We are excited to introduce the CORTEX2 Open Call #2 winners! An impressive group of innovators and visionaries committed to shaping the future of extended reality (XR) technologies and developing inclusive, efficient, and immersive experiences. After a competitive selection process, 10 groundbreaking projects were chosen, representing 12 beneficiaries from 8 countries, including 7 SMEs, 2 startups, and 3 research organisations (ROs).
The selected projects will contribute to the co-development of the CORTEX2 platform, tackling key challenges in XR, including sign language translation, immersive 3D collaboration, and anonymisation of data in XR environments.
They will demonstrate XR’s transformative potential in improving remote collaboration, communication, and training across industries.
Meet these projects and explore how they are advancing the XR landscape:
INTERACT: Inclusive Networking for Translation and Embodied Real-Time Augmented Communication Tool with Sign Language Integration
- Lead organisation: DASKALOS-APPS (France)
- Topic: Embodied Avatar
Objective: Develop AI-powered avatars for real-time sign language translation in augmented reality (AR) to support multilingual and hearing-impaired participants in business meetings.
INTERACT will leverage the CORTEX2 architecture to deliver scalable, sentiment-aware interactions in teleconferencing settings. It will improve accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, promoting inclusion in business meetings.
VISIXR: Vision AI for XR
- Lead organisation: ZAUBAR (Germany)
- Topic: Smart Generator
Objective: Develop a cutting-edge Smart Generator tool enabling real-time, AI-driven modification and understanding of 2D/3D assets within real-time 3D environments, integrating these into the CORTEX2 ecosystem.
VIRTEX: Virtual Experience Creation Platform for Seamless Integration of CORTEX2 Services in Industrial and Commercial XR Applications
- Lead organisations: MetaMedicsVR (Spain), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (Germany)
- Topic: Virtual Experiences Editor
Objective: Democratising XR technologies and enhancing remote collaboration across diverse industrial and commercial sectors.
To achieve this mission, VIRTEX aims to develop an innovative editor that integrates CORTEX2 services into VR/Web 3D applications. The project responds to the need for more effective remote collaboration and training tools, underscored by recent pandemics and wars.
NITRUS: Nonverbal Interactive Tool for gesture Recognition in mUltiperson Scenarios
- Lead organisation: Logicmelt Technologies SL (Spain)
- Topic: MPRR (Multi-Person Reaction Recognition)
Objective: Use state-of-the-art AI models to create a gesture recognition solution that enriches the interaction of people’s digital experiences.
Its key goals are to gather and create unbiased gesture datasets, benchmark and train AI algorithms for gesture recognition, optimise and develop pipelines for the real-time execution of the algorithms, and integrate them into the CORTEX2 framework.
NODAV: Next-Generation 3DGS Optimisation And Visualisation
- Lead organisation: i2CAT Foundation (Spain)
- Topic: Gaussian-splatting-based reality capture for VR
Objective: Advance Gaussian Splatting (GS) technology to enable high-quality reconstruction of static scenarios.
The project aims to tackle challenges in data efficiency by implementing pruning, data reduction, and compression solutions for improved transmission and storage of GS reconstructions. Additionally, NODAV seeks to unlock the potential of GS for real-time rendering in Unity across VR, mobile, and web applications. By addressing these critical aspects, NODAV enhances GS technology’s accessibility and scalability, paving the way for seamless integration into modern interactive and immersive platforms.
SAME-XR: Scalable Asset Management and Conversion Engine for XR Development
Lead organisation: Nara Eğitim Teknolojileri AŞ (Turkey)
Topic: 3D Model Database
Objective: Develop a comprehensive asset management tool to streamline 3D asset development workflow and integrate it into the CORTEX2 platform.
SAME-XR will simplify asset management for XR developers, saving time and improving workflows.
Some of its key innovations will be:
- Cloud-native 3D asset database with a comprehensive toolset
- Centralised library for 3D assets
- Unity GUI editor tool and add-ons for 3D software
- Asset discovery through integration with external databases
- Secure asset management with version control
- Support for multiple file formats and optimisation tools
- Web-based interface with 3D and AR preview capabilities
- Multi-User XR collaboration/prototyping.
PETER: Preserve Emotions in Translations for Extended Reality
- Lead organisations: Università degli Studi di Cagliari, R2M Solution S.r.l. (Italy)
- Topic: Real-time voice translation
Objective: Develop a quasi-real-time voice-to-voice translation system that preserves the emotional tone of XR applications.
The project will deliver fast, emotionally aware translations to enhance engagement and communication effectiveness and reduce misunderstandings while using XR technologies.
XR-CARE: Extended Reality Collaborative Anonymisation for Remote Healthcare
- Lead organisation: Logimade Lda (Portugal)
- Topic: Anonymising meetings content for privacy-free data storage
Objective: Anonymise XR teleconference data while preserving usability.
The project will anonymise multiple data types, including high-definition video, audio, and physiological data, without compromising personal information and preserve the rest of the content intact and usable.
VEM: Virtual Encrypted Meetings
- Lead organisation: Simplito sp. z o. o. (Poland)
- Topic: Open – Own project idea
Objective: Enhance data privacy and security in VR communication platforms.
The project’s key features are comprehensive end-to-end message encryption (server & user level) and full data protection, ensuring secure VR communication for users.
R3in3D: RGBD Real-Time Representations of Humans and Objects in 3D
- Lead organisation: TNO, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (Netherlands)
- Topic: Open – Own project idea
Objective: Provide immersive 3D representation of humans and objects for XR applications.
R3in3D aims to redefine collaborative business meetings and remote training experiences in XR, fostering natural and engaging communication between participants and improving decision-making, knowledge retention, and skill acquisition.
The project will develop tools for realistic 3D capture and rendering modules for Unity and WebXR. Thus, it will allow the building of holographic communication pipelines while making the most out of next-generation networks (5G and 6G) and “network slices.” These customisable pipelines allow the 3D representation of a real-world working station for a novel, immersive way of training in XR environments and business meetings.
Next step: The CORTEX2 Support Programme
Over the next 9 months, these projects will receive funding, resources, and expert guidance to advance their groundbreaking solutions and bring tangible results to life—all while they help shape the CORTEX2 platform, ensuring it evolves into a robust, scalable solution.
We look forward to showcasing their progress and achievements as they work to shape the future of XR.
Stay tuned for updates on their progress!