[It’s certainly not the first use of presence-evoking technologies for medical, even surgical, training but this story from the University of Virginia emphasizes the ease of use, low cost, soon-to-be wide availability and important benefits of VR recordings of surgeries for a variety of audiences. The linked video clip mentioned near the end of the story is only 30 seconds long, but for more information and a 9 minute video see the PR Newswire press release. –Matthew] [Image: Dr. Ziv Haskal has created a virtual procedure that puts the viewer right in the operating room with him. Credit: Josh Barney,…

[Facebook has patented a design for a two or three legged robot that would likely have telepresence capabilities; since it’s Facebook, much of the coverage raises privacy concerns. This story is from CNN, where the original includes a second image. –Matthew] Facebook robots may one day follow you around at home by Matt McFarland March 6, 2018 Your future Instagram pictures could be taken by a Facebook-branded robot that follows you around the house. That is, if a newly awarded Facebook patent ever becomes a reality. The company received a patent on Tuesday for a self-balancing robot that’s capable of…

[Presence may be a powerful force for addressing the timely and much too common problem of sexual harassment. This story is from Los Angeles Magazine, where the original includes three other pictures; more information is available on the Vantage Point Indiegogo page and in coverage available via the Press page on the company’s website. –Matthew] Can Virtual Reality Help Stop Sexual Harassment in the Workplace? An L.A.-based entrepreneur and sexual violence-survivor is bringing a fresh solution to life March 19, 2018 Liz Ohanesian I’m a silent presence inside a tidy office, observing as one woman and two men work into…

[This story from Asahi Shimbun describes a very positive and meaningful use of presence. The original story includes a second image. –Matthew] [Image: A virtual reality device used in the clinical study is demonstrated at the Ashiya Municipal Hospital in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. The image shown on the personal computer screen is also displayed inside the goggle. (Credit: Akiyoshi Abe)] Virtual reality takes terminal cancer patients to dream places By AKIYOSHI ABE/ Staff Writer March 19, 2018 ASHIYA, Hyogo Prefecture–Cancer patients in a palliative care unit at a hospital here are ticking off their “bucket list” destinations or attending events that…

[A major competition has been launched to accomplish a “grand challenge” for presence, as reported in this story from Fast Company. For more information see an interview with the XPrize founder in Fortune, and of course the website for the Avatar XPrize. –Matthew] The Latest XPrize Is For Building Remote-Controlled Humanoid Robots From caring for distant parents to entering burning buildings, there are lots of ways that people might use robot avatars to be in places they can’t go themselves. The XPrize Foundation is offering $8 million if someone can build one by 2021. By Ben Schiller March 12, 2018…

[Light field cameras aren’t new (see The Verge) but Google may be the company that brings them affordably to VR. This story is from MIT Technology Review, where the original includes more images. For more information see the Google blog post by Paul Debevec. –Matthew] VR is still a novelty, but Google’s light-field technology could make it serious art A new VR app lets you explore worlds with surprising depth and detail. by Rachel Metz March 14, 2018 I recently got a private tour of a NASA space shuttle’s cockpit, a quirky mosaic-covered LA home, and a peaceful chapel with…