ISPR Presence News

Monthly Archives: July 2017

Call: “Information Architecture and the Design of the Infosphere” – Special issue of Philosophy and Technology

Call for Papers

Special Issue of Philosophy and Technology on “Information Architecture and the Design of the Infosphere”

Deadline for expressions of interest: 26th of July 2017

The question of what has to be done to ensure that information can be obtained, organised, and be placed in the right context is a concern that the philosophy of information shares with information architecture; the practice – and associated discipline – of deciding how to arrange the parts of something to be understandable (“What is Information Architecture?” The Information Architecture Institute).

A dialogue between these two disciplines was initiated during a workshop held at the University of Oxford in June 2016. It included presentations that address the role of design as it applies to the conception of informational artefacts and the way we shape and organise the infosphere by Vicky Buser, Luke Church, Terence Fenn, Andrew Hinton, Jason Hobbs, Dan Klyn, Andrea Resmini, and Konstantin Weiss.… read more. “Call: “Information Architecture and the Design of the Infosphere” – Special issue of Philosophy and Technology”

Posted in Calls | Leave a comment

How doctors used VR and presence to save the lives of conjoined twin sisters

[The use of virtual reality (and presence) recently gave a team of doctors the insights they needed to save the lives of conjoined twins; the story is from The Washington Post, where it includes more images and a 3:12 minute video, and more details are available from the University of Minnesota. –Matthew]

How doctors used virtual reality to save the lives of conjoined twin sisters

By Peter Holley
July 23, 2017

During an 18-year career in medicine, Daniel Saltzman — the chief of pediatric surgery at University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital — has grown accustomed to looking at X-rays as if they were imperfect road maps of the human body.

He compares this exercise to looking at a one-dimensional traffic map on your smartphone and thinking about that image in three-dimensional terms in your mind.

Like any other road map, an X-ray image is an incomplete reduction of reality that can misrepresent challenges or include distortions, which explains why, even in 2017, high-stake surgeries can involve a shocking degree of guesswork and improvisation.… read more. “How doctors used VR and presence to save the lives of conjoined twin sisters”

Posted in Presence in the News | Leave a comment

Call: Artificial Intelligence for Human-Robot Interaction (AAAI Fall 2017 Symposium)

AAAI Fall Symposium: AI for Human-Robot Interaction (AI-HRI)
November 9-11, 2017 — Arlington, Virginia, USA
https://ai-hri.github.io/

Submission Deadline (Extended): July 27, 2017

AI-HRI (The AAAI Fall Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)) seeks to bring together the subset of the HRI community focused on the application of AI solutions to HRI problems. Building on the success of the three previous years’ symposia, the central purpose of this year’s symposium is to address the statements “HRI is an AI problem” and “AI is an HRI problem”. The symposium will include current research talks and discussions both to share work in this intersectional area and provide guidance for how to best frame AI-centric HRI work within AI venues. It will also include invited speaker panels to give different perspectives on AI-for-HRI.

PAPER CATEGORIES

AI-HRI encourages social scientists to submit:

FULL PAPERS: 6-8 pages
May highlight HRI research focusing on the use of autonomous AI systems.… read more. “Call: Artificial Intelligence for Human-Robot Interaction (AAAI Fall 2017 Symposium)”

Posted in Calls | Leave a comment

Love Matters India launches 360 VR film to generate awareness on Intimate Partner Violence

[This story from India’s MiD DAY (where it includes other pictures) describes an effort to use presence for education and social change on a vital topic. The goal and power of the approach is described in coverage from The Pioneer: “By integrating technology creatively in the work [the creators] do, they aim to connect more with the young target audience by enabling them to get a realistic immersive experience of what is intimate partner violence.” And coverage in DNA:

“You might have figured out where Manoj’s initial transgressions lead, without us elaborating—but it is only the immediacy of the 360 degree experience that would leave you awake to a reality most often ignored. Because when the prototypical Manoj screams and rampages, he’s not communicating with the disembodied female voice-over. Hardly. He’s looking straight at a horrified audience. He’s looking—at you.”… read more. “Love Matters India launches 360 VR film to generate awareness on Intimate Partner Violence”

Posted in Presence in the News | Leave a comment

Call: Artificial Ethics: Moral and Practical Challenges Symposium

Call for Abstracts

Artificial Ethics: moral and practical challenges
University of Southampton | Department of Philosophy
18th and 19th December 2017

In association with the Southampton Ethics Centre and the University of Southampton Research Group in Autonomous Systems

Deadline: October 23, 2017

We invite extended abstracts on the theme of machine ethics. Autonomous systems are set to become ever more integrated into human society. We have self-driving cars, pilotless aircraft. There are systems approving mortgages and offering financial advice.

This symposium will explore the ethical challenges – both theoretical and practical – which surround the development and implementation of such systems.

Relevant questions to be addressed include:

  • Should machine ethics simply extend existing human ethical systems?
  • Are the ethical standards for machines the same as those for people in identical circumstances?
  • Should we program machines with explicit ethical rules, or by something more akin to exemplar-based learning?
read more. “Call: Artificial Ethics: Moral and Practical Challenges Symposium”
Posted in Calls | Leave a comment

Giant virtual reality arcade VR World opens in New York City

[I look forward to multiple field trips to the new presence-experience attraction VR World described in this story from Metro US; the original story includes a 16-image photo gallery and two videos. –Matthew]

Giant virtual reality arcade VR World opens in Midtown

With 50 stations and all the latest equipment, VR World finally gets the future of virtual reality gaming and movies in your hands.

By Eva Kis
Published: July 15, 2017 | Updated: July 17, 2017

Hold onto your controllers, NYC — a huge new virtual reality arcade called VR World just landed in Manhattan.

“You can walk in and try some of the best of what virtual reality has to offer,” says Yasser Ghanchi, CEO of VR World. “What we’re trying to do is make virtual reality accessible to consumers.”

Virtual reality has been the “next big thing” in gaming for years now, but unless you were going to a tech convention or shelling out over $1,000 for equipment, there wasn’t a good way to try it.… read more. “Giant virtual reality arcade VR World opens in New York City”

Posted in Presence in the News | Leave a comment

Jobs: PhD positions on Multi-Party Virtual Coaching in European Horizon-2020 project

Three PhD positions on Virtual Coaches
European Horizon-2020 project Council of Coaches

http://council-of-coaches.eu/3-phd-positions-on-multi-party-virtual-coaching/

Do you want to put your talents at work to develop a new coaching concept? Do you want to work on an innovative project in an international environment? Are you excellent in what you do and do you have strong social skills?

Come and apply for one of three PhD positions available on Multi-Party Virtual Coaching!

In the context of the European Horizon-2020 project Council of Coaches, the University of Twente and Roessingh Research and Development are looking for three highly motivated PhD candidates to help shape the future of virtual coaching technologies in the healthcare domain. You will be working in a highly interdisciplinary and international research project – Council of Coaches. The project is an international collaboration between Universities and companies from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain and France (see the Consortium page).… read more. “Jobs: PhD positions on Multi-Party Virtual Coaching in European Horizon-2020 project”

Posted in Jobs | Leave a comment

VR and presence help reinvent law enforcement training

[This story from CBS News details the ongoing evolution of simulator technologies used to train members of law enforcement; in addition to 360 degree immersive virtual environments, the simulators can create a more realistic “fear response” via “an electronic impulse device which can be used to deliver a mild shock to the trainee.” The original story includes a second image and a video. –Matthew]

[Image: Monmouth County’s VirTra V-300 simulator in action. The simulator gives officers a 300-degree view using five different screens. Courtesy Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.]

Virtual reality helps reinvent law enforcement training

By Tyler Lewis, CBS NEWS
July 14, 2017

Virtual reality is being used to train law enforcement officers for scenarios they may encounter out in the field, ranging from traffic stops to active shooter situations.

A new facility incorporating a virtual reality simulator along with a physical training environment was introduced last month in Monmouth County, New Jersey.… read more. “VR and presence help reinvent law enforcement training”

Posted in Presence in the News | Leave a comment

Call: Cognitive Aspects of Interactive Technology Use: From Computers to Smart Objects and Autonomous Agents – Frontiers in Psychology Journal issue)

Special Issue (Research Topic) on “Cognitive Aspects of Interactive Technology Use: From Computers to Smart Objects and Autonomous Agents” at Frontiers in Psychology Journal

http://www.frontiersin.org/Cognitive_Science/researchtopics/Cognitive_Aspects_of_Interactive_Technology_Use_From_Computers_to_Smart_Objects_and_Autonomous_Agents/5739

Submission deadline: Nov 15, 2017

MOTIVATION

Although several researchers have questioned the idea that human technology use is rooted in unique “superior” cognitive skills, it still appears that only humans are capable of producing and interacting with complex technologies. Different paradigms and cognitive models of “human-computer interaction” have been proposed in recent years to ground the development of novel devices and account for how humans integrate them in their daily life.

Psychology has been involved under numerous accounts to explain how humans interact with technology, as well as to design technological instruments tailored to human cognitive needs. Indeed, the current technological advancements in fields like wearable and ubiquitous computing, virtual reality, robotics and artificial intelligence give the opportunity to deepen, explore, and even rethink the theoretical psychological foundations of human technology use.… read more. “Call: Cognitive Aspects of Interactive Technology Use: From Computers to Smart Objects and Autonomous Agents – Frontiers in Psychology Journal issue)”

Posted in Calls | Leave a comment

A luxury Star Wars-themed hotel is Disney’s latest investment in immersive entertainment

[As this story from The Verge notes (in the second-to-last paragraph), “The goal of immersive entertainment is to bring people into fictional worlds and situations; to give them agency and presence in a way that blurs the line between fiction and reality,” and “Disney is all-in on the concept, no matter the medium.” The company’s latest project is a vivid example. See the original story for two more pictures. –Matthew]

Disney wants to build a Westworld for Star Wars fans

A luxury space hotel in a galaxy far, far away

by Bryan Bishop
Jul 16, 2017

This weekend at its D23 Expo, Disney offered several new details about its themed expansion land Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But it was a much briefer announcement, confirming rumors that the company was working on an immersive, themed hotel set in George Lucas’ universe, that offered perhaps the most intriguing hint of where the company sees its parks and resorts businesses going.… read more. “A luxury Star Wars-themed hotel is Disney’s latest investment in immersive entertainment”

Posted in Presence in the News | Leave a comment
  • Find Researchers

    Use the links below to find researchers listed alphabetically by the first letter of their last name.

    A | B | C | D | E | F| G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z