EFHIC

Workshop Website: EFHIC 2026

Communication modalities and platforms designed to facilitate hybrid collaboration environments have undergone significant evolution, driven by two primary factors: prevailing social circumstances and/or the emergence and advancement of technologies. Notably, recent globally adopted innovations in this domain include instant messaging, 2D videoconferencing, and social media platforms. However, communication environments that leverage HMDs or telepresence robotic devices have not yet achieved widespread adoption. What are the reasons behind the non-adoption of these technologies? In this line of discussion, this workshop aims to bring together experts in media experiences to share the communication platforms they use in their daily lives.

Topics of interest

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• The different communication channels (verbal, visual, non-verbal, contextual) used today and those that may emerge in the future. Which channels matter most for you? Could new ones become essential?
• How familiarity level with people affects hybrid interaction. Do you envision different setups or ranking of communication sources depending on the use case (professional / personal)?
• The number of participants and the local/remote ratio in hybrid interactions, and how these factors influence communication channels and their ranking.
• Human–Computer Interaction: perception of people mediated by machines (avatars, robots, and other representations).
• Hybrid interactions in the future and the potential role of AI: challenges and opportunities.

Workshop Format

EFHIC will be an on-site event, co-located with ACM IMX 2026. In case of strict conditions, online presentations will also be accommodated.

Type(s) of submissions/contributions that will be solicited:

• Short papers (2-3 pages, excluding references). Oral presentation (8min).
• Demos are welcome, and must be accompanied with a short paper submission.

Organizers

• Marta Orduna (Nokia XR Lab, Spain)
• Ester González-Sosa (Nokia XR lab, Spain)
• Jesús Gutiérrez (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain)
• Carlos Cortés (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain)
• Maria Torres-Vega (KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Pablo Pérez (Nokia XR Lab, Spain)
• Pablo César (CWI, Netherlands)