Hybrid Extended reAliTy (HEAT) paves the way for next-generation distributed experiences by overcoming challenges that once confined immersive environments to the imagination. This innovative project envisions users being holo-ported into captured, omnidirectional, hyper-realistic 3D spaces, allowing them to fully experience diverse atmospheres. By enabling seamless sharing of these immersive encounters across locations, HEAT transforms how people interact with both virtual and real worlds, merging digital creativity with tangible reality.
HEAT’s proposal integrates immersive media technologies – including point cloud, holographic imaging, multi-sensorial media, and Social VR – into a multi-user, feedback-enabled communication system. It exploits agile 3D data acquisition techniques and establishes a scalable pipeline for efficient encoding, processing, storage, streaming, and rendering of diverse media formats. The project will provide four well-designed and fully tested scenarios in real-world environments for enhanced XR experiences: a blended learning, a modern theatre act, a music festival and an opera show. All pilot actions will be developed in compliance with the GDPR and the privacy & ethics by design methodology.
Project portal: https://heat-xr.eu/
Budget: 6.993.207,50 €
Funding: European Commission-EU – HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions – HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-CNECT – HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-21
Duration: June 2024 – June 2027
Research Area: Immersive Multimedia and Metaverse
Principal Investigator: Maurizio Murroni
