PathfinderXR

Inspiration

PathfinderXR was born from years of frontline work where Mike and Elgin kept seeing the same painful pattern: people exiting homelessness, addiction, or incarceration weren’t failing because they lacked motivation—they were failing because they lacked orientation.

No clear map. No way to see the next right step while overwhelmed and stressed.

Both of us know what it feels like to rebuild from chaos without guidance. PathfinderXR is the tool we wish we’d had—one designed to turn overwhelm into clarity and help people move back toward stability, dignity, and purpose.

What it does

PathfinderXR is a mixed-reality guidance tool for social workers supporting re-entry.

It helps practitioners and clients stabilize first, then orient to what matters most next.

Using breath-led regulation, perspective-shifting awe, and reflective triage, PathfinderXR helps social workers: See client orientation in real time. Reduce overwhelm before decisions are made. Guide clients toward calmer, clearer next steps. Rather than automating care, PathfinderXR augments the human guide—making orientation visible so judgment and empathy can do their work.

How we built it

For this hackathon, we focused on designing the core interaction model and system logic: Prompt-engineered reflective questioning models. Breathwork and awe-based regulation flows. Spatial triage logic mapped to real-world re-entry needs. Mixed-reality interaction concepts optimized for social workers in active casework. This prototype demonstrates how MR can support guidance without replacing the practitioner.

Challenges we ran into

Translating complex frontline realities into a simple, testable experience. Designing AI support that augments human judgment rather than overriding it. Working under tight time constraints while validating a new care paradigm

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Grounding the project in real frontline experience. Clearly articulating a new use case for AI with camera access in social services. Designing a human-first MR guidance model that prioritizes regulation before action

What we learned

Re-entry breaks down when decisions are made from dysregulation. Mixed reality is uniquely suited to support orientation and presence. Asking better questions often matters more than providing answers

What's next for PathfinderXR

Expanding breathwork and physiological regulation tools. Adding resource layers for housing, healthcare, detox, food, legal, and spiritual support. Partnering with outreach teams, shelters, and re-entry programs. Developing a “Path to Purpose” mode for life beyond crisis. Preparing for pilot deployments in Oakland, San Francisco, and similar cities