Virtual and augmented reality

Food spoilage is a pervasive issue with significant implications for public health, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. Addressing food spoilage is essential to promoting healthier living, reducing economic waste, and ensuring sustainable practices. When storing food in refrigerators, it would be crucial to monitor at least factors such as temperature, humidity, and signs of spoilage to ensure food quality and safety. The paper presents a concept for a smart fridge equipped with sensors to monitor critical factors such as temperature, humidity, and spoilage indicators. These sensors collect real-time data, which can be visualized through a multisensory eXtended Reality (XR) Digital Twin that provides a highly realistic 3D visualization of the real fridge, incorporating dynamic temperature simulations represented through 3D color maps and an olfactory simulation that replicates the smell of rotten food. The first impressions of the Multisensory XR Digital Twin emphasize its effectiveness in bridging the gap between raw data and user perception, allowing for an immersive interaction with the fridge as if physically present. Key benefits identified include enhanced spatial awareness and realism, multisensory feedback, and greater user engagement.

Keywords: Circular Economy , Digital Twins , eXtended Reality , Multisensory experience

While the benefits of biophilic design, incorporating natural elements to promote well-being, are well-demonstrated in Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) environments, its application remains underexplored. Specifically, no studies have clarified how biophilic elements should be spatially and contextually integrated into IVR environments. Most studies focus on the presence or type of elements rather than on design strategies or spatial criteria. This gap is critical in IVR, where the absence of real-world constraints enables a high degree of design freedom, potentially leading to ineffective or inauthentic integration. To address this issue, we engaged 13 expert designers in a focus group to develop guidelines for biophilic design in IVR workspaces. Each expert was asked to enrich four virtual offices using four types of indoor plants: floor plant, table plant, hanging plant, green wall. Their insights were synthesized into practical spatial design guidelines. These were then combined to generate 16 biophilic configurations, evaluated by 81 users. Results indicated no statistically significant preference among configurations, suggesting all combinations were similarly received. In a second evaluation phase, 117 participants compared four specific configurations: based on guidelines; with an unconstrained (but realistic) spatial arrangement; with an unrealistic spatial arrangement; without plants. The guidelines-based configuration significantly outperformed the others across subjective measures including willingness to work, focus, and comfort. These findings suggest the proposed guidelines are effective in supporting the design of engaging, pleasant biophilic IVR environments.

Keywords: Biophilic Design , Immersive Virtual Reality , Well-being , Workspace

The development of multi-sensor perception systems is essential to support advanced underwater robotic operations such as inspection, mapping, and manipulation, typically carried out with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). However, field testing is often costly, logistically demanding, and constrained by safety and accessibility issues. This paper presents a flexible virtual testbed for the development and validation of perception pipelines in ROV-based missions. The framework integrates Unity game engine, for high-fidelity 3D simulation, with Robot Operating System 2 (ROS2), for real-time sensor processing, robotic control, and data exchange. The testbed provides a modular emulation of ROV architectures, integrating digital vehicle replicas, configurable underwater scenes, and simulated sensors such as stereo vision, forward-looking sonar, and inertial units. This setup enables the generation of synthetic but physically consistent data streams, including depth maps, acoustic imagery, and fused spatial reconstructions. An operator console developed in Unity integrates multiple Augmented Reality (AR) strategies to enhance situational awareness and manipulation accuracy. The proposed virtual testbed offers a cost-effective and flexible environment for iterative development, debugging, and operator training. It provides a valuable tool for accelerating the design and integration of perception systems in underwater robotics, especially in scenarios where field trials are impractical or high risk.

Keywords: Augmented Reality Visualization , Multi-Sensor Perception , Underwater Manipulation , Underwater Robotics

The field of robotic manipulation has seen ever-growing interest in recent years, with the aim of increasing process efficiency and safety for human operators. The main challenge lies in grasping objects with variable mechanical characteristics such as dimensions and geometries. In fact, the gripping solutions currently available tend to be highly task-specific, with limited adaptability to different operational scenarios. To bridge this gap, the present study proposes a four-finger gripper with a reconfigurable architecture to ensure versatility. The device has been validated through the use of a virtual prototype, demonstrating the ability to grasp objects with different shapes and masses, as well as multiple objects, thanks to five different grip configurations and the presence of soft elements. The fingertip design includes the possibility of integrating sensors, with the goal of enabling advanced sensing and feedback functions during the manipulation phase. This aspect opens the door to the implementation of adaptive control strategies and to improved operational safety in dynamic environments. The potential applications range from automated logistics to industrial assembly, from collaborative robotics to service robotics, including sectors where it is essential to manipulate heterogeneous objects in a precise and non-destructive manner. In particular, the ability to handle delicate or sensitive components has made the device suitable for applications in highly specialized fields such as agri-food and pharmaceuticals.

Keywords: Adaptive Grasping , Reconfigurable Gripper , Robotic Manipulation

Progressive stiffness has been proposed as a solution to the common trade-off in the design of series elastic actuators: higher torque-tracking performance, achieved by stiffer springs, or safer physical interaction with the environment and enhanced torque transparency, offered by softer springs. In this work, we investigate the application of series elastic actuators with stiffening characteristic in the context of dynamic legged locomotion. A planar one-legged robot with an articulated leg is modeled and simulated using a multi-body dynamics framework, with a control strategy based on the Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum template. The actuators incorporate compact, monolithic compliant mechanisms based on flexure beams that exhibit a progressive torque deflection characteristic. The design of these mechanisms is parameterized in terms of length, thickness, and number of beams, and then optimized with the goal of reducing both the joints' torque requirements and the mechanical cost of transport during a running task. Simulations results show that, compared to stiff actuation and linear series elastic actuation configurations, properly tailored nonlinear stiffness profiles can improve actuation efficiency and reduce energy requirements in dynamic legged locomotion.

Keywords: Compliant Mechanism , Energy Efficiency , Legged Robot , Nonlinear Series Elastic Actuators , SLIP

This work explores the automation of AutoCAD workflow using Python scripting, with a focus on the different Python libraries available for such tasks. The article analyzes four prominent Python packages—win32com, pyautocad, PyAutoGUI, and ezdxf—assessing their strengths and weaknesses in the context of AutoCAD automation. To evaluate the performance of these libraries, a Python application was developed for the simple task of prefixing layer names in an AutoCAD drawing, testing each library's effectiveness in accomplishing this task. The findings indicate that each Python library offers distinct advantages depending on the automation requirements, with ezdxf standing out in aspects such as versatility, robustness, and documentation quality.

Keywords: applied programming , AutoCAD , automation , computer aided design , Python

Comfort is a pivotal construct in human-centered design, connecting technical functionality with well-being across products, services, and systems. The 2023 International Comfort Congress (ICC2023) brought together researchers and practitioners to explore how new contexts of use, predictive approaches, and user diversity are reshaping this field. Contributions in this special issue address comfort in automated driving and turboprop aviation, where physical, psychological, and environmental factors converge. Advances in predictive comfort science demonstrate how objective measures, physiological sensing, and modeling complement traditional self-reports. At the same time, inclusive design approaches—ranging from XR-based co-creation to analyses of posture and movement variability—highlight the importance of accounting for heterogeneous user needs and comfort trade-offs. Together, these studies illustrate a shift toward more adaptive, accessible, and sustainable systems, underscoring comfort as a multidimensional construct that evolves with technological innovation and societal change.

Keywords: accessibility , automated driving , comfort research , human-centered design , predictive modeling , user diversity

Nowadays, to counteract the sedentary behavior in children, playground parks with their pieces of playground equipment can have a significant impact. In this context, the paper proposes a methodology based on wearable surface electromyography and inertial sensors data to derive functional data sheets for each piece of playground equipment and two novel synthetic indices for the assessment of physical fitness and motor coordination. These indices are built from: (i) muscle activation of nine forearm and leg muscles; (ii) acceleration data from two inertial sensors located on the forearm and lower back. The synthetic indices are based on the assessment of the muscular force rate and motor control in terms of smoothness. The validation of the proposed methodology is carried out through field tests, on seven pieces of playground equipment. The results confirm that: (i) the functional data sheet offers the possibility to obtain quick and intuitive visualization of the pieces of playground equipment in terms of required muscle activation; (ii) the proposed methodology represents a reliable and valuable tool to estimate physical fitness and motor coordination. This approach can be implemented in different playground parks even to guide the choice of the equipment to ensure specific levels of physical fitness and motor coordination.

Keywords: motor coordination , physical fitness , playground equipment , wearable sensors

This investigation examined the perceptual-motor distortions induced by mixed reality head-mounted displays during spatial navigation tasks. Employing a two-phase experimental paradigm, we initially quantified kinematic differences between helmet and non-helmet conditions, subsequently assessing sensorimotor adaptation through repeated bidirectional trajectory navigation. Fifty participants executed standardized trajectories while three-dimensional movement kinematics were recorded via spatial tracking. Statistical analyses revealed significant alterations in movement parameters during helmet use, characterized by increased trajectory tortuosity and elevated oscillation frequency. Qualitative assessment of movement patterns demonstrated systematic lateral deviations perpendicular to the intended vector, suggesting distortion of depth perception and spatial mapping processes. Longitudinal analysis of adaptation metrics indicated a 42.72% reduction in oscillation frequency between early and late trials, though this effect did not reach conventional statistical significance. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of technologically induced perturbations to spatial cognition and motor control, while establishing trajectory tortuosity as a sensitive metric for quantifying mixed reality performance decrements. The documented adaptation phenomena have significant implications for training protocols in professional applications of mixed reality technology.

Keywords: Head-Mounted Display , Mixed Reality , Spatial Navigation , Tortuosity

Capturing accurate texture maps from physical materials remains a challenge in digital prototyping and projection-based spatial augmented reality (P-SAR). This paper presents an open-source material scanning system based on photometric stereo, designed for affordability, simplicity, and efficient operation. The system combines a consumer-grade digital camera, multifaceted reflector (MR16) LED lighting, and Arduino-controlled automation to acquire material data up to A4 size within 15 s. Accurate colour reproduction is achieved through a hybrid calibration workflow that integrates camera profiling with a 3D lookup table. The resulting images are processed in a streamlined Substance 3D Designer pipeline to generate albedo and normal maps compatible with physically based rendering (PBR). To evaluate performance under realistic conditions, two fabric samples were scanned and qualitatively compared with professionally digitised references. Albedo maps were assessed based on dominant colour accuracy using CIEDE2000 (ΔE00), while normal maps were evaluated through visual rendering comparisons and directional distribution analysis. Scanning and processing times were also measured to verify workflow efficiency. Results demonstrate that the proposed system produces perceptually consistent textures suitable for real-time rendering applications while offering a low-cost and customisable solution for material digitisation.

Keywords: Custom scanner , Material digitisation , PBR textures , Photometric stereo

This study investigates how the immersion level, experienced by users during their interaction with a virtual museum application, affect Visitor Experience and Learning Performance. A between group experimental study, has been conducted in a laboratory setting. A total of 60 participants has been randomly divided in two groups (A and B). Group A used a virtual museum application to interact with two digital replicas of archaeological finds via a low immersive desktop-based interface. Group B interact with the same application using a high immersive HMD-based interface. Immediately after the interaction with the VR application, participants were asked to answer a questionnaire in order to measure their perceived visitor experience (VX), their attitude toward the experience and their learning performance in terms of immediate knowledge retention. The results suggest that the use of HMD-based interface can improve the quality of VX and the attitude toward the experience reported by the participants, but it can negatively affect the resulting learning outcome. These findings emphasize the need for museum curators to find a balance between utilizing technology for attract new visitors and preserving the educational value of the exhibits.

Keywords: Immersion , Learning Performance , Virtual Museum , Virtual Reality , Visitor Experience

The aerospace industry requires an extensive phase of testing, validation, and certification of components and systems. To support those activities, large testing machines are necessary to test full-scale components. The design and installation of such machines can be challenging because of their large dimensions. The SpaceLab project requires designing and manufacturing a machine to simulate the pyroshock capable of simulating the loads acting on payloads during the detaching of rocket stages using explosive bolts. Moreover, a machine is under development to simulate the outgassing of materials in space. To support the design and installation, an Augmented Reality-based tool has been developed to overlay a CAD model of a testing machine in the external environment. A case study has been implemented to show how the tool can support the design and installation activities. The tool has been applied in the field, and good usability, flexibility, and situational awareness results have been noticed.

Keywords: Aerospace , Augmented Reality , Testing machines

This paper aims to evaluate whether augmented reality (AR) visualisations can improve engineering students' learning experience. Three AR applications were developed and then integrated into classroom exercises in a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) course. The students used applications on their smartphones, through which they manipulated AR parts' models, visualised components' main views and assemblies' compositions. Subsequently, students completed a dedicated questionnaire, composed of five sections. Results showed that students prefer innovative visualisation over the traditional one, improving their understanding of complex geometries, views and assemblies. Furthermore, the findings revealed that prior familiarity with AR and VR tools did not significantly influence perceptions. The applications' usability, assessed through the System Usability Scale (SUS), was acceptable, while the Short User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ-S) average scores were highly satisfactory.

Keywords: Augmented Reality , Engineering Education , Innovative Education

With the growing popularity of cycling and walking as modes of transportation, pedestrians and cyclists are often considered vulnerable road users due to their lack of safety and the risk of injuries in collisions with other road users or each other. Understanding pedestrian safety perceptions in mixed-use urban environments is essential for developing safer shared infrastructure. This study analyzes pedestrian risk perception in three cyclist–pedestrian interaction scenario: a blind corner, a crosswalk, and a shared path. Unlike prior studies that focus on pedestrian-vehicle interactions, this study examines perceived risk in cyclist-pedestrian environments using both virtual reality (VR) and matched real-world video conditions. A total of 42 participants experienced all scenarios and provided subjective risk ratings. Results from paired sample t-tests revealed no significant differences in perceived risk between VR and video conditions for all scenarios (p -value ' 0.05). However, shared path conditions showed the highest perceived risk, underlining the need for infrastructure designs that reduce user conflicts, such as physical separation. The study extends the validated use of VR to cyclist–pedestrian conflict scenarios within pedestrian safety research and underscores the importance of designing shared facilities that accommodate the needs of all non-motorized users.

Keywords: Pedestrian–cyclist interaction , Risk perception , Road safety , Virtual reality , Vulnerable users

Co-creation has become increasingly important as companies strive to develop more customer-centric products and services by involving stakeholders throughout the design process. This paper introduces XR-CO, a multi-sensory, multi-user mixed reality co-creation platform. XR-CO utilizes an optical see-through head mounted display to create a 1:1 immersive mixed reality environment over essential physical prototypes, allowing stakeholders to physically interact with functional prototypes inside the digital environment. By incorporating visual, auditory, somatosensory and vestibular senses, XR-CO maximizes collaboration and triggers meaningful interactions among stakeholders, leading to improved co-creation quality. To validate XR-CO's effectiveness, a study was conducted involving 32 participants in co-creation sessions for the development of cabin interiors of a new concept aircraft, the Flying-V. Half of the participants used XR-CO platform, while another half used the conventional desktop co-creation setups. The participants appreciated the XR-CO platforms, as indicated by their high scores in CSI, SUS, co-creation experience, and quantity of ideas in terms of quantitative data analysis. Additionally, 4D scanning of participants movements demonstrated that XR-CO provided a true-to-life perception of the digital space. XR-CO facilitated the discovery of more design issues compared to conventional setups, a finding affirmed by an expert panel using qualitative Delphi techniques. The positive user experience and meaningful outcomes observed in these co-creation sessions serve as strong evidence of the efficacy of the XR-CO platform, particularly the newly introduced somatosense. In summary, our study highlights the significance of XR-CO in co-creation processes. The platform's immersive nature, combined with the integration of multiple sensory inputs, fosters collaboration, enriches interactions, and ultimately leads to improved outcomes.

Keywords: Co-creation , Co-creation platform , Collaboration , Extended reality

Extended Reality (XR) Technologies enable the creation of immersive and interactive environments in which it is possible to safely test products and operational contexts at an early design stage. Such capability makes XR simulations extremely significant for the actual development of innovative modes of transport Urban Air Mobility (UAM). In fact, the implementation of transport of goods and passengers with autonomous and electrical vehicles in urban areas is still in its starting phase and, to efficiently progress, it requires testing, collaboration and visualization between different stakeholders with different needs and backgrounds. Moreover, XR can efficiently support the prediction of the social impact of UAM solutions. Since each UAM mission scenario involves visualizing one or more specific aircraft in a specific environment, there is a need to create a diverse library of 3D scenarios that are ready for simulation and can be tailored as required. These scenarios are based on 3D models of environments and aircraft that must meet complex functional and user requirements. This paper reports on a list of requirements for UAM 3D aircraft models for XR simulations, as well as the process for generating 3D UAM aircraft models to populate a database tailored for UAM XR-based simulations. The proposed four-phase process named identification, screening, tailoring and inclusion, is designed to simplify the modelling workflow, facilitating rapid model reuse and integration in XR environments.

Keywords: Advanced Air Mobility , Urban Air Mobility , XR Extended Reality

Road safety is still a critical concern for all countries of the world since most of the reports state that traffic fatalities remain very high. Despite the reduction of fatal situations while driving, traffic collisions, especially due to unsafe behaviors, are the leading cause of death among young individuals. Governments use safety campaigns to promote safer driving, but traditional methods such as videos conveyed through 2D screens may have a limited impact. Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR), with its immersive features, could offer a more effective way to deliver road safety messages. This study proposes a between-subject design to explore how CVR influences attitudes, behaviors, and physiological responses related to traffic safety. A sample of 95 young participants, split into two groups, watched either a fear-based or a positive-based 360° CVR video. They completed the Attitudes Towards Traffic Safety (ATTS) and Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) at different stages (before and after CVR experience and in follow-up condition), as well as a User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) and a Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire (VRSQ). ECG data were collected during the CVR experience to assess physiological response. The results demonstrate that CVR significantly impacts safety attitudes and behavior, with a statistically stronger effect observed in the fear-based approach. Furthermore, CVR markedly impacts users' physiological responses, as evidenced by ECG analysis. Physiological data underscore CVR's effectiveness in engaging users and reveal that responses vary significantly based on the nature of the immersive experience, highlighting CVR's potential as a targeted intervention tool for traffic safety education.

Keywords: Cinematic virtual reality , Educational intervention , Physiological response , Risky driving , Road safety , Young drivers

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) is emerging as a valuable technology in the hospitality industry for offering interactive ways to enhance customer experience. AI-driven agents are also gaining traction as a promising solution for providing personalized assistance. Few studies have effectively evaluated the impact of these technologies on users within hotel services in a real-world application. This study addresses the impact of an AI-driven virtual agent that acts as a receptionist in the context of a hotel. Traditional hotel booking and information systems, such as static websites, may not effectively address specific user queries, especially when searching for detailed or context-specific information. To investigate this potential limitation, a user study was conducted to compare an AI-driven agent receptionist in an IVR environment and a traditional website interface as a baseline in terms of information retrieval, usability, and user feedback. The findings reveal promising results, indicating that the AI-driven receptionist is highly effective for information retrieval and is perceived as both interactive and engaging.

Keywords: Conversational AI , Embodied Virtual Agent , Hospitality Industry , Immersive Virtual Reality , Virtual Assistant

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) has become increasingly important in cultural heritage applications. Recent advances, such as the integration of virtual agents and Artificial Intelligence (AI), have further reshaped the IVR landscape, paving the way for new applications with potential impact. Despite extensive research on their application, the user experience and usability of cultural content for end users remain largely overlooked. This study aims to conduct a preliminary analysis of an AI-powered virtual agent's impact on users in the context of cultural heritage. Participants could interact freely with the virtual agent, simulating a conversation about questions and curiosities as they would with an expert museum guide. A user study has been conducted, comparing two methods of information delivery in an IVR museum environment: a traditional explanatory panel and an AI virtual agent. Metrics collected were the time spent during each condition, the systems' overall user experience, and usability. The results suggest that virtual agents capture the user's attention more and encourage prolonged interaction due to novelty. However, the study also highlights the need to combine both methods to achieve optimal user engagement and usability.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence , Cultural Heritage , Immersive Virtual Reality , User Experience , Virtual Agent

The rapidly changing industrial landscape is causing companies to quickly adapt to new market demands. Major players in the mining and construction sectors are undergoing disruptive trends, including digitalisation and servitizations. Simulations and Digital Twins enable more flexible fleet management, advanced monitoring, prediction, and decision support. However, there is a need for making these support systems more accessible for all the stakeholders involved, from operators to site managers and higher ranks. A possibility is to leverage the explanatory capabilities of eXtended Reality and Artificial Intelligence. This preliminary research study examined three Decision Support System solutions that were characterised by different levels of visualisation, contextualisation, and immersion. A qualitative study of N = 10 industry experts provided insights that were coded into design guidelines. Practitioners identified an increasing demand for scalable, user-centric solutions that support stakeholders throughout the decision-making process. XR and AI were well-received, and the importance of integrating value-driven design principles to ensure system trustworthiness and usability was widely acknowledged. Highlights Development of three DecisionSupport Systems with varying immersion and functionalities (e.g. XR and AI) for quarry vehicle management. Analysis of criticalities and potential of existing solutions through focus groups with industry experts. Definition of a set of guidelines and insights to support Decision Support Systems designers and decision makers.

Keywords: artificial intelligence , Decision support systems , extended reality , focus group , guidelines