GuestXR showcases XR innovations at IEEE VR 2025 in Saint-Malo
The GuestXR project carried out wide dissemination at the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR) 2025 in Saint-Malo, France, where it showcased interactive demos, and research results in the form of tutorials, workshops and panel discussions.
Throughout the event, GuestXR partners engaged with researchers, industry leaders, and the VR community, strengthening its role in shaping the future of immersive technologies.
One of the key moments of the conference was the mixed reality panel Where will extended reality and AI take us?, which took place on March 12. This discussion , led by the project technical coordinator Mel Slater, brought together experts to explore the role of AI and XR in human interaction, combining real-world insights with virtual perspectives.
GuestXR also contributed to the academic and professional discourse at IEEE VR 2025 through three tutorials. On March 8, Mel Slater from the University of Barcelona led a session on XR and the Metaverse in Clinical Applications, demonstrating how virtual reality is enhancing psychological interventions and rehabilitation.
Later that day, Joanna Luberadzka from Eurecat introduced attendees to 3D Sound with a tutorial on spatial audio perception and Unity integration, providing experience in spatial sound simulation for immersive environments.
On March 9, Doron Friedman from Reichman University led the session “Building and Regulating the Metaverse”, addressing the ethical and regulatory challenges in the evolving metaverse landscape.
The conference also featured the presentation of two scientific papers based on GuestXR partners. On March 9, within the 1st International Workshop on Spatial Memory in XR (XRMemory), Esen K. Tütüncü from the University of Barcelona introduced the work “Perception in Flux: Investigating Memory and Attention During Gradual Environmental Transformations in Virtual Reality” which explores how subtle changes in VR spaces affect memory and perception.
On the other hand, the paper “Influence of haptic feedback on perception of threat and peripersonal space in social VR”, presented on March 10 by Jeanne Hecquard from Inria, examines how social touch and haptic feedback shape interactions with virtual agents, providing valuable data for enhancing presence and immersion in social virtual experiences.
GuestXR’s presence at IEEE VR 2025 also included live demonstrations. Attendees had the opportunity to experience an immersive simulation that allowed them to understand the challenges of hearing aid users in complex acoustic environments.
Another demo transported participants into a game designed to illustrate the consequences of unsustainable resource consumption. This experience, powered by AI, encouraged players to reflect on their decision-making and its impact on the environment.
This demo was selected as one of the participants of the 3DUI contest organised by the conference, awarding the best demo promoting environmental sustainability in collaborative virtual environments.
Additionally, the project counted with a stand at the exhibition area of the conference, where attendants were informed about the project main activities. Attendees could also test some of the demos developed within the project.
The IEEE VR conference is the premier international event for the presentation of research results in the broad areas of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. Since 1993, IEEE VR has presented research and accomplishments by virtual reality pioneers: scientists, engineers, designers, and artists.
