The VAR Group was in Bari, Italy, for ISMAR 2026, the IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (5–9 October 2026). As a group we organized two workshops, contributed to the workshop programs, and presented posters at the main conference.
On Monday, 5 October, we hosted MedicalXR 2026: the 3rd International Workshop on Medical Extended Reality, organized by Danny Schott and Florian Heinrich together with colleagues from the USA, Brazil, Australia and Portugal. In the afternoon, Fabian Joeres and Florian Heinrich co-organized XR4HRI’26: the 1st ISMAR Workshop on Extended Reality for Human-Robot Interaction with Tonia Mielke and further colleagues from Europe and North America. Both workshops combined invited keynotes, paper presentations and interactive discussions, and members of our group contributed to the programs of both days.
Our group also contributed three papers to the workshop programs. At MedicalXR, InterGaze: Towards AR-Mediated Communication in the MRI Suite introduced a shared-gaze AR interface for communication between interventionalists and technologists during MRI-guided procedures, a joint work of Tonia Mielke, Lovis Schwenderling, Robert Klank, Lisa Schülke, Florian Heinrich and Christian Hansen with colleagues from Hannover Medical School. Also at MedicalXR, Show me what to do: Evaluation of display parameters for demonstration of hand movements in augmented medical examination training by Lovis Schwenderling, Florian Heinrich and Christian Hansen compares the size, position and rendering style of guiding hand visualizations for learning palpation and percussion in augmented reality. At XR4HRI, Katarzyna Olszyńska and colleagues contributed Just the Tip of the Trajectory? An End-Effector Path Preview vs Full-Arm Visualization for Approving Robot Motions in Mixed Reality, which compares a minimal end-effector path preview with a full-arm visualization for approving robot motions in mixed reality.
On Wednesday, 7 October, we presented two posters in the main conference. Alexander Schwadtke presented Striving for Stability: Evaluating the Feasibility of Dynamic Balance Skills Across the Reality–Virtuality Continuum, a joint work with the Chair of Sport and Technology at OVGU. In addition, Danny Schott and colleagues from University of Applied Science Magdeburg-Stendal presented Inner Mirror: Exploring Projection-Based Biofeedback for Multisensory Breathing Meditation in Home Environments.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our posters and joined the workshop discussions, and to the ISMAR 2026 organizers for a great week in Bari. We are looking forward to the next ISMAR!