Workshop on Stress and Restorative Experiences in Extended Reality - SREXR at IEEE VR 2027, Date: TBD, Melbourne, Australia
The Workshop on Stress and Restorative Experiences in Extended Reality (SREXR) aims to bring together researchers and practitioners interested in the design, implementation, and evaluation of immersive environments that manipulate stress and restoration responses. For example, nature-inspired virtual experiences are increasingly being used in applications ranging from mental health and well-being to education, tourism, and rehabilitation. This workshop provides a forum to share insights on how restorative environments can be constructed, what outcomes these environments can generate, and how they can be integrated into interactive systems. Additionally, this workshop provides a platform to discuss the design of stress inducing environments in XR, which are often used when testing stress reducing environments and have therapeutic applications of their own. We particularly welcome discussions on the psychological, physiological, and behavioral effects of environments designed to manipulate stress and attention responses, as well as methodological and technical challenges related to simulating and navigating naturalistic and realistic environments in XR.
We invite contributions on the design, evaluation, and application of XR environments that modulate stress and support restoration. Topics include, but are not limited to:
Design of restorative XR environments: virtual nature (e.g., VR forest bathing / shinrin-yoku, coasts, gardens), built and urban spaces, contemplative and spiritual spaces, and abstract or fantastical environments
Stress-inducing and stress-reducing environments, including the design of stressors and recovery phases for experimental paradigms
Mechanisms of restoration in XR: attention restoration, stress recovery, awe, presence, and their relationship to immersion and perceived realism
Multisensory design: sound and soundscapes, scent, haptics, wind and temperature, and their contribution to restoration
Simulation realism and fidelity: biomass, water, light, weather, and plant and animal behavior; trade-offs between photorealism and stylization
Interaction and locomotion in restorative environments: passive viewing versus active exploration, gamification, and cybersickness mitigation
Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality approaches: augmenting real spaces with restorative elements, such as biophilic overlays in offices, hospitals, and homes
Personalization and adaptation: biofeedback, physiological sensing, and environments that respond to the user’s state
Measurement and methodology: physiological, cognitive, affective, and behavioral measures; validated instruments; comparisons with real-world restorative environments Applications: clinical and health care settings (e.g., pre-operative, chemotherapy, dialysis), residential and long-term care, incarceration, rehabilitation, workplaces, and education
Accessibility and cultural considerations in restorative XR design
Ethics, safety, and long-term effects of restorative XR, including its relationship to real-world nature contact
User studies and evaluations of any of the above topics
Submissions will include research and position papers in the IEEE VGTC format, managed by the organizers. Accepted authors will present their work in a lightning-talk session, and demonstrations of restorative XR environments are encouraged where feasible.
The Workshop on Stress and Restorative Experiences in Extended Reality seeks contributions in the form of papers and lightning talks. At least one author per accepted contribution must register for the IEEE VR conference and will be expected to give a presentation at the workshop.
We call for short papers presenting original and preliminary research results, surveys, demos, and positions with a length following IEEE VR requirements. These will go through a formal reviewing process via an independent program committee. Each submission will receive two reviews. Authors will have the possibility to react to those reviews with a revision. The final decision of acceptance is then made by the organizers based on whether all reviewer comments have been sufficiently addressed. In the event of conflicts in the organizing committee, the decision is made by an independent expert instead. If accepted, papers will be published electronically through the IEEE Digital Library.
When it comes to methodological work, we will offer optional time for showcase demos (if time allows). Authors will be asked in the submission process if they want to demonstrate their work on-site.
Submissions must be anonymous, prepared in the IEEE Computer Society VGTC conference format, and submitted in PDF via the Easychair Portal. Once accepted, authors have the ability to submit a camera-ready version via the PCS Conference system for publication in the IEEE Digital Library.
Submissions that do not comply with the above-mentioned framing will be desk-rejected without further review.
We would also like to welcome proposals for lightning talks raising interesting positions, work in progress, research agendas, or questions to discuss with the community during the workshop. These should be submitted in the form of an informal, maximum 500-word abstract and will be reviewed by the workshop organizers. As the main focus of this track is on the oral presentation and discussion, the abstracts will not be published in the IEEE Digital Library.
Abstract submissions should not be anonymous and should be submitted via email to the workshop organizers at ramast1@colostate.edu
Each deadline is 23:59:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth) == GMT/UTC-12:00 on the stated day, no matter where the submitter is located.
Submission of Papers: December 11, 2026
Initial Paper Notifications: December 17, 2026
Revised Camera-Ready Submission of Paper: January 5, 2027 (early submissions will be checked early)
Final Acceptance Notification: January 7, 2027
Camera-Ready Submission: January 12, 2027
Submission of Lightning Talk Proposals: January 27, 2027
Workshop: TBD
The workshop will have the following activities, timing to be determined:
Keynote
Paper Presentations
Demos
Lightning Talks
Panel
Rachel Masters, ramast1@colostate.edu
Victoria Interrante
Sara LoTemplio
Francisco Ortega
Daniel Zielasko