International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

  • Protecting presence in VR design: Killing the loading screen

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    [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

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    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

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    [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…

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  • Call: Meaningful XR 2026

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    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

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    [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

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    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

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    [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

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    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

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    [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

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    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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  • How UC Davis researchers are bringing human communication to virtual teaching

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    [Researchers at the University of California, Davis are enhancing social presence, communication and learning in virtual settings by giving AI-based agents the ability to better mimic how humans use gestures. See the original version of this story for three more images. For more context, see a report in The Conversation (coincidentally published on the same day) titled “People who talk with their hands seem more clear and persuasive – new research.” –Matthew] [Image: Ozgur Demir, a Ph.D. student in computer science and researcher in the UC Davis Motion Lab, left, and Professor Michael Neff, simulate interacting in the virtual space,…

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  • Call: EVA London 2026

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    Call for Proposals: EVA London 2026Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) London 2026 ConferenceJuly 13–17, 2026London and onlinehttp://www.eva-london.org/ Deadline for submissions of main conference proposals: January 12, 2026Deadline for submissions of Research Workshop proposals: February 23, 2026 The EVA London 2026 conference is planned for 13th–17th July 2026 at the BCS London office (Moorgate, central London) as a physical conference as well as an online conference using Zoom. The conference will be organised under the auspices of the BCS Computer Arts Society Specialist Group. CONFERENCE THEMES EVA London’s Conference themes include the use of new and emerging technologies in the…

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