Today’s guest is Max Van Leeuwen, he is a digital creator known for his innovative work in augmented reality and more specifically Lens Studio. We discuss Max's creative journey, the importance of storytelling in AR projects, and the technical challenges faced when developing for Spectacles. The conversation also explores hand tracking, the role of mobile devices in AR experiences, and how to get started with Lens Studio. Max shares insights on integrating AI into AR and emphasises the need for developers to engage with the platform to drive future innovation. Special thanks to PopulAR for “nudging” Max under the spotlight. PopulAR is a strategic consulting company focusing on the adoption of Virtual World technologies through content-focused lenses and empowering industry authors.
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In this conversation, Andy Baker, lead developer at OpenBrush, and Sutu, a renowned digital artist, discuss the evolution of OpenBrush, a powerful VR creative tool. They explore its features, the experiences of artists using it, and the collaborative workflows it enables. The discussion also covers the importance of publishing and sharing creations, the future of VR as a creative medium, and the potential for community engagement. The guests emphasise the accessibility of VR and the transformative power of creating in 3D.

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James C. Kane is a Webby-winning developer and emerging tech artist pushing the boundaries of what #WebXR can do. We unpack how he builds narrative-first immersive experiences that grab attention in the first seconds, from establishing shots and pacing, to sound design, voice acting, and careful onboarding. James breaks down how he chooses between engines like Wonderland, PlayCanvas, and SparkJS and how he built and published his #GaussianSplatting based web game called “The Shadow of the Czar”. We also go deep on distribution, why discovery is still the hardest part of web games, and how sponsorships, platform relationships, and niche audiences shape what gets made.
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Giorgio Ballestin is a Technical Product Manager and XR specialist at MARIN, the Netherlands’ maritime research institute, where he owns the XR development roadmap and helps shape long-term simulation and digital twin capabilities. In this episode, we unpack how MARIN’s ship handling simulators evolved from large CAVE and motion-platform bridge systems into hybrid setups that add VR for deck-level and off-bridge operations. Giorgio explains why VR adoption is slower than it looks on paper, including cybersickness, interaction design, and the lack of industry standards. You will learn how MARIN combines in-house hydrodynamics models with Unreal Engine visualization, where high fidelity matters and where it does not, and how multi-user scenarios are orchestrated by instructors and researchers. We also cover security constraints, local-first stacks, and why physical props and tracking often beat camera-based mixed reality.
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A single Cascadeur post on X triggered an uproar on social media. From excitement to hatred, the community of professionals and creatives voiced their feelings, asked legitimate questions and tried to understand how AI is reshaping the work of animators. To answer these questions, I talked with Alexander Grishanin, CTO of Cascadeur, who explains how Cascadeur defines AI versus machine learning, what is the state of the art when it comes to “procedural motion”, the ethical implications around training data and the impact AI is having on professional animation workflows.
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Asim Ahmed, multi-award-winning game developer and head of product marketing at Niantic Spatial, joins the show to break down how geospatial AI is reshaping both digital experiences and real world infrastructure. As one of the early marketing leaders behind Pokémon GO and a key force behind the Peridot franchise across mobile, mixed reality and AR glasses, Asim explains how Niantic Spatial is building a large geospatial model that gives machines a true understanding of the physical world. Listeners will learn how reconstruction, localization and semantic understanding work together, why spatial intelligence matters for robotics, inspection, logistics and entertainment, and how new partnerships with Snap, Meta, Apple and Meow Wolf are shaping the next generation of immersive products. He also shares how embodied AI companions like Project Jade may change how we navigate cities, workplaces and daily life.

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In this episode we talk with Thomas Flynn, a digital heritage specialist with deep experience in 3D digitisation, open access, and online publishing. Thomas has worked with UNESCO, Europeana, Oxford University, Creative Commons, and served as cultural heritage lead at Sketchfab, where he helped launch the British Museum's first open 3D collection. In this conversation, he explains how museums and cultural organisations think about 3D capture, what Gaussian splatting can and cannot do for heritage workflows, and why long term storage, metadata, and interoperability matter just as much as scanning quality. He breaks down real examples of 3D printing for visitor engagement, web based publishing options, VR use cases, and the growing challenge of managing massive data sets.

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Mila is a PhD student in Switzerland and a researcher of social VR culture, known for a multi-year survey series on metaverse identity, harassment, and now virtual economies. In this episode, we unpack what people actually do in worlds like VRChat, and why platform design shapes everything from avatar choices to spending habits. Mila explains the shift toward semi-humanoid avatars, why many male users present as feminine, and how researchers handle sensitive questions across English and Japanese. We also dig into money flows, from avatar fashion and seasonal drops to tipping performers, paid events, and services like tarot readings, plus what it means when users spend thousands on headsets, PCs, and full-body tracking.

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