[It’s hard to imagine the immediate and long-term physical and psychological effects of war on the children in Gaza, but one therapy program there is using presence-evoking virtual reality to “transport the youngsters to a world far away from the destruction around them” and “help them rebuild positive perceptions of the world.” Some of the details are in this story from AFP via Barrons; see the original version for four more pictures. A 3:20 minute video report is available from ETV Bharat. –Matthew] [Image: Palestinian children using goggles and a joystick experience virtual reality as part of a therapy programme.…

[Although there isn’t much other information about it online, the “showroom” for presence technologies described in this story from Essential Install sounds like a rewarding destination for a presence field trip. See the original story for a large photo gallery, and the Musion 3D website for contact information. –Matthew] Musion 3D opens world’s largest AI hologram showroom By Daniel J SaitDecember 2, 2025 Musion 3D opens what it describes as the world’s largest hologram showroom in London, unveiling an 11,000 sq ft interactive space designed to demonstrate the latest advances in holographic communication, AI-driven avatars and immersive display systems. The…

[Note the many indirect references to presence in this story from Art Basel about a new museum of “automotive culture” that exists only in virtual form. See the original version of the story for eight more images. For a related story, see the other ISPR Presence News post today, “Metropolitan Museum of Art launches new immersive VR and online feature with iconic works from its collection.” –Matthew] Inside the museum that doesn’t exist A pioneering museum without physical walls, Roarington Art Center reimagines how art can exist, be experienced, and endure in the digital age By Payal UttamNovember 24, 2025…

[The new virtual and online versions of works from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York described in the Met’s press release below is important news on its own, but the potential of the Atopia no-code platform for cultural institutions may be even more significant. See the original version of the press release for a second image. For a related story, see the other ISPR Presence News post today, “Virtual Roarington Art Center reimagines how art can exist, be experienced, and endure in the digital age.” –Matthew] [Image: Still from Dendur Decoded. Credit: Courtesy of The…

[A U.S. professor of game development at Kennesaw State University (in Georgia) is drawing on his own experiences navigating grief after the loss of his young daughter to apply presence-evoking technology to help others in similar situations. This story is from KSU; though it’s behind a paywall, more coverage is available from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Matt Yung] KSU researcher draws on personal experience in creation of VR system designed to address grief By Alyssa OzmentSeptember 24, 2025 Six years ago, Assistant Professor of Game Development Lei Zhang and his wife welcomed their first child into the world.…

[Ubisoft is developing gaming software that incorporates AI to enhance presence in some innovative ways, as described in this abridged version of a first-person report from Video Games Chronicle; see the complete original version of the story for more details and seven more pictures. –Matthew] The future of gaming, or ‘just a tool’? Hands-on with Teammates, Ubisoft’s ambitious voice AI tech demo We tried Ubisoft’s in-game cloud AI project By Chris ScullionNovember 21, 2025 The debate about the use of AI in video games is one that seems certain to only increase in both intensity and range over time.…

[This story from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany provides some of the details of an ambitious multi-method study of the experiences of people with visible and invisible disabilities (PWD) when they have the opportunity to have those disabilities reflected in their avatar in virtual spaces. Although the term self presence isn’t used specifically, in their published article (see the link in the story) the authors conclude that “positive experiences are not only more frequent but also potentially more influential in predicting PWDs’ engagement in the Metaverse, their connection to and satisfaction with their avatars, and their…