DIS Group of CWI at Immersive Tech Week 2023: facilitating the convergence of NLP and XR

On November 29th, the Distributed & Interactive Systems (DIS) group was invited to participate at the Immersive Tech Week 2023 (www.immersivetechweek.co), where innovation and inspiration converge in the dynamic world of eXtended Reality (XR) technologies.

At Immersive Tech Week 2023, Jiahuan Pei, postdoctoral research from CWI working in the VoxReality project, was invited to share her expertise in a special discussion panel titled "Maximizing Efficiency in NLP Model Training and XR Environments: Real-Time Language Processing for Seamless Interactions". The panel focused on critical aspects of Natural Language Processing (NLP) within the context of extended reality (XR).

NLP has transformed digital interactions, but the resource-intensive nature of NLP models raises concerns about environmental impact, energy consumption, and scalability. The interactions in XR environments also start to heavily rely on NLP tools for applications such as virtual meetings, training simulations, and immersive experiences, hence requiring efficient, optimised and seamless integration of language models, where latency is heavily reduced and user experience is maximised. The seamless interactions also require real-time processing for such models to provide a maximised experience for the users.

The discussion panel included Jiahuan Pei (Researcher, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica), along with other distinguished speakers: Yusuf Semerci (Postdoctoral Researcher, Maastricht University), Stavroula Bourou (Machine Learning Engineer, Synelixis Solutions S.A), Petros Drakoulis (Research Associate, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas - Information Technologies Institute - Visual Computing Lab), Olga Chatzifoti (XR developer, Gruppo Maggioli) and Nour Fendri (Software Developer @ Holo-Light). The session was moderated by Natalia Cardona (Communications Manager at F6S).

One of the highlights of the event was the opportunity to connect with industry visionaries. Attendees had the chance to interact with pioneers and leaders, gaining valuable insights into the ever-evolving landscape of immersive technologies. The exchange of ideas and networking opportunities unlocked boundless possibilities, enriching the experience for all participants.

We believe that Immersive Tech Week 2023 was a remarkable platform to showcase our commitment to advancing the field of XR and NLP. As technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, events like Immersive Tech Week provide a crucial space for collaboration, learning, and the exchange of ideas. DIS Group’s contribution to the discussion on NLP in XR environments underscores their dedication to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of immersive technology.

About DIS

CWI’s DIS research group focuses on facilitating and improving the way people use interactive systems and how people communicate with each other. We combine data science with a strong human-centric, empirical approach to understand the experience of users. This enables us to design and develop next generation intelligent and empathic systems. We base our results on realistic testing grounds and data sets, and embrace areas such as ubiquitous computing, human-centered multimedia systems, and languages. Group leader Pablo Cesar won the Dutch prize for ICT research in 2020 and is also a professor of Human-Centered Multimedia at TU Delft.