A Decade Later: Evolution of Real-Time Embedded Virtual Presence Systems (An HCI Perspective)

Abstract

Over the past decade, real-time embedded virtual presence systems have evolved from latency-constrained immersive prototypes into highly adaptive, ethically grounded hybrid infrastructures that bridge the physical and digital worlds. This article surveys this progression from an HCI perspective, structured across five timelines from 2015 to 2025. Timeline 1 charts the emergence of consumer-grade AR/VR systems, highlighting frameless rendering, distributed latency models, and avatar realism as critical enablers. Timeline 2 shifts toward context-aware systems that adapt interfaces and behavior to user state, cognitive load, and environmental cues. Timeline 3 introduces adaptive and AI-driven architectures, embedding learning and emotion recognition to personalize virtual interaction. Timeline 4 advances human–agent interaction through real-time multimodal synchronization, haptic fidelity, and cooperative dialogue prediction. Finally, Timeline 5 consolidates MR, IoT, Digital Twins, and edge computing into seamlessly integrated hybrid systems capable of bidirectional control and real-time synchronization. Across all timelines, challenges persist in synchronization, multimodal fusion, and ethical governance. This survey identifies technical trajectories, systemic transitions, and open research challenges that shape the future of real-time embedded virtual presence.