The IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR) is an international event dedicated to advancements in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR). This year’s edition, IEEE VR 2025, was held in Saint-Malo, France, from March 8-12 and was organized by Inria. The conference gathered over 1,200 participants from more than 40 countries, featuring 25 workshops, over 200 scientific papers, as well as panels, exhibitions, and demos. SHARESPACE made a strong presence at IEEE VR 2025 by co-organizing the Next Generation Avatar (NGA 2025) workshop and showcasing its research at the SHARESPACE booth in the exhibition area.
Next Generation Avatar (NGA 2025) Workshop – March 8
SHARESPACE co-hosted the Next Generation Avatar (NGA 2025) Workshop, held on Saturday, March 8, from 14:00 to 18:00. The workshop was organized by Franck Multon (Inria – SHARESPACE), Quentin Avril (InterDigital), Ludovic Hoyet (Inria), and Victoria Abrevaya (University of Tübingen).
The workshop focused on cutting-edge research in avatar design, simulation, and control, covering topics such as deep learning, neural representations, and physics-based character simulation. Discussions also explored challenges in avatar control, including novel view synthesis, motion retargeting, and interaction. The event provided a platform for researchers to debate the implications of these advancements on user experience in VR.
Workshop Highlights:
- Keynote Presentation: Blending AI and XR for the Next Generation of Smart Avatars and Intelligent Virtual Agents by Prof. Frank Steinicke.
- Scientific Sessions: Presentations on topics like 3D Gaussian Splatting, avatar leg impact on social presence, state-of-mind-driven eye movements, occluded face expression reconstruction, generative articulated neural fields, and personality integration into digital humans.
- Panel Discussion: The Future of Avatar Research, featuring experts from academia and industry, moderated by Franck Multon and Ludovic Hoyet.
For more details, visit the official workshop page: NGA2025.
SHARESPACE Booth at the IEEE VR 2025 Exhibition – March 10-12
From March 10-12, SHARESPACE hosted a booth in the IEEE VR 2025 exhibition hall to promote the project and showcase its research. The exhibition hall featured a mix of academic and industrial booths, scientific posters, and live demonstrations. SHARESPACE, as a non-profit organization, rented a 6m² booth to engage with VR experts and present its latest developments.
Booth Demonstrations:
- Cycling Scenario: A live demonstration showcasing how VR can be used to enhance anticipation skills in a peloton of cyclists.
- Project Promotion: SHARESPACE representatives, including members from University of Montpellier, Ars Electronica, University Rennes2, University of Cyprus, and Inria, presented project outcomes through videos and interactive discussions.
