Bernhard Spanlang

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About

Bernhard Spanlang is a pioneering researcher in immersive virtual reality (IVR) and embodied interaction, whose work bridges human perception, robotics, and cross-species communication. His key research areas include real-time motion mapping, telepresence, and avatar embodiment, with a focus on enabling intuitive control across vastly different physical scales and platforms. In his highly cited 2013 work (27 citations), Spanlang developed a system for real-time whole-body motion mapping that allows motion capture data to drive avatars and robots with disparate skeletal structures—a foundational contribution to teleoperation and virtual embodiment. His groundbreaking 2012 study (17 citations) pushed the boundaries of IVR by enabling real-time interaction between a human and a rat, each operating at their own scale, through a teleoperator system. This work demonstrated how immersive VR can foster cross-species empathy and behavioral study. Spanlang’s research has profound implications for robotics, neuroscience, and human-computer interaction, offering novel methods for experiencing and acting within remote or virtual environments. His achievements highlight a unique ability to merge technical innovation with imaginative, interdisciplinary applications, making him a notable figure in the evolution of embodied virtual reality.