International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

  • Call: “Play, Games, and Sociality” for Studies in Symbolic Interaction

    Published:

    Call for Manuscripts: Play, Games, and SocialityFor the journal Studies in Symbolic InteractionJournal: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/book-series/studies-symbolic-interactionPosted on the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) e-list on June 25, 2026 Deadline for submission of abstracts: September 1, 2026 G.H. Mead discussed his well-known versions of play and the game in the context of development, as necessary activities regarding the pragmatic and empathic orientations of the self to others. However, his notion of sociality, which delves into the temporal connection between past, present, and future, is connected to the importance of emergence and novelty. Implicitly, Mead’s notion of sociality accentuates the importance of play and…

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  • SelfBlending keeps VR immersion while interacting with real objects

    Published:

    [A new tool developed by researchers at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in South Korea provides a way to preserve sensory immersion and presence during a virtual reality experience while allowing the user to interact with objects in their physical environment, a potentially valuable alternative to image passthrough and removing the VR headset. Basic details are in this story from the Chosun Daily (the English edition of the Chosun Ilbo); more information is available in this published article: Elsharkawy, A., Gim, B., Ataya, A., & Kim, S. (2026). SelfBlending: Artificial Intelligence-Driven Augmentation with Hand Interactions for Seamless…

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  • Call: Digital Transformation and Intelligent SOciety (DTISO 2026)

    Published:

    Call for Papers: The International Conference on Digital Transformation and Intelligent SOciety (DTISO 2026)November 17-20, 2026Barcelona, Spainhttps://dtis-conference.org/2026/ Deadlines for submissions: Full papers: July 21, 2026 Special Tracks and Workshops: August 21, 2026 Digital transformation and intelligent society refer to the profound integration of advanced digital technologies—such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things—into every aspect of modern life. This transformation is reshaping how individuals communicate, how organizations operate, and how governments deliver services. By leveraging data-driven insights and intelligent systems, digital transformation enhances efficiency, enables automation, and supports more informed and timely decision-making across…

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  • Is humanoid robot Codey future of embodied AGI in education, healthcare?

    Published:

    [A new humanoid robot named Codey is designed to use embodied decentralized artificial general intelligence (AGI) to autonomously interact with humans in ways that evoke social presence in a variety of public and private environments. This story from Interesting Engineering describes the robot and its current and planned capabilities; see the original version for a 4:07 minute video (also available on YouTube). The excerpts from coverage in USA Today that follow below provide additional context, including comments on how children and adults respond to Codey and concerns about the prospect of similar robots becoming a regular part of our lives…

    Read more: Is humanoid robot Codey future of embodied AGI in education, healthcare?

  • Call: Multisensory XR: From ‘Tech for Good’ to Ethical Immersive Experience

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Multisensory XR: From ‘Tech for Good’ to Ethical Immersive ExperienceAn international interdisciplinary conferenceJanuary 6-7, 2027Centre for the Ecologies of Attention and PerceptionKing’s College LondonLondon, UKhttps://multisensoryxr.sites.er.kcl.ac.uk/2026/06/36/ Deadline for submissions: September 1, 2026 KEYNOTES Sarah Ticho: Multidisciplinary artist and maker operating at the intersection of health, wellbeing and embodied storytelling, using immersive technologies Alan Warburton: Media theorist working across synthetic imaging techniques, known for his groundbreaking video essays Plenary panel on Open XR: Beyond Platform Economies — AI now dominates public and scholarly attention, overshadowing many other areas of technology. Yet there have been some prominent recent developments around…

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  • MRI-safe haptic device enables new presence evidence and measure

    Published:

    [Researchers at South Korea’s Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) devised a way to produce effective and coordinated haptic stimuli for a person using an fMRI-compatible projection and sound virtual reality system, with intriguing results indicating the role of haptics in generating presence responses. See details below (or via EurekAlert!) and in the researchers’ new publication. –Matthew] “Fingertip Immersion” in Virtual Reality with Brain Activity Measurement POSTECH Professor Keehoon Kim’s Team Develops Multi-Finger Haptic Display that Operates Inside MRI June 5, 2026 What if virtual reality could go beyond sight and sound—and truly let users feel the digital world…

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  • Call: Algorithms, AI, and Computational Communication: Frontiers in Agent-Based Research

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Algorithms, AI, and Computational Communication: Frontiers in Agent-Based ResearchSpecial issue of the journal Communication and Changehttps://link.springer.com/journal/44382/updates/27853888 Deadline for submission of abstracts: September 1, 2026 Editors:Jinhui Li, Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, ChinaWen Shi, Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, ChinaMario Haim, Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at the Department of Media and Communication at LMU Munich, Germany THEME: As communication environments have become increasingly algorithmically mediated, personalized, and opaque, traditional research approaches face growing challenges in capturing the dynamics of contemporary media systems.…

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  • ‘Above the Roar’ VR attraction opens at Niagara Falls

    Published:

    [A new presence-evoking attraction has opened at Niagara Falls, as reported in this news release from hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North; see the original version for five more pictures. A few admittedly biased first-person reports from coverage by Buffalo Toronto Public Media follow below; see the original version of that story for five different pictures (there’s also a 1:07 minute video version on YouTube). For more information and images, visit the Niagara Falls State Park website. It’s interesting that this and other presence-evoking attractions are installed at or near the site they reproduce for visitors (e.g., the IMAX Theater…

    Read more: ‘Above the Roar’ VR attraction opens at Niagara Falls

  • Call: SIMUTools 2026 International Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques

    Published:

    Call for Papers: SIMUTools 202617th International Conference on Simulation Tools and TechniquesA European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) ConferenceNovember 19-20, 2026London, UKhttps://simutools.eai-conferences.org/2026/call-for-papers/ Deadline for submission of full papers: July 1, 2026 SCOPE EAI SIMUTools 2026 is the 17th edition of the annual International Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques. The conference focuses on a broad range of research challenges in the field of simulation, modeling and analysis, addressing current and future trends in simulation techniques, methods, models, practices and software and tools. The conference is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary collaborative research in these areas and across a wide spectrum of application…

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  • The latest tech enriching theme parks and venues

    Published:

    [This is a long but interesting story from VFX Voice, the magazine of the Visual Effects Society, that uses quotes from leaders of companies involved in the creation of location-based entertainment (LBE) experiences at theme parks and other attractions. The leaders all describe how they’re using increasingly rich and varied combinations of technologies to evoke multiple types of presence for consumers. See the original version of the story for 17 more pictures (note that I added the section headings in the version here). –Matthew] [Image: Meow Wolf Grapevine’s The Real Unreal exhibition near Dallas. Credit: Paul Torres. Courtesy of Meow…

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  • Call: Where do chatbots live? Analog meme-making workshop

    Published:

    Call for Participation: Where do chatbots live? Analog meme-making workshopJuly 6, 2026 at 13:00 – 16.00hThe Hmm, NDSM-plein 125 (NDSM Wharf)Amsterdam, The Netherlandshttps://tinyurl.com/4tdmnrjj Deadline for registration: July 4, 2026 Dear colleagues, I am sharing an invitation to an upcoming workshop in Amsterdam that I am organizing with Inte Gloerich (as part of Slow AI Material Playgrounds). Feel free to share the workshop invitation with other folks who might be interested, and, if some of you are in Amsterdam on July 6th, maybe see you there? —- Slow AI and Natalia Stanusch invite you to this material playground in which we…

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  • Snap Specs AR glasses use new combo of XR tech to evoke impressive presence

    Published:

    [After a decade of development, Snap has announced a consumer AR glasses product for consumers. This story from Tech Radar includes a rare first-person report: the author describes an experience of “true AR that feels positively science fiction.” Unfortunately, the cost of the Snap Specs and other factors seem likely to limit the prospects for commercial success, but the story’s author, and long-time expert observer of the XR world Skarredghost (Antony Vitillo) in his The Ghost Howls blog, express hope for price reductions as the technology evolves further. For more details see coverage in Wired, which quotes Snap CEO Evan…

    Read more: Snap Specs AR glasses use new combo of XR tech to evoke impressive presence

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