Publications​

@article{krilavicius_extended_2025,

title = {eXtended Reality and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Rehabilitation},

author = {Tomas Krilavičius and Lucio Tommaso De Paolis and Valerio De Luca and Josef Spjut},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85217159420&doi=10.1007%2fs10796-025-10580-8&partnerID=40&md5=3bc0bae0925d3f2f6d1a6e1e659b9aae},

doi = {10.1007/s10796-025-10580-8},

issn = {13873326},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Information Systems Frontiers},

abstract = {This special issue focuses on the application of eXtended Reality (XR) technologies—comprising Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR)—and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the fields of medicine and rehabilitation. AR provides support in minimally invasive surgery, where it visualises internal anatomical structures on the patient’s body and provides real-time feedback to improve accuracy, keep the surgeon’s attention and reduce the risk of errors. Furthermore, XR technologies can be used to develop applications for pre-operative planning or for training surgeons through serious games. AI finds applications both in medical image processing, for the recognition of anatomical structures and the reconstruction of 3D models, and in the analysis of biological data for patient monitoring and disease diagnosis. In rehabilitation, XR and AI can enable personalised therapy plans, increase patient engagement through immersive environments and provide real-time feedback to improve recovery outcomes. The papers in this special issue deal with rehabilitation through serious games, AI-enhanced XR applications for healthcare, digital twins and the analysis of bio/neuro-adaptive signals. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.},

keywords = {3D modeling, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Extended reality, Minimally-invasive surgery, Personalized medicine, Pre-operative planning, Surgery},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{vaccariniInteroperableMixedReality2024,

title = {Interoperable mixed reality for facility management: a cyber-physical perspective},

author = {Massimo Vaccarini and Francesco Spegni and Alberto Giretti and Massimiliano Pirani and Alessandro Carbonari},

url = {http://www.itcon.org/paper/2024/26},

doi = {10.36680/j.itcon.2024.026},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-08-01},

urldate = {2024-10-05},

journal = {Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon)},

volume = {29},

number = {26},

pages = {573–595},

abstract = {The management of building commissioning requires specialists from different organizations and with different skills. Collaboration processes involves several actors and decision-making at different levels. As building commissioning has already been described as systems-of-systems (SoS), the research reported in this paper claims that this definition can be extended into cyber-physical system-of-systems (CPSoS), requiring identification and support of both human-machine and machine-machine interactions in a hybrid environment. These requirements give rise to several challenges, such as capturing information about the existing facility, visualizing, comparing, and validating the compliance of alternative commissioning projects. The study presented in this paper reports methodological and technological solutions that are built on the integration between BIM and mixed reality, to actualize a CPSoS paradigm and to implement human-machine interaction for situated cognition towards an immersive collaborative working environment. The results of the experimental platform have been showcased in a full-scale real-life demonstrator.},

keywords = {Building Commissioning, Cyber-Physical Systems, Interoperability, Mixed Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{melillo_synchronization_2024,

title = {Synchronization of a Virtual Reality Scenario to Uterine Contractions for Labor Pain Management: Development Study and Randomized Controlled Trial},

author = {Antonio Melillo and Sarah Rachedi and Giuseppe Caggianese and Luigi Gallo and Patrizia Maiorano and Francesca Gimigliano and Fabio Lucidi and Giuseppe De Pietro and Maurizio Guida and Antonio Giordano and Andrea Chirico},

url = {https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/g4h.2023.0202},

doi = {10.1089/g4h.2023.0202},

issn = {2161-783X, 2161-7856},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-01},

urldate = {2024-07-21},

journal = {Games for Health Journal},

pages = {g4h.2023.0202},

abstract = {Background: Labor is described as one of the most painful events women can experience through their lives, and labor pain shows unique features and rhythmic fluctuations. 

Purpose: The present study aims to evaluate virtual reality (VR) analgesic interventions for active labor with biofeedback-based VR technologies synchronized to uterine activity. 

Materials and Methods: We developed a VR system modeled on uterine contractions by connecting it to cardiotocographic equipment. We conducted a randomized controlled trial on a sample of 74 cases and 80 controls during active labor. 

Results: Results of the study showed a significant reduction of pain scores compared with both preintervention scores and to control group scores; a significant reduction of anxiety levels both compared with preintervention assessment and to control group and significant reduction in fear of labor experience compared with controls. 

Conclusion: VR may be considered as an effective nonpharmacological analgesic technique for the treatment of pain and anxiety and fear of childbirth experience during labor. The developed system could improve personalization of care, modulating the multisensory stimulation tailored to labor progression. Further studies are needed to compare the synchronized VR system to uterine activity and unsynchronized VR interventions.},

keywords = {Artificial Intelligence, Labor, Pain, User study, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{de_luca_serious_2024,

title = {Serious Games for the Treatment of Children with ADHD: The BRAVO Project},

author = {Valerio De Luca and Annamaria Schena and Attilio Covino and Pierpaolo Di Bitonto and Ada Potenza and Maria Cristina Barba and Giovanni D’Errico and Lucio Tommaso De Paolis},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85182427594&doi=10.1007%2fs10796-023-10457-8&partnerID=40&md5=76f272c62aa29cbd1d919e8ec9ddadfd},

doi = {10.1007/s10796-023-10457-8},

issn = {13873326},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Information Systems Frontiers},

abstract = {Children affected by attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit several symptoms characterized by inattention, impulsivity and motor hyperactivity that impair both school performance and everyday life. The BRAVO (Beyond the tReatment of the Attention deficit hyperactiVity disOrder) project dealt with the development of several serious games based on extended reality that help patients improve in self-control, respect for rules, attention and concentration. In order to achieve both logopaedic and behavioural educational goals, serious games were developed concerning three different categories: Topological Categories, Infinite Runner and Planning. Experimental tests conducted over a six-month period assessed the patients’ performance and the emotional impact of the games, also showing a general improvement in cognitive and behavioural functions. © 2024, The Author(s).},

keywords = {Biofeedback, Experimental test, Extended reality, Serious games, Topological category, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{sabatucci_envisioning_2023,

title = {Envisioning Digital Practices in the Metaverse: A Methodological Perspective},

author = {Luca Sabatucci and Agnese Augello and Giuseppe Caggianese and Luigi Gallo},

url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/15/12/394},

doi = {10.3390/fi15120394},

issn = {1999-5903},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-12-01},

urldate = {2023-12-07},

journal = {Future Internet},

volume = {15},

number = {12},

pages = {1–19},

abstract = {Researchers are exploring methods that exploit digital twins as all-purpose abstractions for sophisticated modelling and simulation, bringing elements of the real world into the virtual realm. Digital twins are essential elements of the digital transformation of society, which mostly benefit manufacturing, smart cities, healthcare contexts, and in general systems that include humans in the loop. As the metaverse concept continues to evolve, the line separating the virtual and the real will progressively fade away. Considering the metaverse’s goal to emulate our social reality, it becomes essential to examine the aspects that characterise real-world interaction practices and explicitly model both physical and social contexts. While the unfolding metaverse may reshape these practices in distinct ways from their real-world counterparts, our position is that it is essential to incorporate social theories into the modelling processes of digital twins within the metaverse. In this work, we discuss our perspective by introducing a digital practice model inspired by the theory of social practice. We illustrate this model by exploiting the scenario of a virtual grocery shop designed to help older adults reduce their social isolation.},

note = {Number: 394 

Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute},

keywords = {Digital Practices, Digital Twins, Human Computer Interaction, Metaverse, Social Practices, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{palombi_role_2023,

title = {The role of sense of presence in expressing cognitive abilities in a virtual reality task: an initial validation study},

author = {Tommaso Palombi and Federica Galli and Francesco Giancamilli and Monica D’Amico and Fabio Alivernini and Luigi Gallo and Pietro Neroni and Marco Predazzi and Giuseppe De Pietro and Fabio Lucidi and Antonio Giordano and Andrea Chirico},

url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-40510-0},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-40510-0},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-08-01},

urldate = {2023-08-24},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {13},

number = {1},

pages = {13396},

abstract = {There is a raised interest in literature to use Virtual Reality (VR) technology as an assessment tool for cognitive domains. One of the essential advantages of transforming tests in an immersive virtual environment is the possibility of automatically calculating the test’s score, a time-consuming process under natural conditions. Although the characteristics of VR can deliver different degrees of immersion in a virtual environment, the sense of presence could jeopardize the evolution of these practices. The sense of presence results from a complex interaction between human, contextual factors, and the VR environment. The present study has two aims: firstly, it contributes to the validation of a virtual version of the naturalistic action test (i.e., virtual reality action test); second, it aims to evaluate the role of sense of presence as a critical booster of the expression of cognitive abilities during virtual reality tasks. The study relies on healthy adults tested in virtual and real conditions in a cross-over research design. The study’s results support the validity of the virtual reality action test. Furthermore, two structural equation models are tested to comprehend the role of sense of presence as a moderator in the relationship between cognitive abilities and virtual task performance.},

note = {Number: 1 

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group},

keywords = {Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare, Psychology, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{de_luca_user_2023,

title = {A user experience analysis for a mobile Mixed Reality application for cultural heritage},

author = {Valerio De Luca and Maria Cristina Barba and Giovanni D’Errico and Benito Luigi Nuzzo and Lucio Tommaso De Paolis},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85166928184&doi=10.1007%2fs10055-023-00840-w&partnerID=40&md5=88cdbef1a2145318018db416770987bc},

doi = {10.1007/s10055-023-00840-w},

issn = {13594338},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Virtual Reality},

volume = {27},

number = {4},

pages = {2821 – 2837},

abstract = {Mixed Reality has emerged as a valuable tool for the promotion of cultural heritage. In this context, in particular, the metaphor of virtual portals allows the virtual visit of monuments that are inaccessible or no longer exist in their original form, integrating them into the real environment. This paper presents the development of a Mixed Reality mobile application that proposes a virtual reconstruction of the church of Sant’Elia in Ruggiano, in the southern province of Lecce (Italy). By placing the virtual portal in the same place where the entrance of the church was located, the user can cross this threshold to enter inside and make a virtual journey into the past. The user experience was evaluated by administering a questionnaire to 60 users who tried the application. From the data collected, four user experience factors were identified (interest, focus of attention, presence and usability), which were compared between young and old, male and female users, and between users who had already visited the church in person and all other users. In general, the scores reveal a total independence of the other three factors from usability and a very high level of interest. © 2023, The Author(s).},

keywords = {Cultural Heritage, Extended reality, Mixed Reality, Mobile applications, Presence, Users' experiences, Virtual reconstruction},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{augello_vite_2023,

title = {VITE I Conference: Contributes in the frame of a Human Augmentation Space},

author = {Agnese Augello and Giuseppe Caggianese and Luigi Gallo},

url = {https://www.memsait.it/volumi/MemSAIT-vol94-n1-2023.php},

doi = {10.36116/MEMSAIT_94n1.2023.97},

issn = {1824-0178},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Journal of the Italian Astronomical Society},

volume = {94},

number = {1},

pages = {97–101},

abstract = {Our contribution is to examine some of the works presented during the VITE I conference from a perspective of Human Augmentation (HA). In the paper, we provide a definition of HA framed by Enactivism theory, also schematizing our viewpoint in a threedimensional space and into an architecture for designing and implementing HA systems.},

keywords = {Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Enactivism, Human Augmentation, Human Computer Interaction, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{derrico_measuring_2023,

title = {Measuring the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality for Stress Reduction: Psychometric Evaluation of the ERMES Project},

author = {Giovanni D’Errico and Maria Cristina Barba and Carola Gatto and Benito Luigi Nuzzo and Fabiana Nuccetelli and Valerio De Luca and Lucio Tommaso De Paolis},

editor = {De Paolis L.T and Arpaia P and Sacco M},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85172225273&doi=10.1007%2f978-3-031-43401-3_32&partnerID=40&md5=b8c309ef39cb9fa2384569507fb560f8},

doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-43401-3_32},

issn = {03029743},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)},

volume = {14218 LNCS},

pages = {484 – 499},

abstract = {Among all the technologies that make up the Digital Psychology intervention, Virtual Reality (VR) represents a decisive paradigm of innovation since it allows to work in terms of prevention and monitoring of many psychological issues, such as stress, anxiety, depression and burnout. This paper presents ERMES project “Virtual Reality to promote the well-being of vulnerable people within Hospitals", and a preliminary psychometric assessment of the results obtained from its first experimentation. Specifically, the main goal is to provide a tool that can act on stress levels by practicing Mindfulness sessions, virtual museum exploration, and Art Therapy activities, with the possibility of safely sharing the experience with other patients. During the experimental phase, clinical interviews and psychometric tests were carried out in order to assess the impact of VR therapy after participating in the experimental protocol. This first analysis shows significant changes in the stress levels, that have to be confirmed by the biosignals data acquired during the experimentation, that still needs to be evaluated. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.},

keywords = {Clinical interview, Healthcare, Mindfulness, Patient treatment, Psychometric, Stress reduction, Virtual Reality, Wellbeing},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{de_luca_virtual_2023,

title = {Virtual Reality and Spatial Augmented Reality for Social Inclusion: The “Includiamoci” Project},

author = {Valerio De Luca and Carola Gatto and Silvia Liaci and Laura Corchia and Sofia Chiarello and Federica Faggiano and Giada Sumerano and Lucio Tommaso De Paolis},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85146797271&doi=10.3390%2finfo14010038&partnerID=40&md5=25f102c40d0fc7e3b55ba7fc4b902a0c},

doi = {10.3390/info14010038},

issn = {20782489},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Information (Switzerland)},

volume = {14},

number = {1},

abstract = {Extended Reality (XR) technology represents an innovative tool to address the challenges of the present, as it allows for experimentation with new solutions in terms of content creation and its fruition by different types of users. The potential to modulate the experience based on the target audience’s needs and the project’s objectives makes XR suitable for creating new accessibility solutions. The “Includiamoci” project was carried out with the aim of creating workshops on social inclusion through the combination of art and technology. Specifically, the experimentation involved ten young people between the ages of 28 and 50, with cognitive disabilities, who participated in Extended Reality workshops and Art Therapy workshops. In the course of these activities, the outputs obtained were two: a virtual museum, populated by the participants’ works, and a digital set design for a theatrical performance. Through two tests, one on user experience (UX) and one on the degree of well-being, the effectiveness of the entire project was evaluated. In conclusion, the project demonstrated how the adopted solutions were appropriate to the objectives, increasing our knowledge of UX for a target audience with specific user needs and using XR in the context of social inclusion. © 2023 by the authors.},

keywords = {Augmented Reality, Content creation, Extended reality, Social inclusion, Spatial Augmented Reality, Spatial presence, Users' experiences, Virtual museum, Virtual Reality, Wellbeing},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{de_luca_impact_2023,

title = {The Impact of Usability and Learnability on Presence Factors in a VR Human Body Navigator},

author = {Valerio De Luca and Giulia Pellegrino and Lucio Tommaso De Paolis},

editor = {De Paolis L.T and Arpaia P and Sacco M},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85172218258&doi=10.1007%2f978-3-031-43401-3_25&partnerID=40&md5=1cd3b0b54a70441c45cfb86de894b7cd},

doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-43401-3_25},

issn = {03029743},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)},

volume = {14218 LNCS},

pages = {378 – 396},

abstract = {Alongside the traditional concept of usability, dealing with the ease of use of a product, over the years the concept of learnability has been introduced, which refers to the possibility of learning to use a system easily and quickly. In contexts characterised by a significant level of user involvement, the traditional concept of usability has evolved into the more complex concept of user experience, which also includes emotional, cognitive or physical responses. In the specific case of virtual environments, an important factor of user experience is the sense of presence, defined as the subjective experience of being in a place. This work aims at experimentally assessing which components of presence are significantly influenced by usability and learnability in a Virtual Reality environment for the navigation in the human body developed for the HTC Vive. The presence factors analysed in this work were Realism, Ability to act, Interface quality, Ability to examine and Self-assessment of performance. The results showed a significant impact of usability mainly on the perception of realism and a limited impact of learnability on the ability to act in the virtual environment. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.},

keywords = {Emotional response, Human bodies, Presence, Realism, Usability, User experience, User involvement, Users' experiences, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{de_paolis_usability_2023,

title = {Usability, user experience and mental workload in a mobile Augmented Reality application for digital storytelling in cultural heritage},

author = {Lucio Tommaso De Paolis and Carola Gatto and Laura Corchia and Valerio De Luca},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85141998995&doi=10.1007%2fs10055-022-00712-9&partnerID=40&md5=fed6fbffb1cd5aa0d46062553d7fe791},

doi = {10.1007/s10055-022-00712-9},

issn = {13594338},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Virtual Reality},

volume = {27},

number = {2},

pages = {1117 – 1143},

abstract = {Augmented Reality (AR) has become an increasingly used technology to support and enhance the enjoyment of cultural heritage. Particularly relevant is its importance for digital storytelling: by framing a portion of a fresco or painting with a smartphone, an AR mobile application can provide contextually relevant information, also in the form of multimedia content, that can help the user to understand the story and meaning behind the images. In this type of application, human factors are of fundamental importance for the effectiveness of the narrative: a mobile AR application must avoid distracting the user’s attention from the content in order to encourage a good level of concentration and immersion. The case study presented in this paper deals with a mobile AR application developed to guide visitors in the interpretation of the frescoes inside the Basilica of Saint Catherina of Alexandria in Galatina. The aim of the study is the analysis of the relations among usability, user experience and mental workload factors in AR-based digital storytelling. © 2023, The Author(s).},

keywords = {Augmented Reality, Cultural Heritage, Extended reality, Mental workload, Mobile, Usability, User experience, Users' experiences},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}