We are excited to announce the VRS Hackathon 2025, a hands-on sprint to create next-level XR experiences using state-of-the-art tools from the PRESENCE project. Slated for October 18–19, 2025, at the RUB Makerspace (O-Werk) in Bochum, Germany, the hackathon is part of the VR Summit 2025 and invites the XR community to come “Feel the Future: VRS Hackathon 2025”. Participants will team up to build immersive applications that leverage PRESENCE’s haptic XR technologies.
When and Where: Join Us in Bochum at VR Summit 2025
Mark your calendars for 18–19 October 2025. The VRS hackathon runs that weekend for the third time at the RUB Makerspace in O-Werk, Bochum, before the VR Summit Bochum 2025. This means participants will not only code and create in an inspiring makerspace environment but also be part of a larger gathering of XR experts and enthusiasts during the Summit. Being integrated with the VR Summit opens up opportunities to attend keynotes, demos, and network with leading researchers in immersive tech on the adjacent conference days (Oct 20–21, 2025). In short, it’s a perfect setting to hack, learn, and connect, all in the heart of Germany’s Ruhr region.
Open Invitation to XR Innovators: Researchers, Developers, Students Alike
Whether you’re a seasoned XR developer, a researcher exploring new frontiers, or a student passionate about immersive tech, this hackathon welcomes you. In line with PRESENCE’s community spirit, everyone is encouraged to join – from industry professionals to hobbyists and first-time hackers. What matters most is your enthusiasm and unique perspective. This open invitation reflects a core goal of the PRESENCE project: engaging and upskilling developers, researchers, students, and even the general public in XR innovation. If you’re excited about virtual or augmented reality, haptics, 3D interaction, or any form of immersive technology, you have a place in this event. Come alone or with colleagues, and join a team on-site, and often the best collaborations happen when new people meet at the hackathon.
Collaboration is at the heart of VRS Hackathon 2025. We believe the next breakthroughs in XR will emerge from collective effort, so the event is structured to help you find teammates with complementary skills.
Exclusive Access to PRESENCE Technologies: Hands-On with SenseGlove Nova 2!
One of the most exciting aspects of this hackathon is the opportunity to experiment firsthand with advanced haptic technology. Participants will be granted exclusive access to the SenseGlove Nova 2, a next-generation haptic glove developed by PRESENCE partner SenseGlove.
The themes that emerged during the sessions were broad, but it can be seen that across sessions and use cases, several themes were recurring:
By joining the hackathon, you’ll get early access to innovative XR technology and also play a key role in shaping the future of immersive experiences. Your projects and insights will directly contribute to the PRESENCE project’s goal of building an open XR community, where groundbreaking research quickly becomes available for everyone. We’re eager to see how you use our tools, SDKs, and devices, and your feedback will be invaluable in helping us improve their usability and impact. We hope that by the end of the event, you’ll walk away with new skills, exciting prototypes, and ideas you can take forward into your projects or startups. Some of these creations might even continue to evolve through open-source contributions or future collaborations. With your involvement, the VRS Hackathon 2025 will be another step toward making advanced XR accessible to anyone with the passion to create.
Experimentation, Teamwork, and User-Centered Design
Hackathons are all about exploring, experimenting, and building quickly. Think of it as your playground to test out that intriguing idea you’ve been thinking about or to dive into new haptic possibilities provided by PRESENCE technology. We encourage everyone to get creative. Perhaps you’ll create a training simulation that transforms how we learn through touch, or craft an artistic VR experience that deeply resonates emotionally. This year’s theme revolves around immersive haptic interaction, an underexplored area with huge innovation potential.
The magic of a hackathon lies in rapid iteration: sketch out your concept, quickly build a rough prototype, gather real-time feedback from fellow participants and mentors, then refine your creation step-by-step. Amazing things can happen when teams jump right into building and aren’t afraid of trying bold new ideas. Often, the most exciting breakthroughs emerge from unexpected experiments.
While creativity is essential, we also emphasize keeping the user at the center of everything you build. Think carefully about who will use your XR solution and what problem it addresses. Whether you’re developing a healthcare app, an educational tool, or something purely entertaining, consider the user’s experience, accessibility, comfort, and overall enjoyment. PRESENCE consistently promotes Human-Centered Design in all our projects, and we’d love to see that reflected in your hacks. To help you stay focused on user experience, we’ll have mentors ready to provide UX feedback and keep teams inspired to build solutions people will genuinely love.
Collaboration will also be key. Successful XR projects thrive when people with diverse skills come together and learn from each other. Throughout the hackathon, you’ll quickly discover how important good teamwork is: dividing tasks based on strengths, continuously communicating, and helping one another solve challenges.
Ready to join?
If you’re excited about the VRS Hackathon 2025, we’d love to have you on board! Register through the VR Summit registration portal. You can join as an individual or form your team beforehand, just be prepared to dive straight into creating once you arrive. Spots are limited, so we encourage you to sign up early. Keep an eye on our PRESENCE news and social media channels for the latest updates, registration details, and announcements about the challenge specifics, schedule, and exciting prizes.
We’re excited to see the creativity and innovation you’ll bring to Bochum this October. The VRS Hackathon 2025 promises to be an inspiring event filled with learning, networking, and building the future of immersive interaction together. Bring your passion, your ideas, and your curiosity to shape the next generation of XR.
See you soon at VRS Hackathon 2025!
More information about the event and registration can be found here:
