More than 100 headsets, smart glasses, and other wearable technologies trace the evolution of extended reality from pioneering systems to today’s AI-enabled devices.
Sutherland Head-Mounted Three-Dimensional Display_1968
Vive VR Headset_2018
Mountain View, California, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Computer History Museum (CHM), the leading institution decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity—announces the opening of “Extended Reality: Visions of the Future,” a new exhibit exploring the rapidly changing world of extended reality (XR) technology, its growing integration with artificial intelligence (AI), and the development of wearable devices that help us see, interpret, and interact with the world around us.
Opening October 1, 2026, through March 28, 2027, the exhibit brings together more than 100 XR devices and artifacts, from pioneering technologies of the late 1960s and early commercial systems of the 1980s through today’s increasingly sophisticated headsets and smart glasses. Drawing on key objects from CHM’s collection and private holdings, “Extended Reality: Visions of the Future” traces the ideas, experimentation, and innovation behind virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. The exhibit also examines how AI is transforming wearable computing, enabling devices to understand context, interpret visual and spoken information, and respond more naturally to their users. It asks whether the latest generation of wearable technology, combining miniaturization, ergonomics, fashion, and AI, represents a new computing frontier.
The exhibit is made possible through the generous support of Meta, Google, and Applied Materials, whose technologies and innovations are among those shaping the rapidly evolving world of extended reality and wearable computing.
Developed in collaboration with Bernard Kress and Rachel Tan, co-organizers of Next Computing Frontier, the exhibit brings CHM artifacts together with devices from their private holdings. Collectively, the objects span decades of experimentation in wearable technology, including systems created for research and development, video games, sports, work, daily life, and assistive technology.
“Extended reality brings together technology, design, and human experience in ways that are increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives,” said Marc Etkind, President and CEO of the Computer History Museum. “With nearly 15 million smart glasses shipped worldwide last year, we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of personal computing—one that could eventually become as transformative as the smartphone.”
Highlights include:
- Ivan Sutherland’s pioneering head-mounted three-dimensional display, a landmark in the development of virtual reality.
- A prototype EyePhone from VPL Research, representing early efforts to bring virtual reality into practical use.
- Google Glass prototypes, Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, Apple Vision Pro, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, among many other devices.
- Meta Aria Gen 1 and Gen 2 research devices.
- Rare headsets, glasses, goggles, monocles, helmets, and other wearable technologies spanning research, entertainment, industry, accessibility, and everyday computing.
- Contemporary devices that demonstrate how computer vision, natural-language interaction, and contextual AI are expanding the capabilities of wearable systems.
Visitors will also be able to explore a timeline of XR technology, watch brief interviews with pioneers in the field, and get hands-on with emerging extended reality systems during special interactive demonstrations of XR and AI-enabled wearables offered on select dates.
Extended Reality: Visions of the Future
October 1, 2026 – March 28, 2027
Included with general Museum admission
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, CA
Interactive XR Demonstrations | 1:00-4:00p.m. PT
- October 3, 2026
- October 24, 2026
- November 7, 2026
- November 21, 2026
- December 19, 2026
- January 2, 2027
About CHM
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is dedicated to decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. Located in Silicon Valley, the Museum curates the world’s foremost collection of artifacts and oral histories, documenting the people, companies, and technological innovations that have shaped the world. Supported by staff, partners, volunteers, pioneers, and visionaries from around the world, CHM offers dynamic experiences spanning research, exhibits, events, and an unparalleled collection. The Museum strives to engage and inspire audiences, empowering them to become informed digital citizens and make choices for a better future.
Attachments
- Sutherland Head-Mounted Three-Dimensional Display_1968
- Vive VR Headset_2018
CONTACT: Russell Kelban Computer History Museum (650) 810-0105 [email protected]
