How can virtual and augmented reality technologies help people prepare for emergencies, improve interactions with public services, or create new ways of learning? These were among the applications presented by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics – ICI Bucharest at the “1st Regional Workshop to Strengthen the Central, Eastern European and Balkan Virtual Worlds Ecosystem”, held in Budapest, Hungary.
During its presentation, “Romania’s XR Ecosystem”, ICI Bucharest shared examples of how extended reality (XR) technologies can address practical needs. These included a fire evacuation simulation application that allows users to practise emergency scenarios in a virtual environment, an AI-powered virtual public servant exploring new ways for citizens to interact with public services, and an augmented reality application for agritourism.
The institute also presented its XR laboratory, equipped with virtual, augmented and mixed reality devices used to develop, test and evaluate applications. These resources make it possible to experiment with solutions before deploying them in real-world settings.
The event, organised by the Virtual Worlds Partnership (VWP) in collaboration with HUN-REN SZTAKI – Institute for Computer Science and Control, brought together representatives from research, industry and public institutions to discuss the development and use of virtual worlds technologies.
