XTREME - Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture

???? ??? XTREME at the Horizon Europe XR Projects Meeting in Brussels ???? ??? Last week, XTREME representatives took part in an in-person gathering of XR-related projects funded under?Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Organised by the?European Commission, the event brought together leading experts to discuss the?Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 initiative, key research priorities, and future innovation strategies. Sami Brandt, XTREME Project coordinator,?Justyna Starostka,?Project and communication manager, and?Yannis Parcharidis, Lead of the XR development from Bolt Virtual,?represented XTREME at the meeting. In the morning, we joined closed-door discussions with fellow project representatives, reflecting about?research strengths, gaps, and long-term goals for XR development in Europe. The afternoon opened up to members of the?VRAR Industrial Coalition, where different projects presented their latest results, exchanged lessons learned, and explored new synergies. At the project presentation panel, XTREME - Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture was showcased alongside other EU funded project, which lead to an excited discussions and exchanges of ideas. We presented together with: ??EMIL-XR - European Media and Immersion Lab ??TRANSMIXR?- Igniting the Immersive Media Sector by Enabling New Narrative Visions ??Max-R ?- Mixed Augmented and Extended Reality Media Pipeline ??XReco?- XR mEdia eCOsystem ??HEAT -?Hybrid Extended Reality (run by Immersion) A huge thank you to the?European Commission?and all the participating projects for the insightful discussions and knowledge-sharing. Special thanks to?Anne Bajart?and?Adelina Dinu hosting and facilitating such a productive exchange! Looking forward to continued collaboration in shaping the future of?XR in Europe!????? --- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the University of Copenhagen. #XR #HorizonEurope #VirtualWorlds #Web4.0 #ImmersiveTech #ResearchInnovation #XTREME #MIXEDREALITY

XTREME Project Consortium Meeting in Helsinki! ???????? From?January 8th to 10th, 2025, the XTREME consortium gathered in?Helsinki?for three days of collaboration, innovation, and inspiration. Hosted by the?Finnish National Opera and Ballet (FNOB)?and?Aalto University, the meeting brought together XTREME partners to discuss the project’s progress, share insights, and shape the future of our research in XR and spatial sound. Highlights from the Agenda: ???Day 1?at?Aalto University: - The day began with a warm welcome from Mikko Sams at Aalto, followed by project updates from various work packages, highlighting XTREME's ongoing progress. - In the evening, we attended a captivating Don Carlo opera rehearsal at FNOB, drawing inspiration from the live performance. ???Day 2?at?Finnish National Opera and Ballet: - The day started by a warm welcome by the Opera's General Director Gita Kadambi, followed by a variety of engaging sessions, including a?4DSOUND demo by Poul Holleman,?XR-stage presentation, and lessons from our recent?Data Capturing Event by Adrian Hazzard and Laurence Cliffe. - After lunch small group brainstorming sessions centered on the Opera MR Production, addressing key areas such as visual capturing, sound, audience inclusion, and technical delivery, facilitated by Ane Skak, Miia Lallukka and Thomas de Mallet Burgess. - The day concluded with an official working dinner at the stunning Balcony Foyer of the Opera House. ???Day 3?at Aalto University: - A?Steering Board meeting?that was followed by a fruitful feedback?session made by XTREME Advisory Committee members: Joaquim Jorge and Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt. - Tours of Aalto’s facilities and thematic talks on mixed reality, spatial sound, and immersive experiences like a virtual sauna with haptic garments. Acknowledgments: A huge thank you to our hosts at?FNOB?and?Aalto University?for their hospitality: Miia Lallukka, Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Timo Tuovila from the Opera, as well as Mikko Sams, Robin W. and Agnes K. from Aalto University. XTREME coordination: Sami Brandt and Justyna Starostka. A big thank you to all partners for their contributions. Photo credits: Christian Sivertsen. --- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen.

XTREME Data Capturing Event: Limerick artists meet XTREME team in?Nottingham????? Last week, part of the XTREME team attended an exciting data capturing event at the Virtual & Immersive Production Studio,?University of Nottingham. This milestone was focused on sound and video capture of 2 musical and dance performances from our Irish partners, utilizing state-of-the-art spatial and visual recording techniques. ???A Week in Review: Days 1 & 2: The first two days were dedicated to the?Irish Chamber Orchestra Quartet, with instrument setup and the recording of their performance. The quartet brought incredible artistry to the session, helping us refine our techniques for directing and capturing musical experiences tailored for immersive environments. Days 3 & 4: The latter half of the week shifted focus to performances by?Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Dónal O'Connor, and Sarah Fennell?for the?The Irish World Academy of Music & Dance production. Their exceptional performances, blending Irish music and dance, pushed the boundaries of spatial sound and visual storytelling. ???Advanced Sound and Video Capturing Techniques: To fully capture the potential of these performances, we employed a variety of visual capture techniques like: ? Volumetric Capture ? Spatial Video Recording ? Body Motion Capture ? Facial Performance Capture ? Gaussian Capture ???Innovative Sound Recordings: ? We captured the performances using traditional close-microphone techniques alongside advanced spatial recording methods: ? Microphones around the musicians: 4 cardioid microphones, 8 omnidirectional microphones, 2 ambisonics microphones, and a dummy head for binaural recording. These recording techniques, combined with additional room acoustic measurements, will later enable?ambience sound capture,?room acoustic estimation,?sound visualization, and?sound localization—all to be reproduced within the 4DSOUND system for immersive experiences. ???A Heartfelt Thank You: We extend our gratitude to the?University of Nottingham?team for their hospitality and exceptional organisation throughout the week. A special thanks to?all the performers for their incredible contributions. XTREME team attending the event: Laurence Cliff, Adrian Hazzard, Ane Skak, Christian Sivertsen, Harshit _PhD, Caroline Gaudeoso, Sami Brandt, Mairtín Cunneen, Gerard Keenan, Hendrik Hachmann (LUH). Stay tuned for updates as we continue to develop XTREME mixed-reality productions! ???? --- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen.

???Immersive Art Explorations: XTREME Hosts S?STR and Nina-Franziska at 4DSOUND Studio ??? Last week, the XTREME team hosted an inspiring session at our 4DSOUND studio featuring?Louise Foo and Sharin Foo,?a Danish artist duo renowned for their project?S?STR. Their work integrates innovative technologies to create immersive environments that engage audiences on multiple sensory levels. Adding to the inspiration,?Nina-Franziska Christiansen?presented her captivating VR art and sound visualizations, showcasing the potential of combining virtual reality with innovative sound design. During the meeting, Justyna Starostka, XTREME Communication Manager, presented an overview of the creative XTREME productions, which led to the first step in exploring the potential for closer collaboration. The session concluded with hands-on demos and explorations of the 4DSOUND system, offering participants a chance to engage directly with the groundbreaking technology behind our work. A thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to this creative exchange, but a special thanks to Oscar Friisgaard, currently interning at the 4DSOUND studio, for delivering an excellent 4DSOUND demo presentation! Stay tuned for more updates as we are already planning next steps of this creative collaborations!???? -- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen. #XTREMEProject #MixedReality #spacialsound #4DSOUND #immersiveperformances #art #immersivesound

???????XTREME Project Hosts Topsector Creative Industry Delegation from the Netherlands ??????? ITU Copenhagen team had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from the Netherlands’?Topsector Creative Industry?to discuss XTREME’s latest developments and explore exciting opportunities for collaboration. The visit included a tour of our state-of-the-art 4DS Studio, developed with our Amsterdam based partner 4DSOUND, showcasing the immersive potential of spatial sound technology. ?? Visitors included: ? Jann C de Waal, Chair Topteam CI and CEO of INFO ? Barbera Wolfensberger, Director General, Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science ? Paul Hekkert, Captain of Science, and Former Professor of Design Aesthetics, TU Delft ? Bart Ahsmann, Managing Director, CLICKNL ? Esther Obradovic, MT Member, Media and Creative Industry, Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science ? Paul Vetter, Strategic Policy Coordinator, Knowledge and Innovation, Ministry of Economic Affairs ? Marijke Reuver, Secretary, Topteam Creative Industry, Ministry of Economic Affairs ? Klaartje Bult, Private Secretary The meeting was hosted by Sami Brandt Brand, XTREME Project Coordinator, Justyna Starostka, XTREME Project Manager, and Harshit _PhD, Postdoc Researcher. A huge thank you to all who visited and engaged with our work! We’re excited about the potential for future collaboration and look forward to driving new innovations together in spatial sound and creative technology. Stay tuned for more from XTREME! ???? -- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen. #XTREMEProject #MixedReality #spacialsound #4DSOUND #immersiveperformances #art

XTREME Cross-partner visit update: ITU and Immersive Stories at the University of Nottingham: Advancing Mixed Reality and 4DSOUND Spatial Sound explorations????? From September 16-18, 2024, members of the Danish XTREME team— Sami Brandt, Justyna Starostka, Christian Sivertsen, and Ane Skak—visited the Mixed Reality Lab at the University of Nottingham! Over the two productive days, we engaged in research planning, lab visits, and concept development for our upcoming XTREME creative productions. ???Day 1: The first day kicked off with a welcome and research updates. This was followed by a visit to the Mixed Reality Lab, where we explored different technologies and ways in which we can use them in the XTREME productions. ???Day 2: The second day was dedicated to strategic planning, where we focused on refining the core concepts for the upcoming XTREME productions. We also explored timelines, roles, and production strategies. A huge thank you to the University of Nottingham team for hosting us: Steve Benford, @Paul Tennent, @Laurence Cliffe, Praminda Caleb-Solly, Adrian Hazzard and Ashley Graham-Brown! We’re looking forward to sharing the exciting results of our explorations soon!???? -- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen. #XTREMEProject #MixedReality #spacialsound #immersiveperformances #art #4DSOUND #applevisionpro #XR #XtrendedReality #VirtualReality #MR

???? XTREME reporting on a big project milestone in Copenhagen!????? Since last week XTREME project has a fully functioning 4DSOUND spacial sound studio at IT-Universitetet i K?benhavn!??? 4DSOUND is an XTREME project partner from Amsterdam, specialising in spacial sound innovations. With over a decade of art-driven research, development, and experimentation, 4DSOUND has led the way in designing fully omnidirectional sound environments, developing a powerful range of tools used for spatializations, immersive performances, compositions, interactive installations, and more. This newly built state-of-the-art XTREME studio will play a crucial role in all XTREME creative productions, taking the explorations of spatial sound in the MR (mixed reality) environments to the next level. A huge thank you to Poul Holleman, Co-Founder and Director of 4DSOUND, and Marijn Cinjee, Spatial Sound System Developer, from 4DSOUND for their remarkable work in setting up the system and providing onboarding! ?? We’re beyond excited to start creating and see how the system can benefit the XTREME productions!??A big thank you also to Peter Sestoft, Head of the ITU's Computer Science Department, for helping us make the dream of the Lab come true. Stay tuned for more updates as we will share the results of our creative explorations shortly. ?? ITU XTREME team: Sami Brandt, Justyna Starostka, Christian Sivertsen and Harshit _PhD. -- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen. #XTREMEProject? #MixedReality? #spacialsound #4DSOUND #immersiveperformances #art

Exciting News from the Irish Chamber Orchestra! We're thrilled to announce that ICO is partnering with University of Limerick on the Horizon Europe-funded project XTREME (2024-2027). This groundbreaking project aims to develop mixed reality technologies that promote accessible, ethical, and human-centric advancements in Art, Creativity, and Culture. This week, we are hosting a Consortium Meeting at ICO studio. For more details about the XTREME project, visit: https://xtremeitu.dk/ Joining the XTREME project means diving into cutting-edge research in computer vision and photogrammetry. The ultimate goal of XTREME is to develop a human-centered and ethically designed mixed reality environment that enhances the experience of art and music performances, concerts, and their social value. #Innovation #Research #MixedReality #Art #Culture #Technology #ICO #HorizonEurope #XTREMEProject

?? XTREME Project Consortium Meeting: Limerick, July 2-4, 2024 ?? We are excited to share highlights from our recent XTREME Project Consortium Meeting held in University of Limerick, Ireland. Over three days, we focused on project updates, technical deep dives, and collaborative workshops, advancing our journey in mixed reality experiences. ?? Day 1: Kick-Off & General Info Sharing The day started with opening remarks and introductions by our host Mairtín Cunneen from Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. Sami Brandt, XTREME coordinator, outlined the meeting objectives. Ane Skak presented the initial creative concept for the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, followed by updates from the Munchmuseet creative workshop by Justyna Starostka and Julie L. Parisi. The day continued with updates from project partners; among others by Sami Brandt, Ville Lehtola, Steve Benford, Poul Holleman, T. Thore Ipsen, Pietro Morerio, Martin Cunneen, and Justyna Starostka, focusing on the project's progress and milestones. We concluded with a discussion on challenges and opportunities, ending the day with a working dinner. ?? Day 2: Technical, Creative, and Governance Deep Dives This day’s focus was on hands-on demos and tech discussions. Yannis Parcharidis and Lucas Katsikaris? from Bolt Virtual facilitated an insightful technical session on the Apple Vision Pro, followed by a demonstration of the first mock-ups developed by different XTREME partners. Adrian Hazzard and Praminda Caleb-Solly from University of Nottingham focused on accessibility and inclusivity. The day included planning for Limerick development data collection and a demo session of selected VR/MR experiences facilitated by Christian Sivertsen and Laurence Cliffe. ?? Day 3: Creative Workshop for ULIM performances? The third day was a hands-on creative workshop focused on developing creative ideas for ULIM performances at the Irish Chamber Orchestra and The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. An initial brainstorming session led to exchanging ideas for performances. In the afternoon, group work facilitated by Ane Skak developed the ideas further. A huge thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to the sessions. Special thanks to Mairtín C. Cunneen from ULIM, and Gerard Keenan, Cathriona Murphy and Dr Simon Thompson from the Irish Chamber Orchestra, for hosting us and introducing us to Irish music on so many different occasions during our stay. Lastly, big thanks for Erin King from the Kemmy Business School for her amazing technical support. ? -- XTREME – "Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture" is an EU Horizon Europe project that began in January 2024. XTREME aims to explore and develop mixed reality (MR) solutions for experiencing various forms of art. The XTREME project consortium consists of 14 partners and is led by the IT University of Copenhagen. #XTREMEProject #Innovation #MixedReality #ArtAndTechnology #EUHorizon2020

?? ?? XTREME now has an official website! ?? ?? https://xtreme.itu.dk/