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:
Spatial computing and its role in cross-reality systems
Integration of machine learning, AI, and LLM in cross-reality applications
Integration of digital twins and virtual worlds with pervasive computing
Middleware, frameworks, and system support for cross-reality applications
Interaction design for immersive cross-reality applications
Case studies and applications of cross-reality in various domains (e.g., healthcare, education, entertainment)
Development and deployment of cross-reality environments
User experience and usability studies in cross-reality environments
Hardware and software innovation for cross-reality implementation
Social computing within cross-reality environments
Privacy, security, and ethical considerations in cross-reality systems
Submission Guidelines
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 Manuscripts should not be published or currently submitted for publication elsewhere.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
Joseph Paradiso, MIT
Oliver Amft, University of Freiburg & Hahn-Schickard
