Washington, DC – On Saturday, November 19th, 2022, the XR Association (XRA) participated in the Sixth Annual Virtual Reality Day, which convened dozens of XR stakeholders around the globe.
Several XRA staff members joined with guest speakers to highlight the various chapters of XRA’s Developers Guide, show exclusive footage from the recent AR/VR Policy Conference, and share new projects and initiatives for 2023.
Miranda Lutz, XRA’s Director of Public Policy, kicked off XRA’s participation with a presentation on public policy and XR technology. Lutz focused on XRA’s role in advocacy and the importance of supporting good policy in fostering the growth and expansion of the XR industry, urging attendees to contact their Congressional representatives in order to get more policymakers involved in the Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Congressional Caucus. She was also joined by digital policy expert Kristina Podnar, Global Digital Policy Advisor at XRSI, to discuss future regulation of XR and the impact the metaverse may have on policy objectives related to content moderation, accessibility, and privacy. They also discussed the need for digital literacy or “onboarding” so that individuals know how to safely interact with and control their experiences in this next generation of immersive technology.
Next, Peirce Clark, XRA’s Program Development Manager, gave a presentation on XRA’s current working groups and their impact on the industry. He also presented the organization’s newest chapter of XRA’s Developers Guide for XR technology titled, “Designing Immersive Learning for Secondary Education.” Dylan Fox, head of community outreach for XR Access, wrapped up the session with a discussion on the accessibility of XR tech and the steps industry leaders are taking to make these devices available to all.
XRA’s final session, led by President & CEO Liz Hyman, focused on the important use cases of XR in the professional world. Hyman began the session with a video that brought to life the XRA infographic “Into the Digital World,” walking participants through a day in the life of “Kayla,” – a fictional medical student, who uses a VR headset to participate in virtual boxing, AR for navigational purposes, and MR to practice complex medical procedures in class. She was then joined by Allison Morrison, Meta’s Reality Labs policy director to discuss the XR use cases seen in the video, including exercise, education, and job training.
Hyman was also joined by Travis Falstad of Talespin who chatted with her about VR and healthcare and more broadly about the benefits and return on investment for incorporating XR into enterprise training.
Finally, Vi Kellersohn and Scott Allen of Oberon Technologies discussed XR use in industrial settings and how it can help reduce costs, increase efficiency, and raise safety levels for employees. Panelists agreed these exciting new technologies are set to advance these industries for the better.
Watch the full recording of the Sixth Annual Virtual Reality Day.
ABOUT THE XR ASSOCIATION
The XR Association promotes the dynamic global growth of the XR industry, which includes virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed-reality, and future immersive technology. XRA is leading the way for the responsible development and adoption of XR by convening stakeholders, developing best practices and research, and advocating on behalf of our members and the greater XR industry.
Association members represent the headset and technology manufacturers across the broad XR industry, including Google, HTC Vive, Facebook and Oculus, Microsoft, and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
