Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality

Spatial computing pioneer Mawari announced its latest initiative — i.e. Decentralized Infrastructure Offering (DIO) — to help meet the rapidly growing demand for AI-powered immersive content globally. The company has invited compute resource owners worldwide to become ‘Guardian Node Operators’ within its ecosystem, thereby contributing directly to a decentralized infrastructure supporting next-generation digital experiences. Mawari’s infrastructure has been designed specially to power complex 3D experiences — including lifelike 3D Avatar AI agents — which are then streamed efficiently to devices worldwide. In an apparent departure from typical crypto-based node offerings, the Mawari team has emphasized that DIO has been built on the principles of genuine utility, fairness, and long-term sustainability, with the earnings of its Guardian Node Operators being directly tied to actual network revenue and usage. In this regard, the firm’s reward structure has been made to primarily centre around its ‘network monitoring rewards’ module, which represents 20% of Mawari’s total network revenue. Not only that, ‘early operator incentives’ have also been crafted, providing token allocations for node licenses maintained with high reliability and uptime during the initial growth phase. Lastly, features like flat pricing across all node license tiers, options for third-party node management alongside other long-term opportunities are meant to ensure that the ecosystem is able to deliver seamless utility even as the XR market continues to expand.

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The University of Wisconsin-Madison is developing a mobile application called the Augmented Reality Home Assessment Tool (ARHAT) that uses AR and smartphone features like LiDAR scanners to help people assess their homes and identify potential accessibility issues as they age. The app “takes users through a step-by-step process that measures relevant parts of a living space and offers suggestions to make it more accessible. While using it, a user is prompted to select one of 14 limitations they may have — including visual impairment, mobility challenges or balance issues — and “then select the areas of the home to evaluate. Follow-up questions and prompts for measurements are tailored to the user’s answers, with the option to add notes and take photos. The app then employs a LiDAR scanner to measure a home’s elements and to visualize recommended changes or renovations. By superimposing visuals in the space as seen through the device’s camera, the tool will instantly let you know if something in the home is an accessibility barrier. The assessment then creates a detailed report listing identified barriers and potential issues with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and makes recommendations on how to best address them. The researchers believe ARHAT can be a faster and more accurate alternative to traditional manual home assessments, potentially saving time and costs for healthcare agencies and systems.

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