[This story from TechRadar reviews the variety of ways virtual reality and the spatial and social presence they evoke may protect and enhance the mental health of astronauts on future long-term space missions. The original version includes additional images. –Matthew]

The tech that could keep astronauts happy on their missions to the stars

How virtual reality technology could positively impact mental health in space

By Becca Caddy
July 9, 2018

NASA has a bold plan to send astronauts to Mars by 2030 (or thereabouts). In preparation for this monumental Martian mission, the space agency needs to make sure everything’s in order years beforehand.

From engineering the rockets and making sure there are enough supplies for a round trip, to developing 3D printing tools and ensuring a long-distance communications system is up to the challenge, there’s a lot to think about, develop and test.… read more. “How VR and presence could positively impact astronauts’ mental health on long-term missions”

[This story from Quartz raises many important and (to me at least) fascinating issues regarding medium-as-social-actor presence. The original version includes more images and for more details see coverage in New Statesman and a plus. Mashable has a 3:07 minute video. –Matthew]

I’m building a robot boyfriend—and you can, too

Written by Fei Liu
April 24, 2018

Gabriel2052’s library of motor movements will know what I’m turned on by, his fingertips ghosting across the back of my neck with the right force-per-unit area. His motorized parts will know how to spread goosebumps across my skin, and his sensors will detect when my breath quickens in response. When we sleep, he will be a big spoon that will not sweat, take up too much space in the bed, or try to steal my pillows. His texting style will be quirky and offbeat—an amalgamation of all my exes’ message logs.… read more. “I’m building a robot boyfriend – and you can, too”

[Amazon’s new VR Kiosks in 10 malls in India are getting positive reviews, including in this short story from VentureBeat; see the original story for a second image and a 1:34 minute video, and see coverage in India Today for more details. –Matthew]

[Image: Amazon’s new VR store dispenses with the trappings of a shop in favor of fun — a city full of products to explore in themed rooms. Credit: Amazon.]

Watch Amazon’s VR kiosks transform the future of shopping

Jeremy Horwitz
July 12, 2018

Earlier this week, Amazon announced that it has opened virtual reality kiosks in 10 shopping malls to promote its upcoming Prime Day shopping event. Now you can see the Amazon VR experience for yourself. Prepare to be impressed: It’s significantly more elaborate than expected, and shows how a top retailer is transforming the future of shopping.… read more. “Watch Amazon’s VR kiosks transform the future of shopping”

[This story from JSTOR Daily describes how a recently published study expands our understanding of how the brain interprets, and can be led to misinterpret, the physical world. Aside from being interesting on their own, the story notes near the end how the conclusions have implications for the design of virtual environments. The original version of the story includes a different image; the press release mentioned is available from the Association for Psychological Science. –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Association for Psychological Science]

How Ventriloquism Tricks the Brain

New research shows our brains place more weight on vision than hearing in identifying the source of a sound. But why?

Martha Henriques
July 11, 2018

Most of the time, the human brain works like a brilliant machine, seamlessly piecing together the disparate sensory impressions that bombard us from every angle during our waking hours.… read more. “How the brain gets confused when sight and sound conflict”

[Can virtual reality and presence help prepare members of the public to treat someone in an overdose emergency? WESA-FM, Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station, reports on a collaborative effort led by the University of Pittsburgh; a 2:44 minute video of the simulation is available on YouTube and more simulations are on WyzLink’s YouTube channel. For comparison, see Ohio University’s April 2018 coverage of an acted out and video recorded simulation; the story includes a link at the end to videos and detailed information. –Matthew]

[Image: Screenshot from “Opioid Rescue” a virtual reality simulation that teaches people to administer naloxone during an overdose emergency. Credit: Peter M. Winter Institute for Simulation, Education, and Research.]

Don’t Panic: Pitt Hopes Virtual Reality Can Help People Train For An Overdose Emergency

By Sarah Boden
July 10, 2018

The virtual reality simulation “Opioid Rescue” opens with an unconscious man lying on a basement floor next to an empty syringe.… read more. “Don’t Panic: Pitt hopes VR can help people train for an overdose emergency”