An XRI Mixed-Reality Internet-of-Things Architectural Framework Toward Immersive and Adaptive Smart Environments

Abstract

The internet-of-things (IoT) refers to the growing number of embedded interconnected devices within everyday ubiquitous objects and environments, especially their networks, edge controllers, data gathering and management, sharing, and contextual analysis capabilities. However, the IoT suffers from inherent limitations in terms of human-computer interaction. In this landscape, there is a need for interfaces that have the potential to translate the IoT more solidly into the foreground of everyday smart environments, where its users are multimodal, multifaceted, and where new forms of presentation, adaptation, and immersion are essential. This work highlights the synergetic opportunities for both IoT and XR to converge toward hybrid XR objects with strong real-world connectivity, and IoT objects with rich XR interfaces. The paper contributes i) an understanding of this multi-disciplinary domain XR-IoT (XRI); ii) a theoretical perspective on how to design XRI agents based on the literature; iii) a system design architectural framework for XRI smart environment development; and iv) an early discussion of this process. It is hoped that this research enables future researchers in both communities to better understand and deploy hybrid smart XRI environments.

Extended Reality and Internet of Things for Hyper-Connected Metaverse Environments

“…In [31] this concept is described as XR-IoT (XRI), representing the combination of XR-based IoT systems as well as IoT-based XR systems. A more comprehensive system of XRI is presented by [25] as those that are based on immersive, information-rich, multi-user, and agent-driven environments. The potential usability scenarios of IoT and AR have been implemented in both industrial applications and academic research.…”

Extended-XRI Body Interfaces for Hyper-Connected Metaverse Environments

“…Augmented Reality (AR) and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) are key technologies receiving significant attention, as they improve the communication between the Metaverse and physical space. As examined in works like [11] and [12], design and creation of a more connected mixed-reality environment necessitates the convergence of XR and IoT technology paradigms in order to connect with the physical environment while extending into the virtual environment. As discussed in [9], Augmented Reality provides this through an interactive medium of overlaid virtual objects anchored to the real environment, whereas IoT refers to the networking of physical objects with computing devices for sensing and communication.…”

“…This hybridization, as in [12], is referred to here as XR-IoT (XRI), and it represents the combination of XR-based IoT systems and IoT-based XR systems. [11] [21] [22] [23] presented more comprehensive examples of immersive, informationrich, multi-user, and agent-driven XRI systems, developed by the authors. The combination of these technologies has the potential to bring humans and their environmental objects closer together, and future hybrid XRI applications for applied situations such as education, cyber security, and marketing [24] are being developed.…”

“…(2021) [11], Tsang & Morris (2021) [12] XR represents the virtual objects embody and overlay to the real environment, while IoT refers to the networking of objects [9], the hybridization referred here as XR-IoT (XRI) [12] to combine the IoT-based XR system and XR-based IoT system [11].…”

“…This data sensing elements bring the mixed reality domain closer to the realm of the internet-of-things, where edge device sensing, communication, and activation are essential capabilities. This is seen in multiple recent works that merge these technologies [9] [10] [11] [12].…”