[Artist Rosalie Yu uses a variety of technologies to create presence experiences and her latest project involves different forms of virtual sweets. See the original version of this story from The Verge for many more images including an interactive 3D model, as well as a 2:52 minute 360 video (‘you’ enter a lemon tart at 2:00). Coverage in ALL3DP includes a version of the video that can be switched to full-screen, and you can see over 200 of the 3D models on the artist’s Sketchfab page. –Matthew]

Rosalie Yu Turns her Sweet Tooth into a Virtual Reality Art Form

In A Ritual of Habits, Yu documents two years’ worth of desserts

By Lizzie Plaugic and Amelia Holowaty Krales
Feb 17, 2018

It sometimes seems like technology is at odds with the art world — a tension between brain and heart. But plenty of artists, from Da Vinci to Cory Arcangel, have proved that’s not true and continue to prove it as technology evolves.… read more. “Rosalie Yu turns her sweet tooth into a virtual reality art form”

[The line between ‘real’ and virtual continues to blur, this time in the fashion industry; this story is from Fashionista, where it includes more images. –Matthew]

[Image: @shudu.gram/Instagram]

Are Computer-Generated Influencers About to Take Over the Beauty Industry?

Cool or creepy?

Stephanie Saltzman
Feb 10, 2018

The concept of the Instagram model is so pervasive today that just hearing the phrase evokes a hyper-specific look. Instagram models have an immediately striking appearance: mesmerizing eyes, killer cheekbones, sometimes an ambiguous ethnic makeup and, of course, perfectly plump lips. In short, they represent the perfect storm of great genetics, fillers and filters. And because so many of them are Facetuned into representations of the same social media-bait ideal, not only do they begin to resemble one another, but they also begin to seem surreal — so perfectly airbrushed that they may as well be artificial, computer-generated images or works of art.… read more. “Are computer-generated influencers about to take over the beauty industry?”

[This story from VentureBeat is an overview of current and future uses of virtual reality and presence (mentioned explicitly) to help people recover from and cope with physical and psychological limitations. See the original story for several more pictures and two videos. –Matthew]

[Image: The Parkinson’s virtual support group members have been meeting in the virtual world, Second Life, for seven years]

VR can already help people heal — and it’s just the beginning

Lisa Peyton, an immersive media strategist and media psychologist focusing on the business applications of new technologies.
February 10, 2018

Fran gracefully glides around the grand ballroom, sparkling pink ball gown flowing at her heals and the firm grip of her son’s arm around her waist. They are surrounded by friends and family as they elegantly move around the room in perfect harmony, looking as though they must have practiced for hours.… read more. “VR can already help people heal – and it’s just the beginning”

[A clever invention called the Canetroller developed at Microsoft uses haptic and audio feedback like those provided by a real cane to create presence experiences for the visually impaired. This short story from MSPoweruser includes a 4:45 minute video; follow the link to the full paper at the end for much more information. For other technology developments for the visually impaired see Perkins eLearning. –Matthew]

Microsoft creates novel cane controller which lets visually impaired navigate in VR

by Surur @mspoweruser
Jan 23, 2018

While virtual reality would seem an opportunity to create a brand new interface for the visually impaired to interact and navigate with a virtual space, creating new techniques makes it more difficult for the visually impaired to transfer skills they already use in day to day life to navigate the real world.

Microsoft Research’s invention of a novel cane controller which closely simulates a real cane as used by the blind therefore opens up the doors to a large number of visually impaired already trained in the technique to enter a virtual space and be immediately at home.… read more. “Microsoft creates novel cane controller which lets visually impaired navigate in VR”

[This story from People doesn’t use the term presence but it’s all about using technology to transport audiences into another person’s environment and experience. The original story includes a video featuring Laird Hamilton, and see YouTube for an interactive 360 video of “Take Every Wave” and the LifeVR website for more information about this and related presence projects. –Matthew]

Ride a 100-Foot Wave with Laird Hamilton in the Surf Legend’s New Virtual Reality Experience

Reagan Alexander
February 13, 2018

You are not Laird Hamilton. You don’t ride 100 foot waves on a whim. You don’t travel around the world to do so, and you don’t look like a more athletic version of Barbie’s Ken. But you could be.

“Take Every Wave: Laird in VR,” a 360-degree virtual reality experience created in collaboration with the surf legend transports you to Chicama, Peru, where you can ride what many claim is the world’s longest wave on a hydrofoil surfboard that makes it seem like you are not only walking on water, but also flying above it.… read more. “Ride a 100-ft wave with Laird Hamilton in the surf legend’s new virtual reality experience”