Bazkaria Project: Vicomtech and Mugaritz Reinvent Shared Dining Through Telepresence

Is it possible to feel accompanied during a meal when the other person is in another city? Can technology reproduce the gestures, conversations and rhythms of a shared table? Bazkaria was created precisely to explore these questions, placing technology at the service of one of the most universal human experiences: eating together.

The project, driven by Mugaritz and the Vicomtech Technology Centre, combines advanced telepresence and mixed reality systems with a gastronomic proposal designed specifically for this context. Far from replicating a traditional video call, Bazkaria creates a hybrid space in which diners perceive one another as if they were sharing the same environment, interacting not only through voice but also through body language, gestures and the rhythm of the meal.

A total of fifty people experienced how technology and haute cuisine merge in a telepresence-based culinary experience. Most highlighted a rapid adaptation to the immersive environment. After a brief initial period of exploration, the technology fades into the background and attention shifts to interaction and the shared experience. As one participant put it: “From the very first moment, when I could already see their silhouette, it felt as if we were eating at the same table.”

One of the most highly valued aspects is the possibility of sharing dishes and comments in real time, generating spontaneous conversations and an authentic social experience. Interaction with the front-of-house team, also integrated into the virtual environment, reinforces this sense of being in the same space, contributing to a coherent and natural experience.

Bazkaria not only explores new ways of relating at a distance, but also opens the door to rethinking the gastronomic experience as a space for sensory and emotional experimentation. For participants, the proposal successfully combines the innovative character of technology with the emotion, surprise and reflection typical of a high-level gastronomic experience.

The project was developed using VHOLO technology, Vicomtech’s immersive telepresence solution. Through an iterative co-creation process, the technology was adapted to the needs of the use case and to the deployment space at Mugaritz. Continuous evaluations were carried out throughout the process, combining system data with user feedback.

The system is based on volumetric video using point clouds, a technology that combines colour and depth information from multiple cameras to generate three-dimensional holograms. In this case, two RGBD cameras were used per table, whose data made it possible to reconstruct a point cloud representing the user, the food and other relevant elements.

With this project, Vicomtech and Mugaritz demonstrate how research into immersive technologies can have a direct impact on everyday life, offering alternatives to maintain human connection in contexts where physical presence is not always possible. Commensality, understood as the culturally and socially meaningful act of eating together, fosters connection, a sense of belonging and the creation of shared meanings. 

Eating in company, rather than alone or in front of screens, has been shown to have positive effects on health and wellbeing. Bazkaria is framed as a sub-project of SPIRIT, a European research initiative that explores new forms of remote social interaction through telepresence and extended reality technologies.

*Picture Belén de Benito