Extended Reality (XR) technologies investigated in MAX-R are revolutionizing how we interact with digital XR content. These technologies create immersive experiences by blending the real world with digital elements, enhancing fields like media, entertainment, education, healthcare, and manufacturing.

A significant challenge in XR development is achieving precise and consistent spatial tracking over large areas. This means keeping digital content perfectly aligned with the real world as users move around. While it's relatively easy to maintain this alignment in small spaces, larger areas can lead to tracking errors that disrupt the immersive experience.

UHasselt has developed a new version of the global XR tracking that builds upon our previous MAX-R system. This new version combines locally accurate spatial anchors with an external, drift-corrected tracking method and improves standalone headset functionality, enhancing user comfort. During the preparation stage, we simultaneously place spatial anchors inside the XR headset and within an external tracking system, creating local-to-global correspondences. In the operational stage, we align both anchor clouds using a cloud registration method, allowing the XR headset to use its built-in tracking capabilities while staying corrected by the external system. This ensures long-term accuracy and enhances user comfort and mobility.

UHasselt has tested this new system in a cultural performance application in collaboration with CREW, where digital performances are perfectly in sync with the real performance, creating a captivating blend of art and technology. Additionally, we explored the potential of this technology beyond the media domain. One practical application we investigated is visualizing utility infrastructure maintenance, where AR can help operators see electrical cables accurately mapped to their real-world locations.

Our solution expands the accurate tracking area, allowing for more complex and large-scale XR applications. As XR technologies continue to evolve, we are excited about the endless possibilities this opens up for artists, educators, and engineers alike. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of Extended Reality!