IIT Madras to Host India’s First Academia-Industry XR Summit

By Pickle November 9, 2024

The XR Summit at XTIC, IIT Madras, aims to bridge academia and industry, featuring global XR pioneers like Oculus co-founder Steve LaValle and MIT Haptics Lab founder Prof. Mandayam Srinivasan.

While India has hosted many AR/VR events, past gatherings were solely driven by the industry. This XR Summit is unique in that it brings academia and industry together to advance innovation.

The eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC), part of the IIT Madras Institute of Eminence, is organising India’s inaugural Academia-Industry supported ‘eXtended Reality’ (XR) Summit.

‘eXtended Reality’ (XR) encompasses Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR). IIT Madras is ideally situated to spearhead this initiative, owing to its advanced Haptics Lab and the IoE Centre for VR and Haptics.

The XR Summit is set to take place on 16th and 17th November 2024 at the IIT Madras campus, uniting essential stakeholders in experiential technology during a crucial period of swift technological progress and digital transformation. As ‘Digital India’ continues to rise, it is essential to assess the current landscape of experiential technologies and tackle the existing skill gaps to ensure sustainable growth and innovation.

Leaders in the global XR community will be speaking at the event. Prof. Steve LaValle, co-founder of the well-known Oculus, Prof. Mandayam Srinivasan, founder of MIT Haptics Lab, Prof. Mel Slater, an expert in XR Psychology, among others, are some of the keynote speakers.

The final date to register for this Summit is November 9, 2024. Industries, start-ups, and researchers involved in the extended reality sector can register using the following link – https://xtic.org/xr-summit or https://xrsummit.xtic.org

The XTIC serves as India’s inaugural Research and Product Innovation centre dedicated to Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Haptics. An innovation corridor is being developed to foster advancements in AR, VR, and MR for IIT Madras projects and selected students, aiding them in their exploration and guiding them on their entrepreneurial journey.

Prof. M. Manivannan, Faculty Head, XTIC, IIT Madras, emphasised the importance of this Summit, stating, “This event marks India’s first Academia-Industry-supported XR Summit.” Although India has hosted many AR/VR events, past XR gatherings were solely driven by the industry. The XR Summit stands out by uniting academia and industry, fostering a vital partnership that propels innovation forward. This partnership is essential; without it, young talent in India may be relegated to the status of mere ‘digital labourers’ in the XR field.

Prof. Manivannan, who serves as the Head of Haptics Lab and is a faculty member in the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering at IIT Madras, stated, “Global XR leaders like Steve LaValle will be attending in person, while others, including Mel Slater and Mandayam Srinivasan from MIT Touch Lab, will join online.” The event provides opportunities to connect with industrialists, startups, and government agencies, as well as the chance to engage with global XR experts.

Prof. Manivannan served as a visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) affiliated with Harvard Medical School (HMS) in Boston, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland.

This summit will also include collaboration with ‘AWE’ (Augmented World Expo), a leading global VR/AR event since 2010 that has been motivating a community of professionals, innovators, and creators in XR. This year, XTIC, IIT Madras, will host a special ‘AWE Evening’ during the summit, setting the stage for a comprehensive AWE event in India by 2026.

The CAVE consortium, established in 2022, will host its inaugural event at XTIC, IIT Madras, where it will announce various awards to recognise and celebrate the contributions of startups in the XR sector, fostering additional networking opportunities within the industry.

Key trends in Extended Reality (XR) for 2024:

Improved Hardware: XR devices have become more powerful and compact, featuring advanced headsets that provide higher refresh rates and enhanced resolution, making VR/AR more accessible without the need for external computing.

AI Integration: AI enhances XR by providing smarter, adaptive experiences, enabling real-time object recognition, improving NPC behaviour in VR, and offering AI-driven tools that accelerate content creation.

Enterprise Adoption: Sectors such as healthcare and education utilise XR for training, remote assistance, and data overlay, enhancing productivity.

Metaverse Expansion: The metaverse is expanding as XR serves as a catalyst, blending digital and physical environments to enhance collaboration and create immersive experiences for remote work.

Inclusivity: Voice control and customisable interfaces are enhancing XR access for users with disabilities.

These trends indicate a future in which digital and physical realities blend effortlessly.