IT Professional plans a September/October 2019 special issue on Synthetic Realities.

It has been claimed that we are nothing more than mere players in a massively realistic virtual reality game propagated by a superior alien technology. Regardless of the extremity of this claim, according to Moore’s law, the ability to build upon the real environment—as well as to create new worlds—will continue to improve dramatically. The potential utility of doing so can be illustrated by several examples, such as that of a jet fighter’s head-up display (HUD), which superimposes vital flight or combat information over the pilot’s eye-view of the horizon. The growing ability to mix digital input into the real environment actually exists on a continuum, reaching all the way from augmenting the real world to creating synthetic “virtual environments.”

To date, the synthetic reality experience has been relegated by popular view to visual and auditory stimulation, although, borrowing on aviation again, six-degree-of-freedom domed flight simulators extend to virtually stimulate many senses all at once.

Interestingly, the synthetic reality phenomenon bears some striking parallels to the Internet of Things (IoT). Synthetic reality typically harnesses sensors for orientation and scene integration, and often aggregates sensor data for registration and calibration. It then uses advanced computation, involving machine learning and complex models to render the results, often employing sophisticated display technology to integrate them with the real world. Nonetheless, as in the case of flight simulators, other physical actuators may also be engaged.

These factors place synthetic reality in the realm of many applied disciplines that serve beneficial purposes. Simultaneously, as synthetic reality technology continues to mature, it poses some serious research issues regarding human–machine interface, perceptual adaptation, and societal effects.

The guest editors of this special issue of IT Professional aim to bring together the latest advances, experiences, findings, and developments related to all aspects of synthetic reality, including, but not limited to:

Mixed reality
Technology
Sensors
Calibration and registration
Algorithmic support and modeling frameworks
Rendering
Display/actuation
Applications
Mobile technology
Industry/manufacturing
Military
Healthcare
Education/training
Entertainment
Impact
Perceptual
Societal

Only submissions that describe previously unpublished, original, state-of-the-art research and that are not currently under review by a conference or journal will be considered. Extended versions of conference papers must be at least 30 percent different from the original conference works.

Feature articles should be no longer than 4,200 words and have no more than 20 references (with tables and figures counting as 300 words each). For author guidelines, including sample articles, see www.computer.org/publications/author-resources/peer-review/magazines.

All manuscripts must be submitted to ScholarOne Manuscripts (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/itpro-cs) by the deadline in order to be considered for publication. Submissions are subject to peer review on both technical merit and relevance to IT Pro’s readership. Articles should be understandable by a broad audience of computer science and engineering professionals, avoiding a focus on theory, mathematics, jargon, and abstract concepts.

Questions? Please direct any correspondence before submission to the guest editors George Hurlburt and Fulvio Corno at it5-2019@computer.org.

For author guidelines and information on how to submit a manuscript, visit www.computer.org/publications/author-resources/peer-review/magazines. For full paper submission, please visit https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/itpro-cs.