[The use of technology to make it appear that iconic movie actor James Dean is alive and performing in a film 65 years after he died is getting covered widely in the press; the original report reproduced below is from The Hollywood Reporter, where it includes a 1:26 minute video. Other coverage notes related projects like Tupac’s hologram, a de-aged Robert DeNiro in The Irishman, the appearance of Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing in Star Wars films after their deaths, and Paul Walker’s posthumous appearance in Furious 7. Much of the reaction is negative, for example VICE’s headline: “CGI James Dean Will Star in a New Movie Because Nothing Is Sacred” (subtitle: “Please don’t do this.”). Vox’s review of the current Ang Lee film Gemini Man in which Wil Smith’s character appears to fight a younger version of himself highlights many of the misgivings about the trend.… read more. “James Dean reborn in CGI for Vietnam War action-drama”

[Researchers at Wayne State University are testing the effectiveness of augmented reality for the treatment of the fear of spiders and other objects, as described in this story from Next Reality (where it includes three gifs and a 0:58 minute video). For more information see a story from earlier this year in Counseling Today. –Matthew]

HoloLens & Augmented Reality Spiders Used in Univ. Study to Treat Arachnophobia

By Cristina Brooks
November 5, 2019

Halloween may be finished, but the augmented reality chills are not over yet for some people. Arachnophobes are bravely facing their fears by cozying up to augmented reality spiders for a university study.

Wayne State University’s Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC) has been using the Hololens 1 to make virtual spiders appear near people to offer a digital version of traditional exposure therapy, where therapists show people real feared objects until they learn to cope with them.… read more. “Using augmented reality and presence to treat Arachnophobia”

[“Would you like a clone robot of yourself” or another person? Interesting Engineering reports on a Russian startup making it possible. Follow the links for more information about Robo-C, and for more on Russia and robots see recent coverage by BBC News. –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Promobot website]

Russian Firm Sells Autonomous Robot Clones of Real People

The androids are both for professional and personal use.

By Loukia Papadopoulos
November 03, 2019

Russian startup Promobot is now selling autonomous robot clones of any real person. This is the key selling point of their robot called Robo-C as their website states: “Order a robot with the appearance of any person to your office or home.”

An anthropomorphic machine

According to a press statement released by the firm, android Robo-C is “a completely anthropomorphic machine. It copies human facial expressions: can move its eyes, eyebrows, lips and other “muscles”, and also keep the conversation going and answer questions.”… read more. “Russian firm sells autonomous robot clones of real people”

[A new TimeRide attraction in Berlin recreates the fall of the Wall 30 years ago; the story below from The Local Germany via AFP, which includes more pictures and a 3:48 minute video, describes the VR-based experience and its purpose, using many presence-related terms. The Boston Globe adds that “tourists at Checkpoint Charlie can [also] wander through a vast panorama designed to evoke the city at the height of its division” and “[o]utside of Vilnius, Lithuania, for a modest price, visitors can experience a kind of Soviet-era theme park, an underground bunker complete with barking German shepherds. Apparently, you are handed a tattered coat, driven down dark corridors, and subjected to a theatrical reenactment of a KGB interrogation — followed by a shot of vodka.” According to Pollstar, the TimeRide format started in Cologne and is expanding to other cities; you can read a detailed and even-handed review of the Cologne experience in PC World.… read more. “30 years on, Berlin Wall comes back to life with virtual reality”

[Mashable reports on a 14-year-old’s clever invention that uses presence to improve auto safety by removing drivers’ blind spots; see the original version of the story for 2 short videos. More information is available from a press release via PR Newswire. –Matthew]

Teen girl invents simple, yet innovative way to remove blind spots in cars

By Sasha Lekach
October 31, 2019

I’ll admit it: I’ve had a pedestrian enter the crosswalk without me immediately noticing because they were blocked by the right side of my car. But what if your car frame didn’t block your line of sight while driving?

That’s what 14-year-old Alaina Gassler looked into for her invention at the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) competition for middle schoolers from the Society for Science and the Public this week. She came up with a project called, “Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots.”… read more. “Middle-school student invents way to use presence to remove blind spots in cars”