Metagate, in collaboration with Università Iuav of Venice and the research center CTRL+J(UNK), has developed an innovative Mixed Reality materials library: Material Exploratory, an interactive experience that combines design, circular economy and new technologies through the Meta Quest 3 headset, developed with the scientific support of Raffaella Fagnoni and Annapaola Vacanti and the research of Martin Romeo and the support of Davide Anzaldi.
A platform that tells the story of waste materials
“Material Exploratory” is a digital archive that explores the “biography” of waste materials, tracing each step from source sector to destination. Each material becomes a narrative object, thanks to an immersive UI in Mixed Reality, activated by simple hand gestures using only hand tracking.
Mixed Reality and natural interaction: the invisible design
The experience developed by Metagate is characterized by an interface that appears simple but hides great technical complexity. Interaction happens without controllers: just using hands activates content, moves digital objects, and navigates the database. A small 5x5 cm physical object acts as an invisible “trigger” to launch 3D content, leveraging millimetric spatial positioning.
This approach to UI in Mixed Reality—fluid, clean, almost “magical”—is the result of significant behind-the-scenes work: simplifying 3D interaction means considering spatiality, response times, visual ergonomics, and emotional design. Unlike virtual reality, Mixed Reality demands a delicate balance between the physical and digital worlds. When the interface becomes unnoticeable, it has reached its full potential.
A new way to explore materials and sustainability
This experience represents a new approach to the circular economy: no more technical sheets or PDF catalogs, but immersive environments where you can “touch” materials and follow their transformation paths, thanks to the intuitive language of Mixed Reality.
Next steps
Material Exploratory will also be featured at the MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan during the event The New Atlas of Digital Art (June 19–22, 2025). Visitors will be able to test the experience firsthand, wearing the headset and discovering how Mixed Reality on Meta Quest 3 can transform even the exploration of an archive into a natural, engaging, and memorable gesture.
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