SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO), the leading neuroscience trade association, in conjunction with JAZZ Venture Partners, today announced its fourth annual conference and expo focused on the convergence of emerging digital platforms informed by advances in neuroscience. The event illuminates the impact of new experiential technologies on health, wellness, learning, training, sports and entertainment. Registration is now open at XTechExpo.com.
The Experiential Technology and NeuroGaming Conference & Expo – or “XTech” for short, focuses on the convergence of mind and body with immersive content and game play to engage the full nervous system into therapeutic, learning or entertainment experiences. The conference, previously called the NeuroGaming Conference & Expo, has sold out in previous years, and continues to expand in response to rapidly emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR); deep learning, social robotics, and new sensors.
“We are bringing together the innovators driving the future of experiential technology who are using VR and AR infused neuroscience to impact everything from health to entertainment,” said Zack Lynch, conference chair, author and neurotech visionary. “This year we’ll explore how XTech is impacting multiple $100 billion industries, creating entirely new markets such as digital therapeutics, neurowellness, accelerated learning and experiential entertainment.”
The two-day main conference brings together more than 50 CEOs, executives and experts speaking across two keynotes and twelve panels to share best practices, showcase new products, and build new networks to accelerate this rapidly emerging technology sector. The conference also includes XTech Academic Research Poster presentations held on the evening of May 17. A hackathon that fosters development using the latest XTech returns for its third year May 14-15 at Pivotal Labs.
This year’s line-up of expert talks and panels will explore a range of topics, such as Digital Reality (AR, VR, MR) Platform for the Masses, XTech for Peak Athletic Performance, Experiential Entertainment: Full Immersion, Emotional Analytics: Coding and Decoding Experiences, Digital Therapeutics: Healing the Mind, and Think 2.0: Cognitive NeuroGaming. Full lists of speakers and panels are posted on the website, but highlights will include:
- Tim Ferriss, Bestselling Author of the 4 Hour Workweek on high performance living and unlocking human potential
- Richard Marks, Director, PlayStation Magic Lab -- Sony Interactive Entertainment on how new experiential technologies are shaping the future of entertainment
- Rosalind Picard, Director, Affective Computing Research Group -- MIT on the potential of neural plasticity and its application to learning and well being
- Andy Walshe, Head of Human Performance, RedBull Stratos on XTech applications for peak athletic performance
- David Eagleman, PhD, Bestselling Author, Host of PBS series BRAIN; Director Laboratory for Perception and Action, Baylor on the potential of neural plasticity on human performance
- Tom Insel, Director of Clinical Neuroscience, Verily and former Director of NIMH on leveraging digital technologies and game mechanics to heal the mind
- Amy Kruse, VP & CTO, Cubic Global Defense on XTech for accelerated learning and competitive advantage
More than 30 companies will have their technology available for demonstration in the conference expo including: Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation VR platform, Pear Therapeutics’ digital therapeutics designed to supplement prescribed medications to enhance clinical outcomes; Halo Neuroscience’s sports performance headset, and Akili Interactive’s cognitive therapeutic products that can be administered and monitored remotely. Additional exhibitors include: iMotions, Ontario Brain Institute, Qneuro, Cerevrum, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Muse, STRIVR, Emotiv, Neuroelectrics, Eyefluence, and many more.
Co-hosted by the human performance technology fund JAZZ Venture Partners and the NIO; the XTech and NeuroGaming Conference and Expo will take place on May 17-18 at City View at Metreon, located at 135 Fourth Street, San Francisco. The XTech & NeuroGaming Hackathon is scheduled for the weekend prior to the main conference on May 14-15 in San Francisco. For more information please visit www.XTechExpo.com
About the Neurotechnology Industry Organization
The Neurotechnology Industry Organization is the trade association that represents companies involved in neuroscience including software, drugs, devices, and diagnostics, brain research institutes, and patient advocacy groups across the world. Since NIO's founding in 2006, over 100 organizations have joined NIO to "give the brain a voice." For more information, please visit www.neurotechindustry.org.
About JAZZ Venture Partners
Formed in 2015, JAZZ Venture Partners is a fund that invests in companies developing experiential technology that improve human performance. At the intersection of digital consumer platforms, such as virtual and augmented reality, and neuroscience, these companies are impacting health, mind-body wellness, accelerated learning, training, sports, and entertainment.
Additional Resources:
XTech hackathon: http://www.xtechexpo.com/#!hackathon-may-14-15/pyca5
XTech on Twitter: @neurogameconf
XTech on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/185156058275051/
XTech on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NeuroGamingCon
XTech on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neurogamingcon
