International Conference on eXtended Reality (XR Salento 2026)
Jun
16
to Jun 20

International Conference on eXtended Reality (XR Salento 2026)

XR Salento gathers global experts to share cutting-edge research and industrial achievements in immersive technology. Set in the historic coastal town of Otranto, the conference fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to expand the boundaries of human perception.

We are excited to contribute to this year's scientific program, where our team will be presenting two research papers detailing our latest work in the field.

Samuel Dossche will present research on using Electrodermal Activity (EDA) to create adaptive VR horror experiences that tailor intensity to individual players in real time. His work demonstrates how anticipatory build-ups can effectively manage sustained player tension, providing an empirical foundation for designing more personalized and intelligent immersive environments.

Quinn Cabooter will present his research on how ultrasonic mid-air haptics (UMAH) enhance responses to startling VR events. By measuring hand-tracking and physiological data, Quinn’s study shows that adding touch feedback significantly increases reaction speed and emotional intensity compared to audiovisual cues alone, proving the value of haptic augmentation for high-impact realism.

If you want to read more about this research, stay tuned and check out our blog posts after the event.

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International Communication Association Conference 2026
Jun
4
to Jun 8

International Communication Association Conference 2026

The 76th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference is a premier global forum for scholars to address the theme of "Communication and Inequalities" in our increasingly digital era.

Aleksandra Zheleva will present her research on the unique social dynamics of Social Virtual Reality (SVR) and the paradox of "Toxic Resilience." Her work examines how the same immersive affordances that create a sense of deep presence also facilitate visceral digital harm, exploring why users often normalize and persist through harassment in these embodied spaces to maintain their social connections.

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Belgian Association for Psychological Sciences       (BAPS 2026)
May
21
to May 22

Belgian Association for Psychological Sciences (BAPS 2026)

This year, the Belgian Association for Psychological Sciences (BAPS) conference is hosted at Ghent University. As a major interdisciplinary platform for psychology, the EMULAB team is stepping out of the lab to present four research papers.

Tina Coenen will present how different message frames in mHealth apps influence help-seeking intentions for depression. She will zoom into how, while empathetic and gain-framed communication is most effective, providing explicit choices may unexpectedly discourage users from seeking help.

Amandine Verstegen will show initial insights into her investigation of whether integrating real-time biofeedback into VR relaxation interventions helps anxiety reduction in emerging adults. By visualizing physiological signals like heart rate within an immersive environment, Amandine’s study seeks to identify the specific value of real-time feedback for stress self-regulation.

Renke Keppens will explore how multimodal data, including hand kinematics and in-ear EEG, can identify individual cognitive workload "phenotypes" during complex LEGO assembly tasks. Her research aims to inform the development of adaptive training systems that respond to a learner's mental and motor demands in real time.

If you want to read more about this research, stay tuned and check out our blog posts after the event.

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TETRA General World Models - 2nd Contact Moment
May
11

TETRA General World Models - 2nd Contact Moment

This will be the second partner contact moment of the TETRA General World Models project, exploring how AI is shaping the future of media, 3D, and virtual realities.

  • Morning Sessions (Project Partners Only | 10:00 – 13:00): Partners will dive deep into the state-of-the-art in generative AI, including its impact on video production, 3D engines, VR emotion regulation, and adaptive real-time virtual tutors.

  • Public Seminar (Open to Everyone | 13:00 – 14:00): Following a lunch break at de Krook café, we open our doors to the public for a compelling seminar starting at 13:10: "Who Owns The Content in an AI-Driven World" presented by Julie Van Pée & Matthias Van Damme.

Come learn about the technical frontiers of AI and join the crucial conversation on content ownership!

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Final Event ExperienceTwin
Sep
25

Final Event ExperienceTwin

  • Telenet The Park Playground - Ghent venue @Dok Noord (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

We will organise the Final Event for the ExperienceTwin Tetra project. This time, we are happy to announce that the event will take place in The Ghent venue of Telenet The Park Playground at Dok Noord 7, 9000 Gent.

More information will follow in the weeks leading up to this event.

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4th Contact Moment ExperienceTwin
Mar
21

4th Contact Moment ExperienceTwin

On the 21st of March 2024, we will organise our fourth contact moment for the ExperienceTwin Tetra project. This time, the event will take place in The LandMarck venue at Weggevoerdenlaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk.

More information will arrive in the weeks leading up to this event.

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3rd Contact Moment ExperienceTwin
Oct
5

3rd Contact Moment ExperienceTwin

On the October the 5th, we will organise our third contact moment for the ExperienceTwin Tetra project. This time, the event will again take place in The Penta at Sint-Martens-Latemlaan 1B, 8500 Kortrijk.

More information will follow in the weeks leading up to this event.

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XR Espresso
Jun
8

XR Espresso

Register for this event via our Eventbrite link

Join us for an exciting evening of exploring the latest in XR technology and networking with like-minded individuals at The Krook! This in-person event will take place on Thursday, June 8th, 2023 at 5:30 PM.

The Krook is located at 1 Miriam Makebaplein, 9000 Gent, making it easily accessible for anyone in the area.

Whether you're a developer, designer, pedagogue, teacher, academy director, HR representative, (planning on) using the technology in your organisation or simply interested in XR, this meetup is the perfect opportunity to learn, share ideas, and connect with others in the industry. Don't miss out on this chance to be a part of the XR community!

provisional agenda:

17u30 - 19u30: talks and demo's from

  • IDLab Antwerp: Wireless Communication and Sensing for Extended Reality

  • imec-mict-UGent: XR Analytics for Improved Ergonomics and Safety

  • Lynx-R: Demo on their Mixed Reality Standalone Headset

  • IPEM: presentation on projects related to art and science

  • Hitlab-Howest: Woodcraft VR - implementing educational principals into VR training

  • more to be announced in coming weeks

19u30 - end : reception and networking

This event is organised by imec-mict-UGent, Hitlab and XR Valley

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2nd Contact Moment ExperienceTwin
Jun
8

2nd Contact Moment ExperienceTwin

On the 8th of June, we will organise our second contact moment for the ExperienceTwin Tetra project. This time, the event will take place in De Krook at Miriam Makebaplein 1, 9000 Gent.

During this evening, you will all get an update on the progress that has been made during the last months concerning the 4 main use cases.
Next to that, you will receive information on what the following steps will be concerning these cases as well as the smaller use cases.

Lastly, there will be workshops to attend that will focus on the different devices that can be used to interact in XR environments. We will provide an extensive overview on the current HMDs (Head Mounted Displays) and how they compare to each other. Next to the technological differences such as Field of View and resolution, we will also cover robustness to different environments, battery life in terms of their optimal use, usability in terms of both VR and AR, …

Mark the 8th of June in your agenda.
More information will follow in the weeks leading up to this event.

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Showcase event - ExperienceTwin in the Homelab 
Feb
16

Showcase event - ExperienceTwin in the Homelab 

The imec/UGent HomeLab is an actual standalone house offering a unique residential test environment for IoT services and smart living. A wide range of IoT technologies are deployed innovation is supported at different stages from concept and co-creation with potential users, to early proof-of-concept testing in a real living environment.

Recently, a digital “experience” twin of this homelab was created by students of Howest-DAE (Digital Arts & Entertainment) and Industrial Design (Faculty of Engineering & Architecture), coordinated by the researchers and developers of research group imec-mict-UGent. More specifically, the Homelab and its objects were modeled with great precision and hardware was designed to make certain objects more “tangible” in the virtual world.

We believe this digital experience twin can be a great tool to conduct UX & usability research when new IoT or smart technologies are developed. Before getting to the development phase, initial prototypes can be simulated in the digital version of the homelab, allowing iterative design before going to physical prototyping. In addition, the digital “experience” twin can be used to generate dummy data or training data for all kinds of sensors, without losing the ecological validity of the human behavior.

During this showcase event on February 16th 2023, researchers from imec, Ghent University or even companies can put on a virtual reality headset and experience the digital twin for themselves. There will be ample opportunities to discuss further collaborations and to network, so don’t hesitate to pass by!

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XR academy: XR for Architecture, Design & Engineering
Feb
2

XR academy: XR for Architecture, Design & Engineering

Leer het potentieel van XR-technologie kennen op het event XR for Design, Architecture & Engineering.   

XR- technologie kan worden ingezet als een ontwerp- en presentatietool. Gebruik XR om jouw ontwerp te visualiseren en/of direct in een realistische omgeving te ervaren. Dankzij XR kunnen architecten hun modellen op basis van BIM-gegevens eenvoudig renderen om zo klanten virtueel mee te nemen in hun verhaal.  

Gebruik XR om samen te werken, veilig te leren werken, creëer digital twins van machines om mensen op te leiden, bedrijfsprocessen te optimaliseren enz. 

Dit event bestaat uit een gezamenlijk deel en break-out sessies.  

Programma (in opbouw)

Introductie  

  • Welkom & ontvangst (vanaf 17u30) 

Gezamenlijk deel – AULA 13, The Penta (vanaf 18u)  

  • 3D/4D, Stedenbouwkundige plannen voor de toekomstMario Matthys (UGent, VUB Cosmopolis, ULiA)  

  • Diverse VR/AR cases in de industrieBert Waltniel (Rhinox)  

  • Ontdek hoe Virtual Reality (VR) ons helpt bij het ontwikkelen van innovatieve producten Jamil Joundi (UGent- MICT- Imec) 

TRACK 1: Architectuur & Design - Aula 13, The Penta (vanaf 18u30)

  • Het Scannen, Ontwerpen en Virtualiseren van jouw Projecten – An Meersman (Scanbie) 

  • Parametric design in Architectuur toegepast op uitvoeringsmodellen in BIM – Rense Vandewalle (Bric.eu)

  • Mixed Reality in car design – Yoav Nir (Gran Studio)

  • Bouwtechnieken in VR – Ben Mahy (SupportSquare) 

  • Projectvisualisatie en bouwprojecten in VRLode Snackaert (VR BASE/SPECTR)

  • What, how and where to use VR user testing in your new product development process – Jamil Joundi (UGent- MICT- Imec) 

TRACK 2: Industrie & Engineering - Aula 12, The Penta (vanaf 18u30)

  • VR Kraansimulator – Lies Casier & David De Lombaerde (ArcelorMittal) 

  • Gebruik van CAD-modellen en virtual reality voor het visualiseren van de (toekomstige) werkomgeving -  David De Lombaerde (ArcelorMittal) 

  • Experience Twin - Jelle Saldien, Jelle Demanet & Klaas Bombeke (HITLab & MICT – UGent) 

  • Veiligheidstrainingen in VR – Wouter van Derbeken (The Hazard Factory)

  • Expertgaze (diverse AR/VR -use case & eye-tracking) - Laetitia de Leersnijder (HITLab)  

Netwerkevent met walking- dinner  - The Penta (vanaf 20u) 

Demo’s tijdens het netwerkevent (20u tot 22u)  

  • SupportSquare (Bouwtechnieken in VR)  

  • AlterEyes (Fuel delivery training)  

  • ULiA (AR en VR applicatie om een publiek domein in te vullen, een AR-inrichtingsapplicatie, VR applicatie waar je virtueel in Gent kan fietsen) 

  • Rhinox (XR toepassingen in de industrie)

  • Sirris (VR training voor het gebruik van verpakkingsmachines & het bouwen van stellingen) 

  • Bram Van de Wege (Buildings in AR) 

  • The Hazard Factory (VR Safety Training & Recognition)    

  • Flanders Make (AR ondersteuning in de industrie)  

  • VR BASE (Projectvisualisatie in VR)

  • Arcelor Mittal

  • and many more...  

Dit event organiseren we samen met Designregio Kortrijk en MICT-UGent, Agoria Building & Infrastructure Technology Club, Flanders Make & Sirris.  

In samenwerking met de opleidingen de opleidingen Bachelor Toegepaste Architectuur, Graduaat Bouwkundig Tekenen en Bachelor Multimedia en Creatieve Technologie van Howest. 

Dit event is een initiatief van Howest en XR- Valley. Gefinancierd door Europa. 

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ExperienceTwin KickOff event - Tetra project
Feb
2

ExperienceTwin KickOff event - Tetra project

This is the official KickOff event for all the partners that are involved in our ExperienceTwin Tetra event.

Participants will get a detailed view on how project timeline, what to expect, who the other partners are and what use cases will be focussed on during this project. The MICT & HITLAB research groups will also present the current state of the art and new XR technologies in the market.

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ExpertGaze Slot event - Tetra project
Feb
2

ExpertGaze Slot event - Tetra project

In the ExpertGazeTetra project, we investigated how new measurement technologies, whether or not in combination with immersive forms of digital interfaces, could offer added value in building competences and supporting people during the performance of their job.

With this final event, all use cases will be presented. What where the goals and challenges and how did we cope with them.

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