Multimodality in Immersive Technologies for Remote Working

Multimodality in designing interactive systems has long been a fundamental pillar for enhancing interactions and improving User Experience (UX). Recent research has been investigating its role when paired with other interaction frameworks and platforms such as Immersive Technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). These technologies have been applied across various sectors, such as Education, Healthcare, Mining, Construction, Manufacturing, and Crisis Management. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, telepresence and remote working were seen as promising trends for enhancing accessibility and collaboration. The pandemic has highlighted the advantages of Mixed Reality in maintaining active workplaces and economies, but it has also underscored challenges like technology affordability and user fatigue. Research has shown that Immersive Technologies offer enhanced collaborative opportunities, precision, and critical simulations for task completion and training. However, cost and fatigue remain significant obstacles to adopting these technologies in remote work. Additionally, their use in the workplace triggers changes in culture and work practices, necessitating new definitions of workplace ecosystem boundaries and identifying trade-offs without compromising safety, wellbeing, and UX. Recent reviews have indicated that VR offers an 'extension' of space for interaction, communication, and operation, but questions remain about the value and impact of VR-mediated experiences compared to non-VR ones.

This research topic aims to unpack recent advances in VR and Mixed Reality, acknowledging the demands that have emerged due to the pandemic. It seeks to explore the impact of immersive technologies in a post-pandemic era, particularly their effect on task performance and User Experience. The research will address questions about the safety, trustworthiness, and worthiness of these technologies, as well as the behavioral challenges they present. It will also investigate the boundaries of new immersive ecosystems and their impact on people's wellbeing. By examining these areas, the research aims to provide insights into the requirements, design, and assessment of multimodality embedded in immersive technologies across different sectors.

To gather further insights into the role of immersive technologies in remote working, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• impact of immersive technologies in a post-pandemic era and their effect on task performance and User Experience
• identifying requirements, design, and assessment of multimodality embedded in immersive technologies across different sectors
• are immersive technologies safe, trustworthy, and worthy of use? How can such behavioral challenges be mediated?
• what are the boundaries of new immersive ecosystems, and what impact do these have on people's wellbeing?
• what differences do varied work environments pose in designing immersion?

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: multimodality, user experience, immersive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, immersive ecosystem

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.