#AWE2019: Enter the Spatial Computing Paradigm

September 6, 2019

Fay Ulrica Lee

You will have heard about AWE Augmented World Expo, which took place in the heart of Silicon Valley. And how it was pretty much one of the most premier events on the immersive technology calendar. This year they celebrated the 10th anniversary of bringing together XR innovators who are shaping our future towards the Spatial Computing age – in the way we live, learn, work and play. Forbes described the event as “the most essential AR/VR conference and expo” and I was there to experience AWE 2019 for real. 

To describe the overall atmosphere of the three-day event in one word will simply be – MIND-BLOWING. The founder of AWE, Ori Inbar, encouraged the opening of floodgates on Spatial Computing. He said “spatial is special” – thanks to advancements in enabling areas of tech that are fast becoming more natural and immersive, namely 5G, AI, computer vision, spatial sound, body tracking, gesture recognition and eye tracking, AR/VR experiences. They free us from being bogged down by 2D interfaces. And with the right creators and language in place, the future of how information is perceived – will practically jump off the screen and roll into the real world.

One of the first seminars we attended at AWE 2019 was by Stefano Corazza from Adobe, where he highlighted that the demand for AR experiences will accelerate and create more avenues for artists who subscribe to the next paradigm shift in digital content. In the XR digital space, you can be anyone, anywhere and anything. And the content does not need to be confined by the four walls of our screens anymore. This totally changed what we know about traditional art forms from music, dance, typography, graphic design, theater and more. This is probably why the 2019 event was dubbed “The Year of the Creator”. I found myself constantly reminded that artists are shaping the future of Augmented and Virtual Reality. This motivated and gave me confidence that XR enables creators and users to express themselves in new ways that transcend the boundaries of reality.

At Ministry XR, systems are designed to advance the exchange of information by captivating users with compelling experiences. The design is a huge factor of the experience as it is the core for seamless communication and good user experience. Stories must be well told, content shared and experiences created across different genres and for various industries. This new art form of immersive media is currently at a prenatal stage. Hence it is an ideal time to explore and discover. My final thoughts on my AWE total experience, is that I am more convinced now than ever that innovative and immersive XR technology will intertwine seamlessly and change our lives forever. Not just in gaming as forecasted, but also in mainstream culture.

If you enjoyed what you see of AWE 2019 as shared by Ministry XR, and wish to know more about how the team can help you achieve your XR goals, then just reach out for a chat. Whether you’re a designer or developer looking to take your creativity to the next level, or a brand or business looking to leverage XR systems.