International Society
for Presence Research

Month: December 2025

  • High School students join characters in Shakespeare plays in new VR experience

    Published:

    [Note the many indirect references to the nature and benefits of presence experiences in this CBC News story about an immersive VR tool that makes users part of the world of Shakespeare’s plays. See the original version of the story for a second image and 4:43 minute video. For more on Shakespeare and presence, see ISPR Presence News posts from February 4, 2019, February 9, 2021, February 16, 2021, and February 8, 2023. –Matthew] [Image: “Stepping Inside Shakespeare,” won the University of Guelph’s 2025 Innovation of the Year Award for its creative approach to education. Co-designed by Dr.…

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  • Call: Communicating (with) Non-Humans. Animals and Machines as Interlocutors (conference)

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Communicating (with) Non-Humans. Animals and Machines as InterlocutorsJune 11-12, 2026European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Germanyhttps://www.kuwi.europa-uni.de/de/professuren-mitarbeitende/sprachpraktiken-medienkulturen/communicating-nonhumans/index.htmlPDF: https://discourseanalysis.net/sites/default/files/2025-11/CfP_CommunicatingWithNonHumans.pdf Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2026 From voice assistants and generative AI to the evolving relationships between humans and their animal companions, language-based communication with non-humans is becoming an increasingly common feature of the everyday. In response, we are seeing a surge in research from linguistics to philosophy to the social sciences, investigating the meanings, quandaries, and realities of this new communicative terrain. This conference aims to build a bridge between the predominantly distinct fields of human–animal and human–machine communication in…

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  • Protecting presence in VR design: Killing the loading screen

    Published:

    [In this guest article in Road to VR, an expert developer and programmer of VR games describes, and provides examples of, some of the many “high-level” ways game designers avoid breaking presence for players. See the original version of the article for eight more images and a video. –Matthew] [Image: In Into The Radius, you manage your inventory by pulling items out of a physical backpack rather than an inventory menu] The Seamless Dream: Killing The VR Loading Screen A guest article by Charlie Cochrane, a solo VR dev running Crooks Peak studio. With a background in robotics, programming, and…

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  • Call: The Cinematography of Today Conference Lisbon

    Published:

    Call for Papers: The Cinematography of Today Conference LisbonJune 24–26, 2026Universidade LusófonaLisbon, Portugalhttps://cinematographyinprogress.com/index.php/cito/announcement/view/32 Deadline for submission of abstracts: March 24, 2026 The Cinematography of Today conference invites scholars, educators, researchers, and practitioners to explore the evolving art, craft, and theory of cinematography. This three-day event seeks to foster dialogue between academic research and professional practice, addressing the aesthetic, technical, educational, and ethical dimensions that shape contemporary image-making. As digital and analog practices, immersive technologies, and artificial intelligence redefine the cinematographic landscape, this conference offers a space for reflection, experimentation, and exchange among cinematographers, educators, students, and researchers from around the…

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  • NIH backs UC Santa Barbara virtual reality project to help older adults build real social connections

    Published:

    [Two professors at the University of California, Santa Barbara have been studying the potential of presence-evoking virtual reality to reduce the social isolation of older adults; their new grant from the National Institutes of Health “takes the next step the researchers have long envisioned: bringing VR into the homes of older adults who are aging in place, particularly for those with dementia.” Details are in the story below from UCSB (the story also appears in the Santa Barbara Independent). For more context, see the November 2024 ISPR Presence News post, “New report examines the impact of virtual reality in senior…

    Read more: NIH backs UC Santa Barbara virtual reality project to help older adults build real social connections

  • Call: Meaningful XR 2026

    Published:

    Call for Participation: Meaningful XR 2026 (MXR26)May 30-31, 2026University of OregonPortland, Oregon [and online]https://www.meaningfulxr.org/ Deadline for submissions: February 28, 2026 We are excited to invite you to Meaningful XR 2026 (meaningfulxr.org), a conference dedicated to exploring the transformative potential of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)—collectively known as “XR.” Meaningful XR 2026 is a dynamic gathering of researchers, educators, industry professionals, and students passionate about XR technologies and their meaningful applications. Join us on May 30–31, 2026, at the University of Oregon’s Portland Campus or participate virtually through our hybrid option.…

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  • Korean language students at Notre Dame use VR to explore traditions

    Published:

    [A Notre Dame professor, with help from the University’s Center for Digital Scholarship, is using virtual reality and other technologies and techniques to make both Korean language and culture “come to life” for her students. See the original version of this story from The Observer for a second image. –Matthew] [Image: Sophomore Sharon Cho reads a student’s poem in the virtual space] Korean language students use virtual reality to explore traditions Immersive technology and hands-on cultural projects are reshaping how the Korean language is taught at Notre Dame By Claire LeeDecember 5, 2025 At most universities, learning a foreign language…

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  • Call: “XR Social Accessibility in Practice: Lessons from Meta Horizon Worlds” Meetup

    Published:

    Call for Participation: XR Social Accessibility in Practice: Lessons from Meta Horizon WorldsAn A11yNYC – Accessibility New York City MeetupJanuary 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST72 Spring St, New York, NY and on YouTubehttps://www.meetup.com/a11ynyc/events/312254520/ OVERVIEW You gain practical XR accessibility insights for Horizon Worlds and Quest with an online discussion—ideal for designers, devs, and accessibility advocates. DESCRIPTION This presentation provides a snapshot of XR social accessibility at the beginning of 2026, examining where the industry currently stands through Meta Horizon Worlds and the Quest ecosystem. We explore three interconnected layers: Quest headset accessibility (screen reader, text-to-speech, color…

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  • Virtual Moon landing experience blasts off in San Antonio and other cities

    Published:

    [A public attraction called “LUNA: A Journey to the Moon” has recently opened in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, joining other U.S. cities. The short story below from CultureMap San Antonio describes the experience. Similar coverage is available from Secret Los Angeles. The tag line used on the LUNA website is “It’s not just an experience, it’s a mission, and you are part of it.” As presence-evoking as it seems to be, it likely doesn’t match the experience offered by the LUNA training facility created by the European Space Agency in Cologne, Germany. –Matthew] Virtual Moon landing experience blasts…

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  • Call: Playing Futures 2026

    Published:

    Call for Papers:Playing Futures 2026May 20-22, 2026IT University of Copenhagen, Denmarkhttps://playingfutures.today/call-for-papers/ Deadline for submissions: February 16, 2026 Submit your work: https://easyabs.linguistlist.org/conference/PF2026/ The first Playing Futures conference invites proposals of academic abstracts and of interactive works that focus on issues related, but not limited to, any of the following topics, from the perspective of climate and energy futures: Representations of climate and energy futures in videogames and board games, such as ecogames, dystopian/utopian games, or solarpunk games. Representations of climate and energy futures in role-playing games and LARPs. Game communities and their climate actions, awareness, or responsibilities. Playable simulations of energy…

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  • A neuroscientist develops safety protocols for immersive technology research

    Published:

    [The ability of emerging technologies to evoke presence is one reason a neuroscientist at Santa Clara University‘s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics is spearheading an effort to develop and test a new “safety guide for IRB committees to consider when reviewing immersive technology research.” Follow the link in the story below for more details. –Matthew] A neuroscientist develops safety protocols for immersive technology Julia Scott helps researchers safeguard participants’ well-being and data privacy during testing through new ethics guidelines and case studies. By Nic CalandeNovember 25, 2025 Imagine a volunteer donning a virtual-reality headset for a stress-management study. They enter…

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  • Call: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Uncertainty Management in Human-Machine Interaction – at IPMU 2026

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Uncertainty Management in Human-Machine InteractionSpecial Session 17 atIPMU 2026, the 21st International Conference on Information Processing and Management of Uncertainty in Knowledge-Based SystemsJune 15-19, 2026Rome, Italyhttps://www.sbai.uniroma1.it/conferenze/ipmu2026/special_sessions.phphttps://www.sbai.uniroma1.it/conferenze/ipmu2026/index.php Organizers: Madalina Croitoru, University of Montpellier, France (madalina.croitoru@lirmm.fr) Ganesh Gowrishankar, LIRMM, CNRS, Montpellier, France (ganesh.gowrishankar@lirmm.fr) Deadline for submissions: January 12, 2026 Format: 14 pages Springer LNCS (see https://www.sbai.uniroma1.it/conferenze/ipmu2026/submission-instructions.php) SCOPE AND TOPICS: Recent advances in robotics and autonomous systems have brought machines increasingly close to human environments, requiring them to act, decide, and communicate under multiple layers of uncertainty. While traditional research in uncertainty management has focused on data,…

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