Explore XR: Bavarian projects at the re:publica in Berlin

Apple Vision Pro: a big hit among tech-savvy trade fair visitors

The Apple Vision Pro was a particular highlight for the tech-savvy audience at the Berlin trade fair. On the new XR glasses, contributed by our sister initiative XR HUB Bavaria, we presented a case specially developed for our parent company Medien.Bayern GmbH Visitors were able to playfully discover the technological innovations of the device and learn more about the work of Medien.Bayern and its commitment to the Bavarian media industry.

With govar into ancient Egypt

Our partners from the Munich development studio govar presented a case at the XPLR stand that they developed for the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim. It involves an Egyptian illusory gate that appears in front of the user when they put on their glasses and can be explored. After the trade fair, govar founders Stefan Göppel and Alla Kolpakova are more than satisfied.

Three questions after the fair:

Alla, three days at re:publica are behind you. What is your conclusion?

Alla Kolpakova: Our expectations have actually been exceeded. We have the feeling that we were able to talk to exactly our target group here. Namely a tech-savvy audience that wants to try out our experience. It's just great for us to see that the topic of XR is becoming more and more present – especially among young people.

What feedback have you received from your users?

Alla: Many people couldn't believe what was happening and were totally surprised. The experience went down really well with kids in particular. The way we implemented the case, with several realities overlapping and the real world merging with the virtual one, really impressed many. It was very nice for us to be here and that you gave us the opportunity for this communication.

What are you taking home with you from re:publica?

Alla: We always had interesting people visiting us and talking to them. We'll find out after the trade fair whether any lasting contacts were made. Over the past few days, we've found re:publica to be a really cool trade fair with a relaxed atmosphere. It was a great experience for us.

Art meets XR: The case of the Munich Symphony Orchestra

The Munich Symphony Orchestra also accompanied us with their project "Tapestry of Spaces – Das Lied der Räume", including project manager Jakob Haas and cameraman Amadeus Hiller. Using their VR headsets, they showed a VR film in which musicians from the Munich orchestra interpreted an AI-generated melody in the rooms of Kunstlabor 2.

Amadeus, which audience tried out your case?

Amadeus Hiller: It was actually very diverse. A lot of students were interested in our VR glasses, but also tech-savvy trade fair visitors and people who weren't at all familiar with the topic. For us, it was especially cool to see how many people wanted to try out our experience.

How did the users react to your project?

Amadeus: There were a lot of people who had never tried VR glasses before. We were able to pick these visitors up well because our project is very low-threshold: you simply hold the glasses in front of your face and the movie is played. Some were surprised, some even shocked, when they realized that they could look around in the virtual world. (laughs)

Do you feel you were able to communicate your project well?

Amadeus: Yes, absolutely. After the experience, many people were very interested to find out what we were doing and how the case came about. Some wanted to know more about the technology and the glasses, others about the musical instruments and the art spaces. This resulted in exciting conversations and new discussions.