ViWAS at NEM Summit 2026 - Capacity Building in Media

On the 3^rd of November 2026 (between 11:30–12:30), I participated in the 17^th NEM Summit 2026, held in Valencia, Spain, as part of the panel discussion “Capacity-building in media: XR, AI, and new training needs for media professionals”. The discussion focused on the transformation of the media industry through Artificial Intelligence (AI), Extended Reality (XR), and virtual worlds, highlighting the growing need for technical, creative, interdisciplinary, and ethical competencies. I presented the main objectives of the ViWAS project, a four-year initiative co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme, bringing together 39 beneficiary and associated partners from 16 European countries to establish a sustainable European skills ecosystem for immersive technologies.

I emphasised the importance of reskilling and upskilling media professionals through innovative training approaches, including immersive learning environments, AI-supported educational tools, and collaborative virtual spaces. I highlighted how ViWAS aims to address existing skills gaps by developing a European Competence and Qualifications Framework, flexible training programmes, and Teach-the-Teacher activities targeting 300 instructors. The discussion also addressed challenges related to accessibility, standardisation, educational effectiveness, and collaboration between academia, industry, and society. A key message was that XR is not only a technology that professionals need to learn, but also a powerful tool for transforming how they learn, enabling more interactive, practical, and inclusive educational experiences.

More information:

https://www.euroxr.org/conference-2026/program-overview

Adaptive-Focus Displays Enhance Interaction in XR

Researchers from the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan, collaborating with international partners, have demonstrated that adaptive-focus (varifocal) displays can significantly improve interaction performance in AR and VR. Conventional AR and VR headsets typically present virtual objects at a fixed focal distance, creating a mismatch between eye convergence and focusing, known as the vergence-accommodation conflict (VAC). To address this limitation, the researchers developed a varifocal AR display that dynamically adjusts its focal distance to match the perceived depth of virtual objects. In experiments involving 3D pointing tasks, participants using the adaptive-focus display demonstrated significantly faster movements and improved interaction efficiency without compromising accuracy.

The research involved an initial study with 24 participants and a second evaluation with 12 additional participants. Results suggest that adaptive-focus technology could enable more natural and efficient interactions with virtual objects, particularly during movements involving changes in depth. However, improvements varied across individuals, highlighting the importance of considering differences in visual perception when designing immersive systems. The researchers also acknowledged limitations, including the prototype's restricted field of view and lack of eye-tracking capabilities. Future research will focus on understanding individual differences and developing personalized adaptive-focus displays, potentially paving the way for more effective and intuitive AR and VR experiences.

More information:

https://techxplore.com/news/2026-11-focus-displays-virtual-augmented-reality.html

Augmented Reality Enhances Customer Engagement in Fashion Retail

A new study, involving 865 Chinese consumers, reveals that AR technologies significantly enhance customer engagement in online fashion retail by creating immersive shopping experiences. Researchers examined four key AR features: realism, interactivity, personalization, and usability. They found that all positively influences psychological immersion. This heightened immersion encourages customers to advocate for brands through recommendations and actively participate in co-creation activities, such as providing feedback and contributing ideas. Interestingly, psychological immersion did not significantly influence basic shopping participation, suggesting that immersive AR experiences are particularly effective in fostering deeper emotional connections and brand loyalty rather than simply encouraging routine shopping interactions.

The findings highlight the importance of designing AR shopping experiences that prioritize realistic visualizations, personalized interactions, and engaging features to strengthen customer relationships. The study also identified differences in consumer motivations, showing that risk-averse shoppers are less likely to translate immersion into creative engagement, while highly promotion-focused consumers may respond less positively to immersive experiences in certain contexts. For fashion retailers, the research suggests that AR should be viewed not merely as a product visualization tool but as a strategic technology for encouraging brand advocacy, customer creativity, and long-term engagement. However, the researchers acknowledge limitations related to the study's reliance on self-reported survey data and its focus on young Chinese consumers.

More information:

https://bioengineer.org/augmented-reality-in-fashion-retail-boosts-brand-advocacy-and-co-creation-through-psychological-immersion-chinese-survey-finds/

Remote Transmission of Smells

Researchers from Ohio State University have developed Scentronic, an innovative digital scent technology capable of detecting and recreating aromas remotely through the internet. The system combines an electronic nose equipped with chemical sensors and artificial intelligence to identify specific smells, such as coffee, oranges, cake, beer, and red wine. Once identified, the scent information is transmitted digitally to a remote device that releases corresponding fragrances. Researchers have developed compact scent generators in wearable formats, including wristbands and necklaces, potentially introducing smell as a new dimension of digital communication alongside sight and sound.

The technology could significantly enhance XR, online shopping, and remote social interactions by enabling users to experience scents associated with virtual environments, products, or distant locations. However, Scentronic remains an experimental prototype with several limitations, including its ability to recognize only five predefined aromas and the challenge of accurately reproducing complex smells. Further research is needed to expand its scent library, improve recognition accuracy, miniaturize devices, and address safety and manufacturing considerations. Despite these challenges, the development represents a promising step toward more immersive, multisensory digital experiences.

More information:

https://thearabweekly.com/new-digital-scent-technology-can-detect-and-transmit-aromas-remotely

Seven-Minute VR Experience Reduces Student Stress and Exam Anxiety

A new study from City St George’s, University of London, demonstrates that a seven-minute VR intervention can significantly reduce stress and exam anxiety among students. Researchers recruited 131 healthcare students and randomly assigned them to experience a relaxation programme either through VR headsets or smartphones over five consecutive days. The programme combined breathing exercises, visualisation, positive coping strategies, and immersive audiovisual environments. Although both groups experienced improvements, VR participants reported significantly greater reductions in stress and anxiety, alongside increased calmness and happiness. These benefits also included lower perceived stress levels at a two-week follow-up.

The findings highlight VR's potential as an accessible and effective tool for supporting student mental health. Notably, 89% of VR participants reported meaningful emotional benefits, compared with just 34% of smartphone users. Students described feeling more focused, confident, and capable of managing academic pressures, with some reporting improved sleep and productivity. Researchers suggest that short, immersive VR sessions could be integrated into educational well-being programmes, providing students with practical stress-management strategies before anxiety becomes overwhelming. The study demonstrates the promising role of immersive technologies in promoting psychological well-being and academic resilience.

More information:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/seven-minute-virtual-reality-intervention-helps-students-tackle-stress-and-exam-anxiety/ar-AA2fGgdF

Gene Therapy and Special Goggles Restore Limited Vision in Blind Patients

Scientists have developed an experimental treatment combining gene therapy with specialised goggles to restore limited vision in people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disease that progressively destroys the retina’s light-sensitive cells. The treatment uses optogenetics, a technique that introduces a light-sensitive protein called ChrimsonR into retinal ganglion cells, enabling them to respond to light. Special goggles capture visual information and convert it into pulses of amber light that stimulate these modified cells, allowing visual signals to reach the brain. In a study, seven of ten participants experienced improved light sensitivity, demonstrating the potential of this approach to partially restore sight.

The results represent a promising advance in treating inherited blindness. Four of eight participants who completed behavioural testing could perform basic visual tasks, such as locating doorways or following lines, while wearing the goggles. However, the restored vision remains limited, with participants unable to recognise faces or read text. The treatment also requires an intact optic nerve to transmit visual information to the brain, restricting its suitability for certain forms of blindness. Despite these limitations, researchers consider the findings an important proof of concept and hope that further improvements will enable more sophisticated visual abilities.

More information:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cells-detect-light-blind-vision

Brain Implants Offer New Hope for Restoring Speech

Scientists are developing brain implants that help people who have lost their ability to speak due to conditions such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, strokes and brain injuries. BCIs, detect electrical signals from the brain and use artificial intelligence to translate them into words or speech. One remarkable example is an ALS patient who received brain implants in 2023. Technology has allowed him to communicate nearly two million words, reconnect with his family and participate in everyday conversations. Researchers are also developing systems that can produce speech almost instantly, bringing them closer to restoring natural communication.

Despite these breakthroughs, technology remains experimental and faces challenges, including high costs, invasive surgery, limited portability and occasional inaccuracies in translating brain signals. Scientists are working on smaller wireless implants and more advanced AI systems that could reproduce natural speech patterns, emotions and gestures. Although widespread availability is not guaranteed, researchers believe these innovations could dramatically improve the quality of life for people with severe speech impairments, restoring not only their ability to communicate but also their independence and personal connections.

More information:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/brain-implants-restore-voices-injuries

XREAL 1 Pro+

REAL has officially launched its new flagship augmented reality glasses, the XREAL 1 Pro+, priced at $599, introducing several improvements over the original One Pro released in 2025. The updated glasses feature significantly brighter Sony micro-OLED displays, increasing peak brightness from 700 to 1,200 nits, alongside AI-powered High Dynamic Range technology for enhanced image quality. The device retains its 1920 × 1080 resolution per eye, 57-degree field of view, 120Hz refresh rate, and proprietary X1 spatial computing chip. Additional enhancements include a redesigned ergonomic nose pad system for improved comfort and stability, while maintaining Bose-powered audio and 3DOF spatial tracking.

A notable advancement is the improved real-time 2D-to-3D content conversion, which now operates at 60 frames per second instead of 30, enabling smoother immersive viewing experiences. Although the XREAL 1 Pro+ resembles standalone smart glasses, it still requires a USB-C connection to compatible smartphones, laptops, or gaming devices. The glasses also support optional six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking through an external accessory. Available from October 15, 2026, the XREAL 1 Pro+ represents an incremental but meaningful upgrade, focusing on visual quality, spatial viewing, and user comfort rather than introducing an entirely new hardware platform.

More information:

https://roadtovr.com/xreal-1-pro-plus-release-date-price/

The Walking Robotic Hand

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an innovative autonomous robotic hand capable of walking on its fingers while simultaneously performing manipulation tasks. Unlike conventional robotic systems that require separate mechanisms for mobility and object interaction, this approach transforms a commercially available five-fingered robotic hand into a self-contained mobile robot. Using AI and reinforcement learning, the researchers trained the hand in simulation to navigate different surfaces, maintain balance, recover from falls, press keyboard keys, and push objects. Equipped with a compact onboard computer, battery, and motion sensors, the robotic hand successfully traversed 14 different surfaces, achieved an average walking speed of 9 centimetres per second, and demonstrated autonomous object manipulation. Its learning framework addresses the challenges posed by the hand's asymmetrical structure, enabling coordinated finger movements for both locomotion and manipulation.

The research introduces a promising direction for autonomous modular robotics, where individual robotic components can dynamically switch between different functions rather than remaining permanently assigned to specific tasks. Potential applications include industrial maintenance, inspection of confined environments, search-and-rescue operations, and advanced robotic manipulation in spaces inaccessible to conventional robotic arms. By combining mobility, dexterity, and intelligent control within a single compact platform, the technology could contribute to a new generation of adaptable, multifunctional robotic systems. Nevertheless, challenges remain regarding autonomous perception, navigation, mechanical durability, and reliability in complex environments. The broader vision is to develop robotic architectures in which individual components can operate independently or collaboratively, improving flexibility and adaptability across real-world applications.

More information:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/walking-robotic-hand

ViWAS Presentation - Future of Virtual Worlds

I participated in the 7^thmeeting of the European Commission’s Virtual Worlds Steering Group, held on 8 October 2026, delivering a presentation entitled “Future of Virtual Worlds: ViWAS – Virtual Worlds Skills Academy.” The presentation explored the rapidly evolving landscape of virtual worlds, highlighting advances in Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), immersive displays, spatial computing, digital humans, and intelligent virtual environments. Particular emphasis was placed on their transformative potential across education, cultural heritage, healthcare, industry, and digital collaboration, alongside critical challenges related to interoperability, accessibility, technological limitations, privacy, and sustainability. Prof. Liarokapis also introduced the ViWAS (Virtual Worlds Skills Academy) project, which aims to address Europe's emerging digital skills gap through innovative learning pathways, a pan-European competence and qualification framework, interoperable learning infrastructure, and inclusive educational opportunities for learners, educators, and professionals.

The presentation highlighted the initial research activities of ViWAS, including its Baseline Data Research Phase 1, focusing on identifying skills requirements and engaging stakeholders from industry, higher education, and vocational education and training. A key scientific contribution was the Extended Six-Dimensional Framework for Intelligent XR Learning Environments (6D-XR Framework), which integrates learner characteristics, pedagogical design, immersive representation, contextual environments, adaptive intelligence, and ethical and sustainability considerations. The presentation also introduced the project's emerging XR learning ecosystem and demonstration platform, illustrating how AI-supported personalisation, open educational resources, and interoperable technologies can facilitate accessible and future-ready immersive education. Through its participation in this European-level dialogue, CYENS reinforces its commitment to advancing responsible virtual worlds technologies, strengthening European digital competences, and fostering collaboration between research, education, industry, and policymakers.

More information:

https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/meetings/consult?lang=en&meetingId=76421

Wearable Human Body

Engineers at Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering have developed a wireless system that allows wearable devices and tiny medical implants to communicate directly through the body’s tissues. Called SWANS (Smart Wireless Autonomous Networking System), the technology takes inspiration from the nervous system and uses the body’s natural ionic conductivity to transmit small electrical signals. Unlike conventional Bluetooth or NFC connections, which struggle to penetrate tissue and require relatively large antennas and substantial power, SWANS enables sensors and therapeutic devices located in different parts of the body to coordinate without being physically connected or positioned close together.

The researchers demonstrated the approach by creating a network of sensors and neural interfaces that coordinated limb movement in an animal model. Because the system requires very little power, implants can be made smaller than 3 millimeters, potentially allowing them to be inserted using a syringe rather than surgery. Sensors could eventually detect biological changes and automatically instruct another device to deliver medication, stimulate a nerve, or perform another therapeutic action at the appropriate location. Researchers vision SWANS as a step toward personalized bioelectronic medicine in which distributed sensors, wearables, and implants work together to monitor health and deliver treatments when needed.

More information:

https://coe.gatech.edu/news/2026/09/engineers-connect-health-wearables-and-implants-using-body-network

Smart Contact Lens Measures Stress Through Tears

Researchers have developed a lab on a contact lens capable of detecting serotonin in tears, potentially enabling continuous, noninvasive monitoring of stress and other physiological changes. The soft, reusable hydrogel lens incorporates flexible graphene and silver electrodes, with ferrocene helping it selectively detect extremely low serotonin concentrations. Laboratory tests showed sensitivity well below typical serotonin levels found in human tears, while experiments involving 10 volunteers found that tear serotonin decreased after stressful public-speaking and mathematics tasks. Testing on an anesthetized pig also demonstrated serotonin detection without signs of short-term irritation or infection.

The technology could eventually shift wearable health monitoring beyond physical measurements such as heart rate and temperature toward continuous biochemical sensing. Researchers have already produced a proof-of-concept wireless version using NFC for battery-free sensing and smartphone data transmission. However, substantial validation and safety testing remain necessary, particularly to understand how tear serotonin varies among individuals and relates to blood biomarkers and clinical assessments. Future versions could simultaneously measure serotonin, cortisol, and other molecules, potentially turning contact lenses into wearable platforms that provide a richer picture of stress and physiological health throughout everyday life.

More information:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/serotonin-stress-smart-contact-lens

Brain Waves May Underpin Cognition and Consciousness

A new theory from MIT proposes that cognition and consciousness emerge partly through analog computations performed by traveling electrical brain waves, rather than solely through fixed neural circuits and synaptic connections. While synapses provide the underlying infrastructure for storing memories, goals, and knowledge, researchers argue that they are too slow to explain the brain’s ability to rapidly reorganize information. Instead, rhythmic waves coordinate large populations of neurons in real time. Slower alpha and beta waves may regulate faster gamma activity associated with sensory information, dynamically determining which neural ensembles become active at places and moments. The interaction and interference of these waves could therefore enable parallel, analog forms of spatiotemporal computing.

The researchers extend this framework to consciousness, proposing that conscious experience emerges when brain-wave patterns organize activity across the cortex into a coherent, globally integrated state. Evidence from anesthesia studies supports this possibility: different anesthetic drugs can produce unconsciousness while disrupting large-scale wave dynamics despite acting through different molecular mechanisms. However, the authors emphasize that this remains a theory, and direct experimental evidence that brain waves perform the proposed analog computations is still needed. If confirmed, the framework could reshape models of cognition and potentially inspire treatments that target brain-wave dynamics, which can sometimes be influenced non-invasively.

More information:

https://www.technology.org/2026/09/19/cognition-and-consciousness-arise-from-analog-computations-says-new-theory/

AI Takes Root in Farming

Farmers are adopting artificial intelligence more readily than many other emerging technologies. Agriculture is particularly suited to AI because farms generate large amounts of data from machinery, sensors, satellites, weather services and field observations. AI can turn this information into practical recommendations, helping farmers predict yields, identify pests and diseases, optimise irrigation and fertiliser use, and make better operational decisions. Generative AI is also emerging as a kind of virtual agronomist, allowing farmers to obtain advice through natural-language queries and potentially making sophisticated agricultural knowledge easier to access.

Targeted applications of AI could generate around $100 billion in additional on-farm value globally. The appeal is largely driven by measurable benefits, higher productivity, reduced input and labour costs, improved resource efficiency and greater resilience to increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions. However, adoption is not uniform. Connectivity, data quality, affordability and concerns over control of farm data remain significant obstacles, particularly for smaller farms and farmers in regions with limited digital infrastructure. The broader message is that AI is gaining traction in agriculture because it can address concrete, everyday farming problems.

More information:

https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/farmers-embracing-ai-more-other-110000541.html

Brain Implant Enables Speech and Gestures Through an Avatar

Researchers at the University of California developed a BCI that allows people with severe paralysis to communicate using both speech and upper-body gestures through a digital avatar. The system uses one implant containing 253 electrodes positioned on the surface of the sensorimotor cortex to capture neural activity associated with attempted speech and movements. Machine-learning algorithms decode these signals in real time, enabling an animated avatar to speak while simultaneously performing gestures such as waving or nodding. The study involved two participants with severe paralysis and demonstrated that neural signals for speech and movement can be extracted from the same cortical region and translated into coordinated communication.

The research represents a step toward BCIs that reproduce the richness of natural human communication rather than simply generating text, speech, or cursor movements. Because conversation relies heavily on non-verbal cues, combining vocal expression with gestures could make interactions more intuitive and socially expressive for people affected by conditions such as ALS or brainstem stroke. Importantly, the findings suggest that a single neural interface can support multiple functions simultaneously, potentially reducing the need for separate implants dedicated to different tasks. The researchers ultimately envision multifunctional systems capable of restoring a broader range of communication and interaction abilities for people with severe paralysis.

More information:

https://www.science.org/content/article/single-brain-implant-lets-paralyzed-people-both-talk-and-gesture-avatar

Beijing’s Robot Kindergarten

A new robot kindergarten has opened in Beijing’s Shijingshan district to explore a different approach to training robots: allowing them to learn continuously through physical interaction, touch, trial and error, rather than relying primarily on human demonstrations. The facility was jointly established by tactile-sensing company Tashan Technology and a team led by Turing Award winner and reinforcement-learning pioneer Richard Sutton. Robots repeatedly attempt movements, receive feedback from their environment and modify their behaviour based on the results, for example, learning to avoid an obstacle after colliding with it. Sutton described the facility as a controlled environment where robots can learn about their own bodies and the physical world, making mistakes an essential source of training data.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to develop robots capable of continuous, autonomous learning after deployment, rather than having their behaviour largely fixed by pre-training, simulation or teleoperation. Researchers argue that robots could eventually generate their own experience-based datasets and potentially share what individual machines learn across common models, helping them adapt to situations not covered during initial training. Significant challenges remain, particularly hardware durability and the complexity of learning sophisticated humanoid behaviours. For now, autonomous experiential learning is expected to complement rather than replace imitation learning and simulation, while potentially becoming increasingly important as robots enter factories, services and homes.

More information:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202609/1369570.shtml

Brain Implant Controlled Across Continents

Researchers from KAIST and Yonsei University have demonstrated a wireless brain implant that can be controlled across continents. Their system, called RAPIDO, received commands sent from Chicago to a laboratory in Daejeon, South Korea with an average response time of about 109 milliseconds. Designed for experiments with freely moving animals, the implant combines two capabilities: precisely delivering drugs into specific brain regions and providing targeted light stimulation for optogenetic experiments. Its refillable cartridge and internet-based control could enable longer-term studies while reducing the need for researchers to physically approach or repeatedly handle experimental animals.

In experiments with rats, RAPIDO successfully delivered controlled doses of cocaine into the nucleus accumbens over several weeks, producing measurable dose-dependent behavioral effects. In a separate experiment, researchers used the implant's light stimulation to activate the RhoA signaling pathway, preventing rats from developing the same learned preference for a cocaine-associated environment. The researchers stress that this does not constitute a treatment for addiction; rather, the work demonstrates a platform for remotely manipulating specific neural processes and studying their effects on behavior. Significant challenges must be addressed before such technology could be considered for human clinical applications.

More information:

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-brain-implant-in-korea-was-just-controlled-from-the-us