⚪About us

HoloKit

HoloKit is an open-source Mixed Reality (MR) toolkit that turns your smartphone into an affordable optical see-through stereoscopic augmented reality wearable designed for spatial computing enthusiasts. It aims to be the Mixed Reality equivalent of Arduino, providing a cost-effective alternative to powerful yet expensive options like Vision Pro and HoloLens.

This toolkit is ideal for hackers, designers, and artists interested in hands-on spatial computing projects, such as integrating the Internet of Things with Mixed Reality, thanks to its open-source nature. It's also a boon for university students learning mixed reality development without a large budget, and researchers seeking to customize their setup and fully leverage ARKit for immersive, multiplayer experiences. Additionally, museums and exhibitions can leverage HoloKit to provide mixed reality experiences to large audiences, benefiting from its affordability and adaptability.

HoloKit X

HoloKit X is an optical see-through mixed reality headset, which was launched in 2022. It is an award-winning device, having received the Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award, and represents a premium-quality upgrade from our original invention, HoloKit 1 - a cardboard proof of concept released in 2017.

• 🥽 Ingenious Invention: We have released an optical see-through stereoscopic MR headset HoloKit X in 2022, which is an award-winning premium-quality upgrade from our original periscope-shaped invention HoloKit 1, a cardboard proof of concept released in 2017.

• 📲 Full AR Functionalities: Without reinventing the wheel, our open-source, phone-based MR headset maximizes your smartphone's existing AR functionalities, such as ARKit, 6DOF Spatial Tracking, Hand Tracking, Depth and Mesh by LiDAR, Spatial Audio, and MultipeerConnectivity.

• 💲 Accessible Immersion: With a crystal-clear 60-degree FOV optics, experience a rich, immersive mixed reality that stands as a cost-effective alternative to 20-30x pricier options like HoloLens and Magic Leap.

• 🎨 For Creators by Creators: Tailored for quick and efficient MR creative project execution, especially in multiplayer scenarios, HoloKit is the go-to tool for MR researchers, educators, and creators. See more #MadeWithHolokit works from our community.

• 🎖 Award-winning: Design of HoloKit X won Red Dot Award 2023, Product Design and Core 77 Design Award 2023 Consumer Technology and nominated for Webby Award 2023 and SXSW Innovation Awards 2023.

About Team

HoloKit was invented by Botao Amber Hu and is currently maintained as an open-source project by Reality Design Lab.

Reality Design Lab is an interdisciplinary research and design lab focused on the intersection of spatial computing and programmable cryptography. Led by Botao Amber Hu, this lab prioritizes the development of embodied interactions within mixed reality and the realm of blockchain-substrated artificial life. Amber is not only a researcher and innovator in the field but also an accomplished designer and creative technologist who initiated Holo Interactive Inc., which operates the lab. His contributions have been showcased at prestigious events such as SIGGRAPH, WWW, CHI, SXSW, and TEDx, earning him recognition through numerous accolades like the CHI Best Interactivity, Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award, Webby Awards, and Core77 Design Award. His academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Tsinghua University and a Master's in Artificial Intelligence from Stanford University.

At the Lab, we boast a diverse team of mixed reality researchers, educators, and creators who are also the primary users of HoloKit. Our work transcends the boundaries of just hardware; we are actively engaged in exploring and forging new creative frontiers in mixed reality through the use of HoloKit. Our commitment to open-source principles for most of our groundbreaking work is driven by a desire to draw more individuals into the vast and ever-growing field of mixed reality.