COLLIDE-XR 2.0: A Cross-Atlantic XR Collaboration to Enhance Underwater Infrastructure Security | 2025-2026

• Post by: Tobias Larsson
• 25th September 2024
• 2 Comments

News

• 20250225: COLLIDE-XR 2.0 funded!
• 20250107: COLLIDE-XR finalised
• 20241216: Forskningsprojekt sätter fokus på framtidens XR och AI
• 20240926: COLLIDE-XR Project Secures Funding for Cross-Atlantic Collaboration

About

COLLIDE-XR 2.0 aims to address knowledge gaps and usability barriers to unlock XR potential in the industry and Swedish governmental agencies by using more accessible development tools and XR solutions based on stakeholder needs. We present a use case on how XR-based data visualization can support underwater infrastructure incident response and facilitate interaction between multiple stakeholders.

The project will showcase how XR applications can be developed efficiently using code-free editors and advanced features. It will assess the contribution of these tools to four key accessibility pillars: Visualization, Interaction, Devices, and Content. These pillars ensure that XR solutions are inclusive, user-centred, and adaptable to diverse requirements.

COLLIDE-XR 2.0 will deliver demos that integrate four areas and functions: Mapping Underwater Infrastructure, Sharing Knowledge and Perspectives, Scenario Analysis and Preparedness, and Collaborative Decision-Making. Demos will be developed by Blekinge Tekniska Högskola in collaboration with Flow Immersive and relevant local stakeholders, such as NKT Cables, Embedded Art the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV), and the Swedish Coast Guard. The applications will be designed and implemented through an iterative process and tested across different devices and visualization environments.

BTH Project Leader: Assistant Professor Giulia Wally Scurati
Team: Postdoc Ryan Ruvald, PhD candidate Andrea Nordwall
Time Span: 20250301 – 20260228
Funding: 674 kSEK (VINNOVA Innovativa samarbeten med USA inom XR – steg 2)

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Phase 1

COLLIDE-XR: Collaborative Innovation for XR Accessibility and Development | 2024-2025

Closing remarks

COLLIDE-XR successfully achieved its goal of connecting BTH with US XR companies to enhance XR accessibility for the Swedish industry. The experience in Silicon Valley expanded BTH’s network, opening future opportunities involving partners in the US and Sweden across industry, academia, and businesses in the XR field, and reconnecting with Nordic Innovation House. Flow Immersive was engaged in the Step 2 application including Swedish partners NKT Cables, Embedded Art, the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV), and the Swedish Coast Guard. This partnership will boost the capabilities of our visualisation infrastructure – the Virtual Production Studio Lab – facilitating knowledge sharing and transfer between academic and industrial actors.

The interaction with other companies and universities in the US, as well as fellow participants from Sweden, revealed shared interests and additional possibilities, opening additional potential joint projects in the future. These synergies will help shape the roadmap for integrating XR into businesses and driving sustainable innovation. This initiative is contributing both to the establishment of long-term collaboration with the US, and fostering the development of a national community of XR researchers and professionals in Sweden. https://www.vinnova.se/p/collide-xr-samarbetsinnovation-for-xr-tillganglighet-och-utveckling/

About

The project aims to foster collaboration between Swedish and U.S. partners, driving
innovation and enhancing the accessibility of emerging XR & AI technologies.
Accessibility is crucial to enable companies to leverage XR capabilities for sustainable
transformation.

COLLIDE XR envisions four key pillars of accessibility: Visualization, Interaction, Devices,
and Content. Visualization plays a vital role in making data and models more
understandable, Interaction facilitates the easy editing and manipulation of content: both
are essential for creating XR applications for diverse audiences. XR experiences are
delivered across various devices, each with its advantages and limitations, supporting
different types of applications and users. Additionally, acquiring, importing and
customizing models and data is fundamental to ensuring users can access to relevant XR
content. AI can supply significant contributions to the interactive and content pillars,
through natural language processing controlled engagement (with off the shelf LLMs or
custom SLMs for security-conscious industrial partners) and content generation models
for quick custom assets.

COLLIDE XR will promote collaboration with partners who provide products, services, or
approaches that enhance accessibility in these areas, building new bridges for the flow of
knowledge to the Swedish research and business environments. Future efforts will
address these challenges through joint initiatives with partners in both countries.

BTH Project Leader: Postdoc Giulia Wally Scurati
Team: Postdoc Ryan Ruvald
Time Span: 20241007 – 20250107
Funding: 150 kSEK (VINNOVA)

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More info:

• Project (phase 2) info at VINNOVA: https://www.vinnova.se/en/p/collide-xr-2.0—xr-visualization-of-underwater-infrastructure-for-situational-awareness-and-incident-response/
• Project (phase 1) info at VINNOVA: https://www.vinnova.se/en/p/collide-xr-collaborative-innovation-for-xr-accessibility-and-development-/
• VINNOVA Innovative Collaborations with the USA in XR – step 1: https://www.vinnova.se/en/calls-for-proposals/emerging-technology-solutions/collaborate-and-accelerate-usa-2024-step-1/
• 20240926: COLLIDE-XR Project Secures Funding for Cross-Atlantic Collaboration
• 20241216: Forskningsprojekt sätter fokus på framtidens XR och AI