Fifteen years ago, IEEE Pervasive Computing published a groundbreaking special issue on “Cross-Reality Environments.” This concept, a fusion of ubiquitous sensor/actuator networks and immersive virtual worlds, envisioned a seamless electronic “nervous system” that connects physical and virtual realities. Since then, we have witnessed exponential growth in pervasive computing technologies, virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR), and the generalization of the digital twin concept from devices to humans and further to virtual worlds. The recent advances break ground for a New Cross Reality that enhances human perception and interaction across real and virtual spaces.
The New Cross Reality considers a unified space, where VR/AR/MR technologies act as the key connectors of sensor data, artificial intelligence, and physical experiences. Despite significant progress, key challenges remain in creating integrated systems that offer seamless interaction and rich user experiences. Similarly, realistic digital twin representations from individual human functions to detailed worlds and their application are open scientific problems with groundbreaking potential. This special issue seeks to revisit and expand upon the original vision, exploring recent developments, current research, and future directions in cross-reality systems.
Relevant topics of this special issue include but are not limited to the following:
For author information and guidelines on submission criteria, please visit the Author Information page. Please submit papers through the IEEE Author Portal, and be sure to select the special-issue name. Manuscripts should not be published or currently submitted for publication elsewhere. Please submit only full papers intended for review, not abstracts, to the ScholarOne portal. Abstracts should be sent by email to the guest editors directly.
Questions? Contact the guest editors at pvc4-2025@computer.org
