Immersive Realities Working Group

The realms of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Digital Twins, and related technological advancements are not mere fantasies. Recent applications and other manifestations  have the potential to  change the realities of people across diverse contexts. Whether in the workplace, public spaces, or even our private lives, these technologies bring new dimensions to our existence. Our cross-disciplinary group delves into the intricacies of these technologies and the ways people interact with them, exploring devices, infrastructure, applications, and use cases that are shaping  how we perceive reality. We are examining this dynamic evolution, focusing on experiences and the far-reaching effects these technologies facilitate.

We believe in studying the broader social, political, and legal implications to shape trajectories of immersive technologies and foster their sustainable and human-centric development. It's not just about advancement; it's about paving the way responsibly and for the good of society.

We are joining forces with stakeholders in the immersive technology ecosystem, including public and private organisations as well as user communities and civil society, thereby fostering critical and constructive dialogue and partnerships.

Activities, Project, Outputs

Activities

• Monthly internal meetings of the working group with invited guests
• Events and workshops for invited stakeholders and/or the public (e.g. Global Governance of the Metaverse Workshop at Konrad Adenauer Foundation Future Lab November 2023; Multi-stakeholder Exploratory Workshop in February 2023; the Thursday Mixer event series in cooperation with the WEF Global Shapers “Immersive Realities Chronicles”)
• Outreach and active engagement at external events in the XR community ecosystem

Projects & Outputs

• Joint projects of working group members (e.g., “De-mystifying AI - Using conversational agents to explain how conversational agents work” starting in January 2024)
• Written outputs such as workshop and event reports, thought pieces from working group sessions, and blog posts
• Insights on individual research of working group members in different formats

Collaboration and Connection: Munich's Immersive-Tech Innovation Ecosystem

We're not alone in this exploration. Together with partners and collaborators from Munich's thriving ecosystem, we're building bridges, connecting efforts, and weaving perspectives. This collaborative spirit enhances our insights, helping us better understand how immersive technologies influence various stakeholders. We are creating a hub of researchers from various disciplines including political science, law, computer science, economics, and design. Along with collaborators from the Munich ecosystem and our international network, we form an innovation-friendly partnership, critically exploring the potential of immersive technologies.

TUM members of the working group from the following chairs & institutions:

Chair of human-centered technologies for learning, Institute for Ethics in AI, Chair of Public Policy, Governance and Innovative Technology, Chair of Cyber Trust, Chair of Business Ethics, Chair of Law and Security in Digital Transformation, Munich Center for Digital Sciences and AI

External members from:

XR Hub Bavaria, Norwegian Business School, MUC.xyz, Accenture, Edgelands Institute

Get involved

We believe that the best insights come from diverse perspectives. Whether you’re a researcher, innovator, student, or technology enthusiast, your voice matters. Your participation could be the spark that ignites the next big idea.

How to become a member:

Twice a year we accept new members from TUM and external organisations – calls for participation will be issued in February and September. The decision for acceptance of new members will be done by the current members of the working group in a group-effort.

Calls for applications will be issued twice a year in February and September using the following form.

Stay up to date on our activities to be invited to workshops, webinars, and collaborative projects, and help us shape the future of immersive realities.