Meetings. I hate meetings.

WFH. Return to Office. Go to jail. Don’t pass go. 

Isn’t the experience of Zoom, G-Meets, or *shudder – MS-Teams, just the worst? 

Perhaps I’m projecting. Just let me get on with my job, ya know?

So as the well-drilled corporate robot that I am, here’s my solution to my own problem:

VR Meetings.

Surprise surprise, given the publication. But indulge me if you will. I’m talking as close to touch and feel as you can get.

The nuance of body language – all the non-verbals, dynamics of movement to articulate, physical strategy.

Are we close? Here are my top 3 important and recent advancements in VR-Meeting tech:

1. Photorealistic AI-Driven Avatars from Audio and Video Inputs

Advancements like Meta's Audio2Photoreal (2024) and Alibaba's TaoAvatar (2025) use generative AI to create full-body, lifelike digital humans from simple audio cues or single-camera feeds. These avatars sync facial micro-expressions, gestures, and speech in real-time, rendering at 2K resolution and 90 FPS on devices like Apple Vision Pro. This synthesizes IRL meetings by making remote participants feel physically present, reducing the "uncanny valley" effect and enabling natural conversations without bulky motion-capture suits. For more details, see Meta's Audio2Photoreal project page and Alibaba's TaoAvatar site.

2. Real-Time Haptic Feedback and Multisensory Integration

2025 saw haptic suits, gloves, and vests (e.g., from multi-sensory VR rigs like the Teslasuit) incorporate touch, pressure, and even temperature simulation into meetings, paired with spatial audio and eye-tracking. Trends highlight full-body rigs that let users "feel" handshakes or object interactions in shared virtual spaces. This bridges the gap to IRL by adding tactile realism, boosting empathy and collaboration in scenarios like remote negotiations or team brainstorming. Explore further at Teslasuit's haptic VR suit overview and bHaptics TactSuit details.

3. AI-Powered Dynamic Virtual Environments and Hybrid VR/AR Convergence for Collaboration

AI integration (e.g., procedural world generation in platforms like VRChat updates and ENGAGE XR) creates adaptive 3D spaces that respond to group dynamics, such as auto-arranging seating or generating shared whiteboards based on conversation flow, while LLM-empowered VR personalizes interactions like AI moderators resolving conflicts. This mimics IRL serendipity - bumping into colleagues or impromptu discussions - transforming rigid video calls into fluid, context-aware gatherings. Combined with hybrid VR/AR via 5G low-latency streaming in platforms like Accenture's expanded Nth Floor metaverse campus (2025), it blends VR with AR to allow physical attendees to interact with virtual avatars in real-time, tying in IoT for physical props (e.g., smart desks syncing data). This replicates IRL logistics - walking around a "room," sharing physical-digital artifacts - ideal for global teams, with studies showing 30-50% higher engagement in design reviews or training. Check out ENGAGE XR's generative AI features and Accenture's Nth Floor metaverse for implementations.

Perhaps what I take exception to is the 2-dimensional nature of online meetings. It blunts all the skills I’ve accumulated in the board room over the last 15 years.

Not that I endorse violence, but VR-slapping the hell outta the person that asks the unnecessary question as the meeting was about to close? Surely that’s something we call get behind.

Whether HR-laws can catch-up with VR-advancements is another story.

Yours virtually, 

The Squid

🌏 Based in Brisbane, Australia

🤩 A passionate team creating tailored VR solutions for recovery

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