[In a positive application of presence that could be extended beyond the military, the U.S. Air Force is developing a training tool that uses scenarios experienced within VR to help train airmen to recognize the signs of, and to help prevent, suicide. This story is from the Enid (Oklahoma) News & Eagle. –Matthew]

[Image: Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm]

Virtual reality brings new dimension to suicide prevention training

By Karen Petitt, 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
January 20, 2021

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — Leaders from across the 375th Air Mobility Wing stepped into a virtual reality-inspired test phase Jan. 12 for a new training effort targeted to help airmen feel more comfortable about engaging with others to prevent suicide.

Senior leaders were asked to put on a virtual reality headset for a 30 minute interactive scenario with both a coach, who provided upfront training, and then an airman who was in obvious distress.… read more. “Virtual reality brings new dimension to suicide prevention training”

[A chemical engineering professor at the University of Toronto is adapting to pandemic-related restrictions by using “virtual reality (VR), high-resolution virtual tours, at-home experiments, and 3D simulation/design software,” as reported in this story from University of Toronto Engineering News. See the original version for a second image and a video snippet. For more about Professor Chan see “Scaling up safely: Meet Professor Ariel Chan” in the same publication. –Matthew]

[Image: Unit Ops Lab site lets students virtually tour and inspect equipment found in the two-storey space.]

Virtual reality makes unique chemical engineering lab accessible from home

By Liz Do
January 19, 2021

For more than 70 years, the Unit Ops Lab has been a cornerstone for undergraduate training in chemical engineering. Now, Professor Ariel Chan (ChemE) is using virtual reality and 3D simulations to make it accessible to students who are studying from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.… read more. “Virtual reality makes unique chemical engineering lab accessible from home”

[Adweek provides a short primer on a new non-linear, interactive Wallace & Gromit story users can experience at home via a free augmented reality app. The project was created through a UK government media innovation grant and “aims to push the boundaries of tech-driven storytelling.” See the original story for two videos. Next Reality adds these details:

“With the viral launch and sustained success of Pokémon GO, intellectual property holders have been eager to replicate the geocaching formula with their own franchises, with Jurassic Park, Walking Dead, Ghostbusters, and Harry Potter games launching over the past two years, and a Hello Kitty in the works. However, none have matched Pokémon GO, which is still among the highest-grossing mobile games available. More recently, though, we’ve seen brands take more creative approaches to apply AR to their games. Like Wallace & Gromit, the Animal Crossing Pocket Camp has added the ability to interact with characters and explore virtual models of cabin designs in AR. … read more. “Pioneering new ways of telling stories: Wallace and Gromit in augmented reality”

[A story from the American Alliance of Museums describes efforts not only to create presence experiences but to develop an evaluation tool to measure the impacts of those and other experiences, including whether they actually lead to visitor learning. See the original story for two more images. –Matthew]

[Image: The dazzling effects of augmented and virtual reality are obvious, but how can museums know if they actually facilitate learning? Credit: Courtesy of Chicago History Museum]

Evaluating the Impact of Augmented and Virtual Reality

By Colleen McGaughey & John Russick [see bios at end below]
January 15, 2021

“I am perfectly astonished at the effect.”

“The thrilling scenes therein depicted are beyond description.”

“It is true and really wonderful.”

These are reactions from visitors to the Chicago Fire Cyclorama, who, in 1892, were captivated by the sensation of standing in the center of a rotunda, surrounded on all sides by a detailed painting of a burning city.… read more. “Evaluating the impact of augmented and virtual reality at the Chicago History Museum”

[The new version of the expressive and now teleoperated-via-VR robot Reachy caught my attention but this story from CNET about new developments in robotics showcased at the (virtual) 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) highlights other presence-related tech and how innovations are helping us live during the pandemic. The original story includes a 2:35 “Tactile Telerobot Showreel” from Shadow Robotics (also available via YouTube). For more on Reachy, see coverage in Tom’s Hardware and the Pollen Robotics website, both of which include a 1:26 minute video (also on YouTube); the website also features an online simulator. For more examples of presence and other technologies from CES 2021 (including some mentioned but not linked in the CNET story) see coverage in Interesting Engineering. –Matthew]

CES 2021 showed us how robots can ease our pandemic woes

Our big CES takeaway?… read more. “CES 2021 showed us how robots can ease our pandemic woes”