Open Call 2 Winners

MIRAGE

Multimodal Immersive Interactions for Remote Education Across Geographically Distributed Sites

Redefining immersive distance learning over future 6G networks

MIRAGE (stands for Multimodal Immersive Interactions for Remote Education Across Geographically Distributed Sites) proposes a solution that aims to redefine distance learning by enabling immersive interactions between students and teachers that reside in geographically distant sites and need to connect. The validation of the project will be supported by (i.) SINLab (stands for Sustainable Immersive Networking Laboratory), a playground for experimentation, testing, and validation of B5G (and future 6G) networked interactive applications, AI, and robotics, located at University of Oslo (UiO), in Norway, and (ii.) CARL-W (stands for Communication Advanced Research Laboratory Wireless Testbed), located at the campus of Karlstad University (KAU), in Sweden.

SINLab’s focus is on wireless, haptic, and telepresence communications, aiming to provide people with a true sense of presence in remote locations. It is equipped with a private high-performance 5G Standalone (SA) C-Band network, a wide range of audiovisual (cameras, LIDARs, VR/AR/XR HMDs) and haptic/motion capture (bodysuits, smart gloves) devices, as well as an integrated robotic system combining the UR10e robotic arm (Universal Robots) with the advanced five-finger dexterous robotic hand (Shadow Robot). CARL-W provides a comparable network infrastructure and multimedia equipment, while identifying education as one of its primary verticals of interest. MIRAGE will also integrate into its architecture the Magos gloves developed by MMT (Quanta & Qualia), a testbed extension project from the first 6G-PATH Open Call. These gloves offer high-precision finger tracking and haptic feedback, enabling a systematic assessment of how tactile interactions can enhance user experience in immersive educational scenarios. The ambition of MIRAGE is that it will act as an enabler for cross-disciplinary research on additional verticals and use cases beyond education that necessitate the advanced features and capabilities of current B5G and future 6G networks.