Pixi’s CEO, Mark Drummond, is skeptical about the usefulness of headsets for AR developers. Having worked on Apple’s Vision Pro and managed the Character Intelligence Team that developed the “Encounter Dinosaurs” demo, Drummond found mobile devices more practical for AR storytelling. After leaving Apple in 2023, he shifted to mobile AR, creating an iPhone app called Pixi for interactive storytelling. His epiphany was that while headsets isolate users, mobile devices allow shared experiences, fostering interaction. Pixi aims to deliver AR experiences akin to email greeting cards, enabling users to send interactive messages via iMessage or WhatsApp. Characters in Pixi can interact with the real world, understand contexts using AI, and deliver personalized messages. While the Vision Pro is a remarkable piece of technology, its hefty price and limited market penetration render it less accessible than mobile devices. Drummond believes mobile devices will remain dominant for AR due to their advanced capabilities and ubiquitous presence.
After Developing the Vision Pro, This AR Veteran Returns to Phones
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