The ARSINOE project is proud to celebrate a remarkable achievement: the Athena Research Center has been awarded First Place in the “Best 3D User Interface Demo” category at the prestigious 32nd IEEE International Conference on Virtual Reality (IEEE VR 2025).
The award-winning demonstration, titled “From Dystopia to Eutopia: Transforming Urban Environments Through Collaborative Decision-Making in Arsinoe VR”, was developed by a team led by Dr. Akrivi Katifori at Athena Research Center. The immersive experience brings to life the pressing issue of the urban heat island effect, a major climate change consequence impacting cities across the globe.
Immersive Decision-Making for Sustainable Cities
Arsinoe VR invites users to engage in a social virtual reality environment, contrasting a climate-stressed, dystopian city with a sustainable, green urban alternative. Participants step into the roles of Flora and Fauna Experts, using tools such as environmental scanning and miniature manipulation to collaboratively explore urban sustainability interventions. The interactive storytelling and role-play elements foster critical thinking, participatory governance, and climate-conscious decision-making.
The ARSINOE VR demo was made possible through the collaborative efforts of partners from:
- Athena Research Center, under the leadership of Dr. Ebun Akinsete, Principal Investigator
- Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), with Prof. Dr. Phoebe Koundouri as Principal Investigator
This achievement is a testament to the interdisciplinary innovation fostered within the ARSINOE project and reflects the commitment of the team to applying cutting-edge digital tools to climate resilience planning.