Cutting-Edge Technologies for Multi-Sensory Research at the Frontier Between Disciplines: Volume II

This Research Topic is the second volume in the series. The first volume, Cutting-Edge Technologies for Multi-Sensory Research at the Frontier Between Disciplines, can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/63586/cutting-edge-technologies-for-multi-sensory-research-at-the-frontier-between-disciplinesHuman perception emerges from the continuous integration of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive, and other bodily signals with prior knowledge, expectations, affective states, and context. Recent advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, extended reality, wearable and biometric sensing, haptic technologies, and olfactory and gustatory interfaces have expanded the possibilities for studying and designing multisensory experiences. These developments raise important questions about how sensory information is integrated, predicted, and adapted; how multisensory environments influence affect, cognition, and behavior; and how findings from controlled experiments can be transferred to everyday settings. Emerging studies demonstrate the potential of personalized sensory environments, mixed-reality food experiences, conversational agents, accessible artistic systems, and haptic human–machine interaction. However, important gaps remain concerning ecological validity, individual and cultural variability, accessibility, algorithmic bias, privacy, explainability, reproducibility, and the longer-term consequences of technologically mediated sensory personalization. Further research is needed to connect technological innovation with robust theories and methods across cognitive science, neuroscience, affective science, sensory research, design, clinical research, human–computer interaction, and the arts.Volume I of this Research Topic demonstrated the breadth of multisensory technology across cognition, taste perception, accessibility, and automotive interaction, but largely centered on personalized or one-directional sensory delivery; Volume II also extends this trajectory toward systems that close the loop between sensory stimulation and real-time user feedback.This Research Topic aims to advance the scientific understanding and responsible design of technology-enabled multisensory experiences. It seeks to move beyond the study of relatively isolated sensory effects toward the investigation of dynamic perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioral systems in situated and ecologically meaningful environments. Contributions may examine how technologies can support multisensory measurement, experimental manipulation, computational explanation, adaptive interaction, sensory substitution, and inclusive experience design. The Research Topic also aims to identify when technologically mediated multisensory environments improve perception, learning, well-being, communication, accessibility, or decision-making, and when they may introduce sensory conflict, bias, reduced autonomy, or unintended behavioral effects.To gather further insights into technology-enabled multisensory perception and interaction across laboratory, clinical, artistic, educational, and everyday contexts, we welcome original research, reviews, methodological contributions, perspectives, and reports on tools, datasets, and experimental systems, where compatible with the participating journal and section, addressing but not limited to the following themes:- Artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational modeling, multimodal representation learning, generative models, sensor fusion, interpretable AI, and predictive approaches to multisensory perception.- Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality; haptic, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, and auditory interfaces; wearable technologies; and embodied human–computer or human–machine interaction.- Multisensory influences on emotion, attention, memory, cognitive load, metacognition, learning, decision-making, and behavior, including research combining behavioral, self-report, physiological, biometric, and computational measures.- Ecological, naturalistic, mobile, wearable, longitudinal, adaptive, and culturally situated approaches to multisensory research.- Human–food interaction, cooking, eating, drinking, flavor perception, food pairing, digital commensality, mindful eating, healthy eating, personalized nutrition, and computational gastronomy.- Accessibility, sensory substitution, assistive and rehabilitation technologies, inclusive design, and multisensory experiences for diverse sensory, neurocognitive, and physical abilities.- Multisensory applications in art, cultural heritage, health, clinical intervention, education, well-being, entertainment, and communication.- Methodological transparency, reproducibility, data quality, participatory research, responsible personalization, privacy, fairness, autonomy, and the long-term effects of algorithmically shaped sensory environments.- Closed-loop multisensory systems that adapt output in real time based on measured user response (e.g., physiological, behavioral, or neural feedback).Appendix: Article types may include original research, reviews, methodological contributions, perspectives, and reports on tools, datasets, and experimental systems, where compatible with the participating journal and section. Topic editors: Bruno Mesz, Jean-Christophe SAKDAVONG Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83948/cutting-edge-technologies-for-multi-sensory-research-at-the-frontier-between-disciplines-volume-ii