In Arm’s Reach

A mixed-reality experience that makes the consequences of climate change visible simply through touch.

In Arm’s Reach combines immersive technology with environmental awareness, transforming your own wall into a portal that illustrates the effects of climate change with a simple touch. This interactive experience takes users from the city into nature, bringing environmental pollution, rising sea levels, and wildfires right into their living rooms to foster empathy and collective action.

Try it out: In Arm’s Reach

In Arm’s Reach was developed during the MIT Reality Hack 2024 hackathon and won awards in several categories.

Haptic feedback and interaction with real walls are at the heart of the experience. When you touch a wall, you’re first treated to a view of an untouched underwater world, before plastic waste floods the room. Other striking scenarios, such as rising sea levels and raging wildfires, make the threat tangible, enhanced by powerful sound design and modern rendering techniques.

Since change is easier when we do it together, the project is designed as a social experience that you can share with friends or family. At key moments, the app can suggest specific steps you can take in your daily life and ways to donate.

To reduce technological barriers, In Arm’s Reach was developed from the ground up for WebXR and is accessible directly in the browser. The Meta Quest 3 offers the most immersive experience with room-scale setup and hand tracking, but users can just as easily access the key message via smartphones or desktop screens.