SPIRIT Open Call 2 set out to identify and support innovative applications that push the boundaries of real-time immersive telepresence. With 62 proposals submitted, the response demonstrated a strong and growing interest in this groundbreaking technology and the opportunities it presents.
The diversity of the submissions highlights just how far-reaching immersive telepresence applications can be. From healthcare and education to entertainment, tourism, manufacturing, and beyond, the ideas submitted showcased creative approaches and forward-thinking solutions. Out of the 62 proposals, 37 were evaluated as feasible, reflecting the high quality and relevance of the submissions. Participants included academia, research and scientific institutions, as well as dynamic SMEs, highlighting a vibrant mix of expertise and perspectives.
This enthusiastic participation underscores the increasing recognition of immersive telepresence as a key technology for the future, capable of fostering connection, collaboration, and innovation.
Announcing the Winners of Open Call 2
Today, we are thrilled to announce the 16 winning projects from Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Hungary, and Finland, selected to join the SPIRIT ecosystem. These projects will contribute to the advancement of immersive telepresence across Europe.
- Enhancing Telepresence: Real-Time Avatars in Tourism and culture (ANNETTE) by Aimilia Bantouna from WINGS ICT Solutions
- Therapy-based Reduction of Uncomfortable Experiences Safely in Extended Reality Spaces (TRUST-XR) by George Raptis from Human Opsis
- Identity and Access Management for Immersive Ecosystems (IMMERSE) by Nikos Fotiou from ExcID
- QoE evaluations for multi-cloud streaming (QEST) by Simone Porcu from University of Cagliari and SJM TECH
- Electrical Buddy (EBD) by Christos Stefanatos from Parity Platform P.C.
- Exploring Real-time Transcoding of V-PCC Streams as a Service (RABBIT@SCALE) by Prof. Dr. Amr Rizk from Leibniz University Hannover
- Embodied Dialogue by Damian Ciachorowski, Uri Noy Meir, Dr. Anne-Marie Voorhoeve, and Sebastian Jung from Answer42 Sp. z o.o.
- Real-time HYbrid Test for Harmonic Music (RHTYHM) by Natasja Paulssen from Dutch Rose Media
- Virtual Immersive Solutions for Tourism and Architecture in Extended Reality (VISTA-XR) by Isida Karpuzi and Nikhil Mandrekar from The Carbon Games
- QUIC to Enhance SPIRIT’s Telepresence (QUEST) by Felicián Németh from HUN-REN Office for Supported Research Groups (HUN-REN TKI)
- Emotion Modeling for Personalized Avatars Telepresence in Heritage Interaction (EMPATHI) by Annalisa Mombelli from RE:LAB
- Audio Rendering for Augmented Reality Telepresence (AURA) by PI Prof. Tapio Lokki from Aalto University
- Eligence Immersive Cognitive Training (ELICT) by Stamatis Poulimenos, Olga Chatzifoti, and Christina Chrysanthopoulou from Maggioli S.p.A. and Alzheimer Athens
- Artificial Intelligence and Video Codec Enhancements for Realistic Avatar Telepresence (AIVATAR) by Alberto Gómez from Fluendo
- Holographic Optimized Processing Engine (HOPE) by Andreas Vasilakis, Nikolaos Vitsas, and Anastasios Gkaravelis from PHASMATIC, and Georgios Papaioannou from AUEB-RC
- Robot teleoperation through immersive environments (ROTIE) by Óscar González Represas and Héctor J. Pérez Iglesias from ITG
The selected proposals cover a wide array of vertical sectors, highlighting the versatile promise of immersive telepresence technology. Some of the chosen projects concentrate on areas like entertainment, VR learning environment, training, and manufacturing, while others address needs in healthcare, retail, education, and tourism.
Watch the video below to get an overview of the winning projects and stay tuned for more updates as we follow their progress!