Simulation & VR Interoperability Standards
- The Pitch: Patient Safety’s Next Generation (Documentary Film Screening)
- Behind ‘The Pitch’: Healthcare Experts Weigh In on Innovation and Impact
- The Future of Training is Conversational: Roleplay with AI-Powered Avatars
- World Modeling and World Simulation: How Virtual World Powers the Next Leap in AI
- Android XR: A New Reality Powering Headset and Glasses
- Reality Modding: Shaping Immersive Worlds with AI
- Unlocking Passthrough Camera Access: Showcases & Dev Tools
- Bringing AI and AR Into the Real World Through Spectacles
- Scaling VR for Safety-Critical Field Operations
- PANEL: Policy Priorities for the U.S. XR Industry
- Making XR Training Measurable: Insights That Drive ROI
- The Great Reversal: Digital Beings in the Physical World
Elizabeth Hyman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the XR Association (XRA), hosted a panel discussion on โPolicy Priorities for the U.S. XR Industryโ. The XRA is a trade association promoting the dynamic growth of the XR industry which includes virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed-reality, and immersive technologies yet to be invented. XRA is dedicated to the responsible development and thoughtful advancement of XR technologies across the globe.
During the discussion, the audience was made aware that unlike the United States, some countries such as South Korea and China have designated immersive technologies as national strategic policies, empowering for increased support of research and development, standards, and deployment. Elizabeth reminded the audience that training in industries such as manufacturing can benefit immensely from XR technologies, providing real-time video, documentation, and on-call support all through an AR headset.
The panel suggested that XR is a key interface with AI and will become a crucial component in education and training for โanyone working with their hands not on a keyboardโ which is 60% of the worldโs workforce. The panel recommended continued investment into XR because โpolicy is going to happen whether or not we help to guide itโ. With 1 in 5 teenagers in the US now owning an XR headset, the future seems clear and those looking to support these efforts should connect further with legislators and the XRA.
Upcoming International AWE Events
Those interested in participating in a future AWE XR event who are outside of North America should look to these upcoming international events:
- United XR Europe (AWE and Stereopsia) – December 8th-10th, 2025 in Belgium.
- AWE Asia – February 2-4, 2026 in Singapore.
Or check out AWE XR USA 2026 next June 16-18th, hosted again in Long Beach, California!
