ISPR Presence News

Monthly Archives: January 2018

Call: New Agents and Agencies: Science, Technology, and Subjectivity Summer School

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 17, 2018

Call for Applications

New Agents and Agencies: Science, Technology, and Subjectivity
2018 Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Summer School
July 8-12 2018
Tel Aviv University
http://www.vanleer.org.il/en/content/call-applications-new-agents-and-agencies-science-technology-and-subjectivity

Deadline for submission: February 15, 2018

Dear all,

We are pleased to invite applications for the 2018 Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Summer School on New Agents & Agencies: Science, Technology & Subjectivity.

With the rise of new technology-centered environments – such as social media, virtual worlds, online marketing, gaming, smart homes, and city surveillance – we face the growing presence of nonhuman agents and new forms of human agencies. We invite doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to participate in a summer school workshop that delves into these topics. The summer school will provide the setting for advancing our understanding of these new agents and agencies and their ethical, social, political, historical, and philosophical significance. Specifically, we will explore the interaction between (a) nonhuman “agents,” such as robots, AI machines, games, computational algorithms, autonomous cars, and drones, and (b) new forms of technologically mediated human agencies, such as online interactions, new social media, gaming, cyborgs, and avatars.… read more. “Call: New Agents and Agencies: Science, Technology, and Subjectivity Summer School”

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Take a fantastic 3D voyage through the brain with new immersive virtual reality system

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 17, 2018

[This November news release from the Wyss Center at the University of Geneva describes a promising new way to use presence-evoking technology to experience the intricate details of the brain; the original version includes an additional picture and a recommended 0:34 minute video (also available via YouTube). Quartz has another new and recommended 1:54 minute video. –Matthew]

Take a fantastic 3D voyage through the brain with new immersive virtual reality system

Put your head inside a brain!

November 15, 2017

A new immersive virtual reality (VR) experience now offers a unique way to visualize and interact with large volumes of 3D anatomical brain data. The system, developed by researchers from the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering and the University of Geneva, has applications in neurotechnology development, research and surgeon training. A poster describing the system will be presented on Wednesday 15 November at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience 2017, in Washington DC.… read more. “Take a fantastic 3D voyage through the brain with new immersive virtual reality system”

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Call: CHI 2018 Workshop – Reshaping Touch Communication: An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 16, 2018

Call for Papers

CHI 2018 Workshop – Reshaping Touch Communication: An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda

Submission deadline: 2/2/2018
Notification: 22/2/2018
Workshop date: 21/4/2018

Workshop website: https://intouchchi.wordpress.com

CHI 2018, April 21-26, Montréal, Canada
https://chi2018.acm.org

INTRODUCTION

This one-day workshop brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers and designers to examine new forms of touch communication enabled by digital touch technologies, address key social questions and challenges for HCI, reshape future research agendas, and build a cross disciplinary community that fosters subsequent collaboration. The workshop will focus on three themes: touch and sensory embodiment; affective communication; and ethical and methodological challenges in HCI design, to discuss and explore digital touch communication in various contexts (e.g. health, wellbeing, personal relationships, work and leisure). It will provide opportunities to share ongoing work, with a view towards setting an interdisciplinary research agenda for digital touch communication that effectively integrates technology progression with robust interrogation of societal implications of digital touch.… read more. “Call: CHI 2018 Workshop – Reshaping Touch Communication: An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda”

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Black Box VR integrates VR, AI and exercise equipment to create gym of the future

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 16, 2018

[The start-up Black Box VR, which was named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree, seems to more thoroughly integrate virtual reality, artificial intelligence and exercise equipment to produce a motivating sense of spatial and social presence than previous efforts. The story below is from BBC News and includes a first person report (for others see coverage in Business Insider and Tom’s Guide); for more information including videos see the company’s website and a press release via PRWeb. –Matthew]

CES 2018: Black Box VR wants to make gamers fit

January 7, 2018

Start-up Black Box VR has developed a full-body workout in the form of a 30-minute virtual reality experience.

It uses a bespoke resistance training machine and an HTC Vive headset. The entire set-up is about the size of a family bathroom.

It is one of several innovations at the CES tech show in Las Vegas to propose mixing VR and fitness training.… read more. “Black Box VR integrates VR, AI and exercise equipment to create gym of the future”

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Job: Postdoc on “Enactive biofeedback, VR/360 storytelling and sound” at Tallinn University

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 15, 2018

From: Pia Tikka <pia.tikka@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 14, 2018 at 9:49 AM
Subject: Last call: EU Mobilitas postdoc research on Enactive biofeedback, VR/ 360° storytelling and sound, Tallinn University

Last moments to apply for 2018 EU Mobilitas Pluss postdoc position in the Enactive Virtuality research team at Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM) & Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture (MEDIT), Tallinn University.

http://medit.tlu.ee/news/medit-invites-candidates-for-post-doctoral-grants

My project Enactive Co-presence in Narrative Virtual Reality: A Triadic Interaction Model combines arts and sciences to explore how the viewer’s experience of co-presence can be controlled by modifying parametrically the behavior of a screen character or its context.

Keywords: VR/AR, 3D CG, adaptive virtual characters, AI, programming, machine learning, 360° sound, storytelling, biofeedback

http://www.etag.ee/en/call-mobilitas-pluss-mobility-grants-o pens-1-january-2018/

The applicant’s degree can date back to 5 years. Importantly, doctoral candidates are also eligible to apply if they will defend their thesis before the starting date of the postdoc position.… read more. “Job: Postdoc on “Enactive biofeedback, VR/360 storytelling and sound” at Tallinn University”

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At CES, Netflix uses presence to promote new TV series about presence

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 15, 2018

[This story from Engadget describes how Netflix used an exhibition booth at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to evoke presence in visitors to promote a new TV series about presence after death (the topic of the most recent new episode of The X-Files (season 11, episode 2; spoiler-filled summary available from Vulture). The Engadget story includes 11 more photos and for more information see the Netflix page for the new series and coverage in DesignTAXI that includes photos, videos and tweets from CES. –Matthew]

Netflix hid a fake biotech booth in the middle of CES

Oblivious attendees might have been the best part.

Mat Smith
January 10, 2018

Venture beyond tech whales like Samsung and Sony, beyond the rows of smart speakers and giant TVs, and you’ll discover that there are weirder things to be found at CES.… read more. “At CES, Netflix uses presence to promote new TV series about presence”

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Call: VS Games 2018, 10th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 12, 2018

Call for Papers and Workshop Proposals

VS Games 2018
10th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications
5. – 7. September, Würzburg, Germany
https://vsgames.org/2018/

Deadline for Papers: 30. April 2018
Deadline for Workshop Proposals: 1. February 2018

SCOPE

The conference will explore games and virtual worlds in relation to:

  • Novel technologies
  • Applications
  • Methodologies, theories and frameworks
  • Evaluation approaches and studies

TOPICS OF INTEREST

  • AI applications for serious games
  • Serious games methodologies
  • User-modelling in serious games
  • Pervasive gaming
  • Interactivity issues
  • Game design
  • Alternate reality games
  • Virtual environments
  • Augmented reality
  • Visualisation techniques
  • Human-computer interaction
  • Mobile games
  • Education and learning
  • Multimedia gaming
  • Case studies in serious games and virtual worlds

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Paper Submission: 30. April 2018
  • Notice of Acceptance: 4. June 2018
  • Camera Ready Submission: 22. June 2018
  • Workshop Proposal: 1. February 2018

SUBMISSION FORMAT… read more. “Call: VS Games 2018, 10th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications”

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Intel pledges Winter Olympics will be ‘largest-scale VR event’

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 12, 2018

[The last sentence in this short story from SportTechie makes clear that the goal of the expanded VR coverage of the upcoming Winter Olympics is to create presence experiences. The original story includes a 2:24 minute video and for more information see the press release at Around the Rings. –Matthew]

Intel Pledges Winter Olympics Will Be ‘Largest-Scale VR Event’

January 9, 2018
Joe Lemire

Intel’s ambitious plans for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang include producing the largest-scale virtual reality event with official broadcast rights partners such as NBC.

The tech giant has pledged more than 50 hours of live programming on its Intel True VR platform spanning 30 events, of which half air live and half on-demand. Among the events planned for live coverage are downhill skiing, figure skating and ice hockey. This is the first time any of the Winter Olympics will be available in live VR.… read more. “Intel pledges Winter Olympics will be ‘largest-scale VR event’”

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Call: 15th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 11, 2018

Call for Papers

15th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics
July 29 – 31, 2018
Porto, Portugal
http://www.icinco.org/

ICINCO is sponsored by INSTICC – Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication

Submission Deadline: March 13, 2018

SCOPE

The purpose of the 15th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO) is to bring together researchers, engineers and practitioners interested in the application of informatics to Control, Automation and Robotics. Four simultaneous tracks will be held, covering Intelligent Control Systems, Optimization, Robotics, Automation, Signal Processing, Sensors, Systems Modelling and Control, and Industrial Informatics.

Informatics applications are pervasive in many areas of Control, Automation and Robotics. This conference intends to emphasize this connection, therefore, authors should highlight the benefits of Information Technology (IT) in these areas. Ideas on how to solve problems using IT, both in R&D and industrial applications, are welcome.… read more. “Call: 15th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics”

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Personal A.I.: The best virtual assistant might turn out to be your virtual self

By Matthew Lombard | Published: January 11, 2018

[The technologies are or soon will be available to let us create multi-platform (embodied and disembodied) artificially intelligent versions of ourselves to interact with other people and companies and their virtual representatives. This story from Computerworld thoughtfully considers some of the possible presence-implicated scenarios (interacting with your own virtual assistant suggests an intriguing form of self presence!). For more information including a 0:24 minute video see coverage in BGR.  –Matthew]

[Image: ObEN co-founder and CEO Nikhil Jain and his virtual self]

Why you’ll fire Siri and do the job yourself

In the world of A.I., the best virtual assistant might turn out to be your virtual self.

By Mike Elgan, Contributing Columnist, Computerworld
January 6, 2018

Have you ever wished you could clone yourself? Imagine how much you could accomplish.

The future of A.I. will make something kind of like that possible.… read more. “Personal A.I.: The best virtual assistant might turn out to be your virtual self”

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