ApeiroRA presents at ACM CHI 2026

On April 14, 2026, we attended the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Barcelona. As part of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), CHI is the flagship conference of the Special Interest Group on Computer–Human Interaction (SIGCHI). We presented our paper at the workshop XR for Challenging Environments: Enabling Human Performance and Agency under Stress (XR4CE).

The workshop brought together researchers and practitioners exploring the use of Extended Reality (XR) in demanding and high-stakes environments, including i.e. infrastructure management, robotics, and datacenter operations. A recurring theme across the presented work was the evolution of XR from an immersive visualization technology toward a robust support system designed to enhance data-driven decision-making under pressure. The discussion emphasized the need for AI systems to communicate uncertainty and reliability while preserving human agency. To achieve the objective of reliable human-machine interaction, discussions focused on reducing cognitive workload through context-aware interfaces that provide relevant information in a clear and actionable manner. In the context of immersive interfaces, digital twins were identified as responsive platforms that integrate and process real-time data to support informed decision-making. In addition, resilient fallback strategies were proposed to strengthen operational continuity and maintain reliable system performance under varying conditions.

For the first part of the workshop, we presented our accepted paper, XR for Complex Datacenter Environments: Why XR Needs AAS and AI-Driven Interaction to Support Operators in Next-Generation Datacenters. The paper contributed a distinct perspective: effective XR solutions rely on advanced interaction design and the availability of reliable, consistent, and trustworthy operational data. The Asset Administration Shell (AAS) serves as a key enabling technology by providing standardized templates, submodels, and property descriptions based on IEC 61360. Moreover, the paper argues that, in mission-critical scenarios, context-aware AI assistance is essential to support timely and informed decision-making. At the same time, our submission emphasizes the need for adaptive human-machine collaboration while preserving situational awareness and decision authority. The later part of the workshop focused on identifying required research breakthroughs and associated challenges relevant to the Virtual Worlds Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for the European Union.

Overall, our paper strengthened ApeiroRA's visibility within the international XR community and provided an opportunity to engage with researchers and innovators from industry and academia.