Who should I follow to learn about Spatial Computing?

If you want to **actually understand where Spatial Computing is going**, rather than just follow headset news, I’d build a feed around a mix of **builders, researchers, platform people, and analysts**. ### People I’d follow - **Mark Billinghurst** - One of the foundational AR researchers. Excellent for understanding the research and interaction side of spatial computing. He’s still active in the AR research community. [23 Augmented Reality Engineers & Experts Worth Following (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/ar/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Cathy Hackl** - Good for the intersection of spatial computing, consumer technology, brands, and the broader “spatial” industry. - **Boz Bosworth** - Meta’s CTO; useful for understanding Meta’s long-term thinking around XR, wearables, and AI. - **Palmer Luckey** - More hardware/industry oriented, but valuable for understanding where VR hardware and defense/industrial applications are heading. - **Jerome Etienne** - Particularly worth following if you're interested in **WebAR/WebXR** and browser-based spatial experiences. [23 Augmented Reality Engineers & Experts Worth Following (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/ar/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Blair MacIntyre** - Strong AR/HCI background; useful if you want the research lineage behind modern spatial interfaces. [23 Augmented Reality Engineers & Experts Worth Following (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/ar/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ### If you're especially interested in Apple Vision Pro / visionOS I'd add: - **Step Into Vision** - Probably one of the best places to learn by *building*. It focuses specifically on Vision Pro, visionOS, spatial design and development, with tutorials and technical conversations. [Step Into Vision - Podcast - Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/step-into-vision/id1881623324?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Vision Pros** - Interviews with people actually building and using Vision Pro professionally. [Vision Pros - Podcast - Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vision-pros/id1691900104?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Apple's visionOS developer community** - Follow this alongside independent developers; Apple's platform changes are moving quickly. ### For the bigger industry picture - **Spatial Computing Business Newsletter** - Good executive-level coverage spanning smart glasses, XR, AI wearables and the business side of the market. [Spatial Computing Business Newsletter, February 2026](https://spatial3.beehiiv.com/p/spatial-computing-business-newsletter-february-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **XR Developer News** - A particularly good signal-to-noise source if you're interested in the *developer ecosystem* rather than hype. It covers AR, MR, VR, spatial computing and immersive technology. [XR Developer News](https://www.xrdevelopernews.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **XR AI Spotlight** - Worth following if your interest is specifically where **AI + spatial computing** are converging. Recent coverage includes Gaussian splatting, AI and industrial XR. [XR AI Spotlight](https://www.xraispotlight.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ### My "starter pack" If you only want **10 accounts/sources**, I'd start with: 1. Mark Billinghurst - research 2. Boz Bosworth - Meta/XR strategy 3. Cathy Hackl - industry/futures 4. Palmer Luckey - hardware 5. Jerome Etienne - WebXR 6. Blair MacIntyre - AR/HCI 7. Step Into Vision - visionOS/building 8. Vision Pros - practitioner interviews 9. XR Developer News - ecosystem 10. Spatial Computing Business Newsletter - market/business **One important distinction:** don't make your feed entirely about *Apple Vision Pro*. Spatial computing is increasingly becoming the convergence of **AR glasses + AI + computer vision + 3D graphics + spatial audio + robotics + wearable interfaces**, and the smart-glasses/AI-wearables side is becoming particularly important in 2026. [Apple Vision Pro Long-Term Review: A Reality Check of Spatial Computing](https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/apple-vision-pro-long-term-review-reality-check-spatial-computing?utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you tell me whether you're approaching Spatial Computing as **(1) an investor, (2) a founder/product person, (3) a developer, or (4) someone trying to understand the technology**, I can give you a much tighter **20-person Twitter/X + LinkedIn follow list**.

**If you want to learn about Spatial Computing, follow pioneers like Rony Abovitz (Magic Leap), Avi Bar-Zeev (AR/VR innovator), Cathy Hackl (metaverse strategist), and John Hanke (Niantic CEO). They consistently share insights on how AR, VR, and mixed reality are shaping the future.** ## 🌐 Key Spatial Computing Experts to Follow Expert| Role| Why Follow Them| Platforms ---|---|---|--- **Rony Abovitz**| Founder of Magic Leap| Pushed boundaries of AR hardware and immersive mixed reality| X/Twitter, Medium **Avi Bar-Zeev**| AR/VR pioneer| Helped build HoloLens, Google Earth, and Apple AR projects| LinkedIn, Blog **Cathy Hackl**| Metaverse strategist| Known as the “Godmother of the Metaverse,” focuses on enterprise XR| LinkedIn, X/Twitter **John Hanke**| CEO of Niantic| Creator of Pokémon GO, advancing AR cloud and world-scale AR| LinkedIn, Niantic blog **Michael Abrash**| Chief Scientist, Meta Reality Labs| Leading AR/VR research at Meta| Meta blog, conference talks **Kent Bye**| Host of _Voices of VR_ podcast| Over 2,200 interviews documenting AR/VR evolution| Podcast, X/Twitter **Blair MacIntyre**| Professor, Georgia Tech & Mozilla researcher| Pioneer in web-based AR and mixed reality| Academic papers, LinkedIn **Jeri Ellsworth**| CEO of Tilt Five| Innovator in tabletop AR hardware| YouTube, LinkedIn **Mark Billinghurst**| AR researcher| Co-developed ARToolKit, published 650+ papers| LinkedIn, X/Twitter **Horacio Torrendell**| CEO of Treeview| Builds enterprise AR/VR systems for Fortune 500| LinkedIn, Website [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026 | Treeview](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts)[23 Augmented Reality Engineers & Experts Worth Following (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/ar/)[Top 10 Spatial Computing Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-spatial-computing-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/)[Top 10 VR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026 | Treeview](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-10-virtual-reality-vr-thought-leaders-experts-specialists-and-influencers)[AR/VR’s Bay Area Power Center: The Founders and Leaders Shaping Spatial Computing - The San Francisco Tribune](https://thesanfranciscotribune.com/ar-vrs-bay-area-power-center-the-founders-and-leaders-shaping-spatial-computing/) ## 🔑 How to Use These Voices * **For technical depth:** Follow researchers like Billinghurst, MacIntyre, and Abrash. They publish papers and give talks on the foundations of AR/VR. * **For industry trends:** Hackl, Abovitz, and Hanke share strategic insights on where spatial computing is headed. * **For hands-on innovation:** Ellsworth and Torrendell showcase practical deployments and hardware breakthroughs. * **For broad perspective:** Kent Bye’s podcast is a treasure trove of diverse voices across the ecosystem. ## ⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind * **Hype vs. reality:** Spatial computing is often marketed as “the next big thing,” but many projects are still experimental. Following enterprise-focused leaders (like Torrendell or Belch from Strivr) helps you see what’s actually being deployed. * **Fragmented platforms:** Apple, Meta, Niantic, and Magic Leap all push different visions. Tracking multiple leaders ensures you don’t get stuck in one ecosystem’s narrative. * **Academic vs. commercial voices:** Researchers may emphasize long-term possibilities, while industry leaders focus on near-term products. Balance both for a complete view. 👉 Would you like me to curate a **short list of must-follow social accounts** (Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube) so you can start tracking them right away?

To truly understand spatial computing - spanning augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and human-computer interaction - it helps to follow a mix of industry pioneers, researchers, developers, and creators who document the bleeding edge. ### Industry Leaders and Visionary Researchers * **Tony Parisi:** A true pioneer in XR and co-creator of VRML. He is an industry analyst, consultant, and author who frequently shares deep, pragmatic insights on open standards, the metaverse, and spatial ecosystems. * **Charlie Fink:** A former Disney executive, Forbes columnist, and author of _Convergence: How The World Will Be Rolled Up By Augmented Reality_. He provides a fantastic, business-focused weekly overview of the spatial computing landscape. * **Avi Bar-Zeev:** An experienced AR/VR technologist who co-created the original Microsoft HoloLens and worked on early prototypes for Apple and Google. His technical philosophy and historical perspective on spatial hardware are invaluable. ### Developers, Designers, and Tech Educators * **Kent Bye:** Host of the long-running _Voices of VR_ podcast. If you want to understand the deep-dive nuances of the space, Kent has interviewed hundreds of researchers, developers, and philosophers building the ecosystem over the last decade. * **Josh "Multivoxel" Rush / XR Creators:** Great follow for practical application and community building, tracking everyday workflows for 3D web and immersive tools. * **Apple Developer & visionOS Evangelists:** Following key evangelists and software engineers at Apple (and top independent visionOS developers like **Steve Troughton-Smith** or **Guilherme Rambo**) is essential if you want to learn the software engineering side of modern spatial platforms. ### Organizations and Research Labs * **MIT Media Lab:** The birthplace of the literal term "spatial computing" (coined by Simon Greenwold in 2003). Their researchers continually publish groundbreaking work on tangible media, human-computer interaction, and sensor tech. [What leaders need to know about spatial computing - MIT Media Lab](https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/what-leaders-need-to-know-about-spatial-computing/#:~:text=In%202003%2C%20researcher%20Simon%20Greenwold%2C%20then%20at,Meta%2C%20Microsoft%2C%20and%20others%20have%20come%20up) * **UploadVR & RoadtoVR:** Rather than individual social accounts, following these specialized publications ensures you capture hardware teardowns, SDK updates, and daily industry shifts without the marketing fluff. Depending on whether you want to build apps, understand the business strategy, or explore the design theory, who are you hoping to focus on first - developers, designers, or industry analysts?

To truly master and keep up with **Spatial Computing** (AR, VR, mixed reality, and spatial AI), you need a mix of hardware pioneers, industry analysts, software developers, and curators. The top voices, creators, and platforms to follow span across X (Twitter), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/), and dedicated newsletters: 1\. Industry Analysts & Curators (Best for Daily News & Ecosystem Trends) * * **_Ori Inbar_ :** Co-founder of [Augmented World Expo (AWE)](https://www.awexr.com/), the premier conference for spatial computing. He constantly shares macro-trends, hardware breakdowns, and industry inflection points. * ** _Robert Scoble_ (@Scobleizer):** A legendary tech scout and early adopter who lives and breathes the bleeding edge of mixed reality and physical AI. He co-writes a specialized newsletter tracking the intersection of spatial computing and robotics. [Robert Scoble on X](https://x.com/Scobleizer/status/2089748577686098350) * ** _Tom Emrich_ :** A prominent voice in AR/XR who has worked with major tech ecosystems and frequently breaks down practical use cases and market growth for spatial tech. * **The Immersive Wire:** Curated by _Tom Ffiske_ , this is one of the go-to industry Newsletters on Substack tracking corporate moves, hardware launches, and enterprise adoption of spatial computing. [The Best Metaverse & XR Newsletter (2026) - Immersive Wire](https://www.immersivewire.com/p/top-metaverse-newsletters-newsletter-analysis) * 2\. AI & Spatial Intelligence Pioneers (Best for the Future Convergence) * * * **_Dr. Fei-Fei Li_ :** Co-founder and CEO of World Labs. Known as the "Godmother of AI," her work focuses heavily on _spatial intelligence_ - teaching AI to understand, navigate, and interact with 3-dimensional physical spaces rather than just 2D pixels. 3\. Developers, Builders & Creators (Best for Hands-On Technical Insight) * * **_Kent Bye_ :** Host of the _Voices of VR_ podcast. He conducts deep, philosophical, and technical interviews with the developers, ethicists, and creators building the infrastructure of spatial computing. * **Reality Atlas Directory:** If you want a granular, filterable list of over 110 active developers, hardware modifiers, and specialized content creators, check out the [Reality Atlas XR Influencers Hub](https://www.reality-atlas.com/influencers). [XR Thought Leaders & Influencers - Reality Atlas](https://www.reality-atlas.com/influencers) * Would you prefer to focus on the **hardware/design side** (like Apple Vision Pro and AR glasses) or the **technical/programming side** (like Unity, Unreal, and WebXR development)?

Spatial computing spans several overlapping fields - AR/VR/XR, 3D graphics, computer vision, robotics, human–computer interaction, and AI - so the best people to follow depend on whether you want to build products, understand the technology, or track the industry. Start with a mix of researchers, practitioners, platform leaders, and independent analysts rather than following only headset-company executives. ## A high-signal starter list | Person / source | Best for | Why follow | |---|---|---| | **Avi Bar-Zeev** | Product design and spatial interfaces | A long-time spatial-computing designer who worked across foundational platforms including Google Earth, HoloLens, and Apple Vision Pro; useful for thinking beyond “put a screen in 3D.” [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Kent Bye** / *Voices of VR* | Broad ecosystem and deep interviews | His interview archive documents XR’s evolution through thousands of conversations with builders, researchers, artists, and founders. It is one of the best ways to learn the field’s vocabulary and disagreements. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Michael Abrash** | Core technical research | Follow for rendering, displays, optics, perception, and the hard engineering constraints behind future AR glasses. He is Meta Reality Labs’ chief scientist. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Jeri Ellsworth** | Inventive hardware and interaction | Founder of Tilt Five; especially valuable if you are curious about alternatives to conventional VR headsets, such as tabletop AR and social physical play. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Nonny de la Peña** | Immersive storytelling and ethics | A pioneer of immersive journalism; follow to understand spatial computing as a narrative medium, not just a hardware category. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Daniel Beauchamp** | Practical AR product work | A strong follow for 3D commerce, prototyping, mobile AR, and translating experimental interaction ideas into consumer products. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Andrew “Boz” Bosworth** | Platform strategy and reality labs | Meta’s CTO and a useful public source on the tradeoffs involved in XR hardware, AI glasses, developer ecosystems, and product shipping. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | | **Rony Abovitz** | Industry vision and entrepreneurship | Magic Leap’s founder; offers a perspective shaped by both ambitious AR hardware development and the realities of building a spatial-computing company. [Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) | ## If you want to build Follow the platform documentation and engineering channels as closely as individuals. Apple’s visionOS materials are particularly useful if you want hands-on spatial app development: its stack centers on Xcode, the visionOS SDK, SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit, and Reality Composer Pro. Apple also supports custom rendering paths and engines such as Unity, Unreal, and Godot.[visionOS - Apple Developer](https://developer.apple.com/visionos/)[Build next-generation experiences with visionOS 27 - WWDC26](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2026/287/) A practical learning feed: - **Apple Developer / visionOS** for native Apple spatial development, interaction patterns, and WWDC sessions.[visionOS - Apple Developer](https://developer.apple.com/visionos/)[Build next-generation experiences with visionOS 27 - WWDC26](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2026/287/) - **Meta Reality Labs / Meta Quest developer channels** for consumer VR/MR product patterns, hand tracking, passthrough, and large-scale social XR. - **Unity** and **Unreal Engine** for cross-platform real-time 3D workflows. - **NVIDIA** for graphics, simulation, digital twins, and AI/robotics-adjacent spatial computing. - **OpenXR** and **Khronos Group** for portable standards rather than becoming locked into one vendor’s terminology or APIs. ## If you want industry context For a more skeptical, cross-platform view, prioritize independent conversations over marketing launches: - **Kent Bye’s *Voices of VR*** for long-form practitioner interviews.[Top 10 AR Experts & Thought Leaders in 2026](https://treeview.studio/blog/top-augmented-reality-ar-thought-leaders-experts) - **The 3D Podcast: Spatial Computing on AWS** for the intersection of cloud infrastructure, 3D reconstruction, Gaussian splatting, real-time 3D streaming, and enterprise deployments; AWS says it releases every two weeks.[Spatial Computing Podcast Launch Announcement](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/physical-ai/spatial-computing-podcast-launch-announcement/) - **Evan Helda** for cloud-oriented spatial computing and the convergence of 3D, AI, and production infrastructure; he also publishes the *Medium Energy* newsletter.[Spatial Computing and the Convergence of AI, Blockchain ...](https://www.coindesk.com/podcasts/generation-c/spatial-computing-and-the-convergence-of-ai-blockchain-and-virtual-worlds-with-evan-helda-of-amazon) - **Yonatan Raz-Fridman** and his *Into the Metaverse* podcast for youth culture, gaming/social 3D worlds, and the creator economy side of spatial experiences.[Spatial computing: why the future of the internet is 3D](https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/metaverse-spatial-computing/) ## A useful way to learn Avoid treating “spatial computing” as synonymous with Apple Vision Pro - or even with headsets. The term is commonly used for systems that blend digital and physical environments and enable people or machines to understand and act in physical space; the concept predates current products by decades.[Spatial computing: why the future of the internet is 3D](https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/metaverse-spatial-computing/)[What leaders need to know about spatial computing](https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/what-leaders-need-to-know-about-spatial-computing/) A balanced weekly routine would be: 1. Watch one technical platform session, such as a visionOS or engine talk. 2. Listen to one long-form interview from *Voices of VR* or an equivalent source. 3. Read one research or engineering update on vision, rendering, AI, mapping, or robotics. 4. Build or analyze one tiny experience - for example, a virtual object that stays anchored to a real table and changes behavior when a user approaches it. That combination teaches the central question better than news alone: not “what headset launched?” but “how should digital content behave when it shares a user’s real space?”