Immersive Horizons: Beyond Realities

Technician 5.0: Where Human Expertise Meets Intelligent Machines

What will the industrial technician’s work look like in a world shaped by AI, extended reality, automation and robotics? Hanna Heinonen, XR researcher and R&D specialist at KONE, and Markku Turunen, Professor of Interactive Technology at Tampere University, explore how emerging technologies are transforming maintenance, training and problem-solving. They discuss the importance of reliable information, human-centered design and involving employees from the start, as well as why successful transformation requires more than simply digitizing existing processes.

More Than Meets the Eye: Designing Meaningful Immersion

How can immersive experiences engage our senses without losing human creativity, authenticity or trust? Jani Jalonen, then CEO of Music x Media, and Emmi Jouslehto, Chief Technology Officer at the Architecture and Design Museum Helsinki, explore how spatial audio, interactive environments and digital storytelling can transform music, museums and public experiences. They also discuss AI-generated content, personalization, copyright, fair monetization, inclusive design and privacy, asking when technology creates genuine value and when it merely adds novelty.

From Film Sets to Gaming Platforms: Building Virtual Worlds That Connect

How are virtual worlds transforming storytelling and bringing audiences together? Adrian Weber, Virtual Production Supervisor at Fireframe, and Wesa Aapro, Metaverse Lead at the Finnish Public Broadcasting Company YLE, explore the convergence of filmmaking, gaming, journalism and social experiences. From the LED stages of Poor Things and live e-sports productions to Roblox events and immersive journalism from Ukraine, they discuss changing production workflows, reusable digital assets, the importance of young creators and the future of shared virtual experiences

Beyond the Headset: Making XR Training Work

What makes XR training genuinely useful rather than merely impressive? In the first episode, retailer Markku Laaksonen from K-Supermarket Ratina, L&D Development Manager Viveka Opas at KONE and Iiro Naamanka, Key Account Manager at 3D Talo explore how immersive technologies can make onboarding more memorable, improve safety and provide consistent learning experiences. From a supermarket employee’s first day to elevator installation and maintenance, the discussion reveals where XR creates real value, where another solution may work better, and why every successful project should begin with solving the problem, not just exploring a technology