Vicomtech, the Basque technology centre in Donostia / San Sebastián, developed BAZKARIA with the Mugaritz restaurant to let people eat together while sitting at tables in different locations. The project combines volumetric video, mixed reality and human interaction to create the illusion of sharing one table, paired with a gastronomic proposal designed specifically for the experience.
The pilots were carried out and the systems deployed at Mugaritz. Vicomtech reported in February 2026 that fifty people had taken part in the telepresence dining experience, and that most highlighted a rapid adaptation to the immersive environment.
How it works
BAZKARIA uses Vicomtech's VHOLO as its core immersive telepresence technology. Two RGBD cameras capture each table, and the colour and depth data are used to reconstruct a point cloud representing the diner, the food and the rest of the table.
Each diner sees the other table through a web-based mixed reality interface that works across different head-mounted displays. The mixed reality view uses pass-through video from the headset's external cameras, so diners can still see their own table and food. Diners at the two tables could speak with each other, and with the waiter, in real time.
Evaluation
Continuous evaluations were carried out throughout the process, combining system data with user feedback. One participant described the effect as feeling, from the first moment their companion's silhouette appeared, as if they were eating at the same table. BAZKARIA is framed as a sub-project of SPIRIT, a European research initiative.
