NSF Workshop on Networking and Systems Challenges in Immersive Computing

March 31, 2025 - April 1, 2025, Arlington, VA, USA

Call for Position Papers

Immersive computing refers to a class of technologies that blend the digital and physical worlds to create deeply engaging, interactive environments, often through extended reality (XR) technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). XR systems aim to transform how we interact with digital content, providing experiences that mimic or enhance reality. Immersive applications frequently rely on multi-camera and multi-view configurations to capture detailed, real-world scenes and enable real-time 3D rendering. Emerging techniques such as neural radiance fields (NeRF) and 3D Gaussian splatting (3DGS) are pushing the frontiers of immersive content generation, allowing for highly realistic, efficient reconstruction and rendering of complex environments. However, these technological advancements introduce significant networking and systems challenges, including managing large data streams, ensuring low-latency interactions, and supporting real-time, scalable delivery of immersive experiences—challenges this workshop aims to explore and address.

We seek to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and drive innovation in building the next generation of network infrastructures and systems that can meet the demands of immersive applications. Submitted position papers will be used solely for the purpose of choosing participants who can meaningfully contribute to the workshop's discussions and objectives. Selected participants will receive invitations to register and be eligible for travel reimbursement. Please note that the selected position papers will not be published or formally presented at the workshop.

Position papers should address one or more of the following focus topics:

  • Scalability and Sustainability in Immersive Systems: As immersive technologies expand, ensuring scalability and sustainability becomes essential. We encourage submissions addressing scalable system designs, resource efficiency, and strategies to reduce the environmental impact while maintaining performance.
  • Intelligent Network Design for Immersive Computing : AI and ML offer new ways to optimize network performance for XR applications. We encourage submissions exploring how AI/ML can enable intelligent, self-optimizing networks that adapt dynamically and efficiently allocate resources for immersive experiences.
  • Distributed Systems and Edge Computing for Immersive Environments: Immersive applications demand real-time data processing and low-latency interactions. We seek contributions on integrating cloud and edge computing, dynamic workload distribution, and optimization techniques for real-time immersive content processing.
  • 5G and Future Networks for XR Systems: Advances in 5G, network slicing, and next-gen communication technologies are critical for immersive computing. We welcome position papers that investigate cross-layer optimization and the integration of heterogeneous networks for seamless connectivity.
  • Performance Optimization for Immersive Systems: Efficient resource management, low latency, and energy optimization are key for XR systems. We invite papers on resource allocation strategies, dynamic scaling, and techniques to minimize power consumption while maintaining high performance.
  • Network Protocols for XR Applications: Immersive computing imposes unique requirements on network protocols, such as ultra-low latency and high bandwidth. We seek contributions on novel communication protocols, data compression techniques, and transport layer optimizations tailored for immersive environments.
  • Tools and Testbeds for Immersive Systems: Specialized tools and testbeds are necessary for XR systems research. We welcome contributions that share experiences in designing new testbeds, simulation environments, and benchmarking tools, and/or deploying on existing testbeds (e.g., FABRIC, CloudLab, and Chameleon), with a focus on scalability, reproducibility, and practical challenges.
  • Network Measurement for Immersive Environments: Measuring and optimizing network performance in immersive contexts is increasingly complex. We invite papers on new methodologies, tools, and metrics for assessing latency, bandwidth, quality of service, and user experience in immersive environments.
  • Security, Privacy, and Safety in Immersive Technologies: Immersive technologies introduce new challenges related to security, privacy, and safety. We seek innovative solutions for protecting user data, ensuring safe immersive environments, and addressing ethical issues in XR applications.

Submission Guidelines

Position papers should be 2 pages in length, outlining current research, challenges, and potential solutions within the focus areas listed above. We encourage submissions from both academia and industry to contribute diverse perspectives on the future of immersive computing. Position papers should focus on how the authors’ expertise, prior work, and vision align with the workshop’s mission. The primary goal is to select participants who can contribute to the workshop discussions, foster collaboration, and help shape future research directions. While the submission will not be evaluated on the basis of novel research contributions, it should demonstrate the potential to advance the workshop’s mission and goals.

Position papers should include the following:

  1. Title and Author Information
    • Title of the position paper.
    • Full name, affiliation, and contact information of the author(s).
  2. Area(s) of Interest
    • Specify which focus areas from the workshop’s call for position papers the author(s)’ submission aligns with (e.g., network protocols, distributed systems, cloud/edge computing, security and privacy, etc.).
    • If applicable, highlight any additional related areas that the authors believe are relevant to networking and systems challenges immersive computing.
  3. Prior Work and Expertise
    • Briefly describe the author(s)’ relevant experience and prior work in the areas covered by the workshop. This could include prior research, developed systems, methodologies, or contributions to related fields.
    • Mention any datasets, tools, frameworks, or testbeds the author(s) have worked on or developed that could be useful to the workshop’s discussions.
  4. Potential Contributions to the Workshop
    • Outline what you or your team can bring to the workshop discussions, particularly in relation to networking and systems challenges of immersive computing.
    • Describe any unique insights, experiences, or resources (e.g., methodologies, datasets, and platforms) that you believe will contribute to advancing the workshop's goals.
  5. Vision for the Future
    • Discuss the challenges you see in networking and systems for immersive computing.
    • Share any ideas or recommendations you have for future research directions or collaborative efforts in this field.
  6. Expected Outcomes
    • What do you hope to gain from participating in the workshop?
    • How do you envision your contributions impacting the broader community of researchers and practitioners focused on immersive computing?

Submission Website

Important Dates

  • Position Paper Submission Deadline: December 15th, 2024, AoE
  • Position Paper Notification: December 31st, 2024, AoE
  • Workshop: March 31st - April 1st, 2025

Join us in shaping the future of networking and systems for immersive technologies!