XR SALENTO 2026

Scientific Programme

Programme under construction.
Here you can find the list of the open Special Sessions.

Special sessions have the main aim of creating a mini-workshop on a specific topic, where researchers working on the same issues can get to know each other, familiarize, exchange ideas and create cooperation.
Special Sessions are being developed by designated chairs.

If you, as an author, have a paper that could be included in one of these sessions, you may submit your paper selecting your favourite session. If the abstract is not selected for the session, it may be included in another part of the technical program.

To submit papers to the special session, follow the submission instructions for regular sessions, but remind to specify the special session to which the paper is directed.

If you are interested in organizing a special session, carefully follow the Guidelines available HERE.

XR for Art, Design, and Entertainment #1

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With the wide availability of Extended Reality (XR) for many different target groups these technologies are creating new forms of interaction, storytelling and artistic expression. These immersive experiences are increasingly shaping both the art world and entertainment formats, offering exciting opportunities for creative, cultural and economic development. This thematic session provides a forum for the interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge, the presentation of innovative research and artistic contributions, and the identification of future issues and potentials in the field of XR for art, design, and entertainment.
We cordially invite researchers, artists, designers, and industry practitioners to submit their contributions. The session aims to foster discourse on artistic, technological, and design aspects in the context of Extended Reality (XR)—encompassing Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality—and to explore synergies between research, art, design practice, and entertainment.

TOPICS
- Artistic Applications and Installations
- Research on Performing Arts / Fine Arts
- User Experience & Aesthetic Practice & Interaction Design
- Technological Innovations for Art, Design, Culture, Entertainment
- Narratives and Storytelling
- Entertainment, Games, and Virtual Worlds
- Cultural and Societal Perspectives

ORGANIZERS
Holger Reckter, University of Applied Sciences Mainz; Christian Geiger, University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf.

Egocentric Scene Understanding in the Wild #2

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This session explores methods, models, and applications for automatic understanding of scenes observed from a first person perspective, as they are perceived by the user. In such a context, various kinds of data received from wearable devices (such as smart glasses and XR headsets) can be exploited, with the field of view aligned with the user's gaze and actions.

The session aims at creating a meeting point between computer vision, human-centered AI, and eXtended Reality, promoting scalable solutions that could be used in real-world, uncontrolled scenarios, characterised by high environmental variability, unpredictable lighting, occlusions, sensor noise, and spontaneous user behaviour. The session focuses on challenges related to scene dynamics, user-environment interaction, model generalisation, and robustness of algorithms outside laboratory environments.

TOPICS
- Egocentric vision and first-person scene understanding
- Recognition of actions, activities and intentions from an egocentric perspective
- Understanding hand-object interactions and affordance
- Integration of multimodal signals (video, depth, gaze, IMU, audio)
- Gaze tracking, attention modeling and context awareness
- Robust learning and generalisation in uncontrolled environments
- Egocentric datasets “in the wild” and evaluation protocols
- Self-supervised and continual learning for egocentric data
- XR applications for contextual assistance, industrial training and healthcare
- Implications for privacy, ethics and reliability of egocentric systems

ORGANIZERS
Filippo Maggioli, Pegaso University; Andrea Generosi, Pegaso University; Valerio De Luca, Pegaso University; Diana Marin, Technische Universität Wien.

Extended Reality for Archaeological Heritage: Integration, Validation, Reconstruction and Dissemination #3

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Extended Reality technologies are increasingly reshaping the way archaeological heritage is conserved, interpreted, and managed. By enabling immersive visualisation, data integration, and interactive exploration, XR creates new opportunities to connect physical remains with digital knowledge. XR-based environments that combine 3D models, spatial information, and archaeological documentation support a wide range of activities, from site recording and conservation planning to interpretation and education. This session explores recent research and innovative applications of XR in archaeology, both in museum settings and directly on archaeological sites. Contributors to this session will highlight new approaches that enable virtual reconstructions grounded in documented evidence, advanced spatial analysis, and simulation, while also opening up new forms of storytelling, accessibility, and public engagement. Special attention is given to papers that discuss the integration of diverse archaeological data (3D surveys, photogrammetry, laser scanning, GIS data or stratigraphic information) within immersive and interactive environments. The session also addresses key challenges related to data standardisation, interoperability and the long-term sustainability of digital archaeological resources.

ORGANIZERS
Bruno Rodríguez García, University of Burgos; Carola Gatto, University of Salento; Federica Faggiano, Sapienza University of Rome; Marco Calò, Sapienza University of Rome.

General Track

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The General Track welcomes high-quality research contributions in the field of eXtended Reality (XR) that do not clearly fit within the scope of the available thematic sessions.