Extended Reality in Industry and Healthcare: Current Trends and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Extended reality (XR) technologies are no longer peripheral innovations but emerging cornerstones of human–technology interaction across critical sectors. This article takes the position that engineering and healthcare represent the most mature and strategically relevant domains for XR adoption, given their safety-critical nature, intensive training requirements, and strong alignment with the human-centric visions of Industry 5.0 and Healthcare 5.0. We synthesize evidence from product design, manufacturing, training, and patient care to demonstrate how XR is reshaping workflows, skills, and therapeutic practices. Beyond surveying applications, we argue that the future of XR depends on its integration with artificial intelligence, digital twins, and multisensory feedback, converging into systems capable of perceiving, reasoning, and adapting to complex physical and human environments. We contend that widespread adoption will remain limited without open standards, validated protocols, and robust evaluation frameworks addressing safety, interoperability, and data governance. By framing XR as both a technological enabler and a societal imperative, this position article calls for coordinated action among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to realize XR’s role in building sustainable, personalized, and participatory innovation ecosystems.