Last Friday, May 9th, the 2025 edition of the Fira dels Invents UPV was held, showcasing the latest advances and research from the Universitat Politècnica de València. The event brought together prototypes and models developed by various UPV departments, institutes, and laboratories, as well as start-ups connected to the university.
Amid workshops, crafts, and prototypes from sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and mobility, the youngest attendees were captivated by the technology and immersive worlds presented by the iTEAM’s Mobile Communications Group, who offered a tour of the Immersive Communications Laboratory.
Not only were visitors able to explore the lab’s facilities and interact with the dancing robot dog, they also had the chance to talk with a 3D hologram of researchers located inside the lab. This hologram is captured in real time using the Volumetric Capture Set, generating a projection within a 3D environment and creating the sensation of being in the same space as the person navigating it through Virtual Reality goggles.
Additionally, the more adventurous visitors tested a demonstration of what haptic technology can bring to immersive environments. Inside a replica—a Digital Twin—of the UPV velodrome, participants were able to walk through the environment using VR goggles along with a haptic vest and gloves, allowing them to feel different obstacles and weather conditions encountered along the way. Without a doubt, it was a unique and groundbreaking experience for most of the fair’s visitors.
These demonstrations of telepresence and Mixed Reality experiences were made possible thanks to the UNICO I+D and IMAGINE-B5G projects, both funded by the European Union Recovery Fund – NextGenerationEU.