Advances in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Smart Cities

Dear Colleagues,

The recent concept of smart cities and communities has fostered the design of new solutions, where modeling, simulation, and data analytics tools are indispensable in responding to the challenges of an ever-increasing urban population. Among them, augmented reality (AR) deployed in the city is already foreseen as a disruptive technology. Alternate virtual reality (VR) solutions exist as well, which allow one to experience the city in a simulated environment and help to take optimal actions and informed decisions. Virtual and augmented reality technologies will be empowered through the push for 5G deployments. In addition, the recent unveiling of Apple LiDAR on iPad and iPhone is leading to an AR revolution. With the ability to provide data in real-time, engage users, and interact with real-life infrastructures, AR and VR have massive potential to transform urban spaces and services. Examples of compelling potential uses are emergency management, asset management, and public works, education and training, and healthcare, to name a few. Furthermore, the need for AR/VR technology to alleviate challenges posed by the global pandemic is immediate.

Although the adoption of VR/AR technology outside gaming and entertainment is still in its infancy, immediate work needs to be done to establish the use cases and vision for VR/AR and develop solutions adapted to the smart cities and communities context.

This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how AR and VR can be leveraged to make cities and their citizens smarter and more connected. We welcome original work on innovative AR and VR solutions using smart city-enabled technologies (i.e., 3D city models; infrastructure digitalization; Internet of Things; location intelligence; etc.), on creating and understanding content and experience relevant to smart city initiatives, on addressing societal and ethical issues of AR and VR transforming cities and societies.

This Special Issue seeks to describe and discuss the following topics applied to the scope described above, but is not limited to them:

• AR/VR and Internet of Things
• AR/VR and 3D city model
• AR/VR and 5G
• AR/VR and artificial intelligence
• AR/VR and autonomous vehicles
• AR/VR and city sustainability
• AR/VR in health care
• AR/VR in education and training
• AR/VR in urban transportation
• Social AR and VR
• Ethics, societal and privacy aspects of AR/VR
• Creating and understanding AR/VR content and experiences

 

Prof. Sylvie Daniel,

Dr. Gunho Sohn

Dr. Lingli Zhu

Guest Editors