[Technology is poised to provide doctors and patients with increasingly more compelling presence experiences of unborn babies; this press release is from the Radiological Society of North America via EurekAlert; more information, including additional pictures and two videos is available from the Daily Mail, and coverage from NBC raises some key concerns about how the new technology will be used. –Matthew]

[Image: A 3-D virtual model MRI view of fetus at 26 weeks. Credit: Radiological Society Of North America.]

Researchers generate 3-D virtual reality models of unborn babies

Public Release: 21-Nov-2016
Source: Radiological Society of North America

CHICAGO – Parents may soon be able to watch their unborn babies grow in realistic 3-D immersive visualizations, thanks to new technology that transforms MRI and ultrasound data into a 3-D virtual reality model of a fetus, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).… read more. “Researchers generate 3-D virtual reality models of unborn babies”

[Despite arguments about feasibility and the too-often unmentioned ethical issues it raises, the prospect of thought-based interactions with and in virtual environments is provocative. This story is from The Guardian, where it features another image and related links. –Matthew]

[Image:  Brainwave-reading technology could eliminate the need for a controller when using a virtual reality headset. Photograph: Andre Kosters/EPA.]

Virtual reality powered by … our minds? ’10 years from now, it will seem obvious’

EyeMynd wants to create a system in which thoughts, not handsets, will control our actions in virtual reality worlds

Dan Raile in San Francisco
Last modified on Monday 14 November 2016

Dan Cook first began exploring the commercial potential of brainwave technology 20 years ago, working with a government agency interested in developing better lie detectors and pharmaceutical companies who wanted to understand the neurological impact of their drugs.… read more. “VR powered by our minds? ’10 years from now, it will seem obvious’”

[Here’s a nice first-person report of an ambitious use of VR and presence; it’s from VR Scout, where it features lots more pictures. I’ve lightly edited it here to fix some typos. –Matthew]

Jaguar Just Showed Us The Future of Car Launches

The VR reveal for the company’s first-ever electric car blew our minds.

by Jonathan Nafarrete
November 14, 2016

During a press event at Milk Studios in Los Angeles Sunday night, Jaguar revealed the I-PACE, the company’s first-ever electric car. A competitor to the Tesla Model X, the I-PACE is a major foray for Jaguar into electric automotive transportation.

So when it came to launching a future facing vehicle like the I-PACE, Jaguar needed a car launch that went above the normal conventions of previous automotive launches. The car company needed something that equaled the car’s product ambitions. And what better way to do that than with virtual reality.… read more. “Jaguar just showed us the future of (VR) car launches”

[Now more people can create augmented reality-based presence experiences. This story is from BuzzFeed and for more information see the GoMeta blog post announcement for the Metaverse app. Quoting coverage by UploadVR, “Metaverse can be downloaded on IOS devices here and creators can also request access to the Metaverse Studio beta so you can create deeper and collections of interactive experiences.” –Matthew]

Ex-Googler Debuts An AR App That Lets You Build Your Own Pokémon Go

Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner and venture capital company Greylock Partners are betting on an app that sets a foundation for more augmented reality applications.

Alex Kantrowitz, BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on Oct. 31, 2016

When Pokémon Go incited mass augmented-reality hysteria this summer, one big question that emerged was whether the game’s success would usher in an era of AR applications, or whether enthusiasm for the genre would fizzle.… read more. “Ex-Googler debuts an AR app that lets you build your own Pokemon Go”

[What will it take for VR and AR to reach mainstream commercial success? This story from IEEE Spectrum provides insights and a status report; check out the 2016 Gartner Hype Cycle article highlighted in this story for the prospects of a wide variety of additional presence-related technologies. –Matthew]

[Image: Credit: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg/Getty Images]

The Fuzzy Future of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

By Amy Nordrum
Posted 15 Nov 2016

Virtual reality is having a moment, but the technology is still far from mainstream. Following the release of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in early 2016, headset sales quickly flattened once early adopters had purchased their gear. It seems the average customer isn’t as eager to pay US $600 for bulky goggles simply to peruse the rather limited catalogue of available VR content.

If more consumers can’t be persuaded of the value that VR could bring to their lives, an industry projected to breach a trillion dollars in sales by 2035 might flop.… read more. “The fuzzy future of virtual reality and augmented reality”