European Project VICTOR XR: New Extended Reality Experiences Bridging the Physical and Virtual Worlds
How will interaction with the digital world evolve? What if it were possible to “touch” virtual objects as if they were real? These are some of the questions addressed by the European project VICTOR XR – Virtual–physical Integration and Consistency through mulTimodal, Open, Real-time XR, launched in June 2026.
Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme (call HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-14) and coordinated by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the project involves the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies among its partners, working to develop innovative solutions for Extended Reality (XR). The goal is to make the integration of the physical and virtual worlds increasingly natural, credible, and engaging. At Sant’Anna, project activities are carried out by the team of the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence under the scientific supervision of Professor Daniele Leonardis.
VICTOR XR aims to overcome the limitations of current immersive technologies by promoting an approach in which digital environments do not replace reality but enrich it, creating new opportunities for social interaction and human–machine collaboration. In this vision, the virtual world becomes a tool that expands users’ possibilities for action and perception across a wide range of contexts, from industry and services to clinical rehabilitation.
The project focuses on the development of XR systems capable of engaging multiple senses and responding to user actions in real time, enabling intuitive and accessible experiences even for non-specialist users. In this context, the quality of interaction and the consistency between physical and digital perception are key priorities.
Within VICTOR XR, the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies makes a significant contribution to the development of wearable technologies for tactile interaction with virtual environments. Research activities are specifically dedicated to designing devices capable of delivering realistic haptic sensations, allowing users to perceive the contact, shape, and texture of virtual objects.
One of the main objectives is the development of next-generation haptic gloves, designed to combine high-quality tactile feedback with comfort and freedom of movement. These devices will enable more natural and immersive interactions, enhancing the user experience in virtual and augmented environments.
Sant’Anna is also involved in system integration activities to ensure effective interoperability between haptic devices and the project’s other technological components. In addition, the School plays a key role in validating the developed solutions in real-world scenarios through pilot use cases in the industrial, service, and clinical rehabilitation sectors, where XR technologies can provide innovative tools to support both professionals and end users.
