International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

  • Call: Next Generation Avatars (NGA) workshop at IEEE VR 2025 conference

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Next Generation Avatars (NGA) WorkshopAt IEEE VR 2025Saint-Malo, FranceNGA Workshop: March 8, 2025; https://project.inria.fr/nga2025IEEE VR 2025: March 8-12, 2025; https://ieeevr.org/2025 We are pleased to announce the first IEEE VR Workshop on “Next Generation Avatars”, to be help during the IEEE VR 2025 conference, 8th March 2025 8:30-12:30, in Saint-Malo, France. NGA2025 is a half-day on-site workshop which focuses on the very last advancement in avatar capture, modeling, control, animation, interaction and user-studies, with interests also in ethical questions. Recent advances in deep learning, neural representations, and physics-based character simulation… have contributed to a breakthrough in avatar design,…

    Read more: Call: Next Generation Avatars (NGA) workshop at IEEE VR 2025 conference

  • “Wicked” presence: Will ‘multisensory’ ads cast a spell on theatergoers?

    Published:

    [Apparently for the first time, advertisers have used the multi-sensory “4D” technologies available in some movie theaters to increase the experience of presence, and thereby the attention of and impact on audience members. Details are in the story below from MediaPost, where the original version includes the 2:24 minute Wicked trailer in the immersive Screencast format (the trailer is also available on YouTube); the “Making of” video is available on YouTube as well. A press release via Business Wire includes this: “’The immersive nature of big screen cinema advertising already provides marketers with the highest attention scores of any media…

    Read more: “Wicked” presence: Will ‘multisensory’ ads cast a spell on theatergoers?

  • Call: The Uncanny in Language, Literature and Culture International Conference

    Published:

    Call for Papers: The Uncanny in Language, Literature and Culture International ConferenceOrganised by London Centre for Interdisciplinary ResearchAugust 22-23, 2025University of Malta and Onlinehttps://uncanny.lcir.co.uk/ Submission deadline for paper proposals up to 250 words: March 20, 2025 The uncanny captures the unsettling and the eerie—a feeling that defies boundaries between the familiar and the strange. Rooted in Freud’s exploration, the uncanny reveals how what is known and intimate can suddenly become alien, evoking dread and unease. Everyday objects, spaces, and experiences that once offered comfort transform into symbols of danger, disrupting not only our external environments but also the landscapes of…

    Read more: Call: The Uncanny in Language, Literature and Culture International Conference

  • MouseGoggles offer immersive look into neural activity

    Published:

    [Presence experiences are normally designed for humans, but in some fields of research it’s important to create a presence-evoking simulation for animals. Cornell University researchers are advancing the use of immersive virtual reality for neuroscience research with mice, as reported in this story from the Cornell Chronicle. –Matthew] MouseGoggles offer immersive look into neural activity By David Nutt, Cornell ChronicleDecember 18, 2024 Thanks to their genetic makeup, their ability to navigate mazes and their willingness to work for cheese, mice have long been a go-to model for behavioral and neurological studies. In recent years, they have entered a new arena…

    Read more: MouseGoggles offer immersive look into neural activity

  • Call: ECCE 2025 – European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics

    Published:

    Call for Papers: ECCE 2025 – European Conference on Cognitive ErgonomicsAnnual conference of the European Association of Cognitive Ergonomics (EACE)Theme: Critical reflection for a better tomorrowOctober 7-10, 2025Tallinn, Estoniahttps://transform.tlu.ee/ecce-2025/ Deadline for paper submissions: March 31, 2025 [See below for other deadlines] The European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics (ECCE), established in 1982, is the premier annual conference of the European Association of Cognitive Ergonomics (EACE). It serves as a platform for researchers, practitioners, and academics to share advancements, ideas, and discussions in the fields of cognitive ergonomics and human-media interaction. ECCE is organized in cooperation with ACM SIGCHI.…

    Read more: Call: ECCE 2025 – European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics

  • Florida judge dons virtual reality headset in what’s thought to be a courtroom first

    Published:

    [This story from WPLG 10, the ABC television network affiliate in Miami, Florida, describes the use of virtual reality by the judge, prosecutors and a witness during a stand-your-ground hearing in a Broward County courtroom. Beyond the details of the case, it delves into arguments about the pros and cons of the use of the technology, and in particular the role of presence (even quoting our colleague Jeremy Bailenson). The original version of the story includes a 3:15 minute video report (also available on YouTube). For context on the use of presence-evoking technologies in judicial proceedings, see a 1994 article…

    Read more: Florida judge dons virtual reality headset in what’s thought to be a courtroom first

  • Call: “Art, Imagination, and Affect” issue of Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Art, Imagination, and AffectSpecial issue of the Journal of Comparative Literature and AestheticsVol. 48, No. 3, Autumn 2025https://jcla.in/journal-of-comparative-literature-and-aesthetics/call-for-papers/ Guest Editors:Julia Langkau (University of Geneva)Radu Bumbăcea (University of Leeds) Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2025 Much of the philosophical literature on imagination and affective states has focused on our emotional reaction to imaginative engagement with fiction, in particular on two prominent puzzles, known as the ‘paradox of fiction’ and the ‘paradox of tragedy/horror’. While the first asks how we can (rationally) have emotions towards fictional events and characters, the second relates to our apparent enjoyment of negative emotions.…

    Read more: Call: “Art, Imagination, and Affect” issue of Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics

  • Robodies: Next-gen robots advancing in-home elderly care with telepresence

    Published:

    [A German company is advancing the potential uses of telepresence robots for remote at-home care of elderly (and other) people by combining a variety of evolving presence-evoking technologies. Some of the details about the latest version of the company’s Robodies are provided in this story from Interesting Engineering, where the original version includes two videos (also available on YouTube here and here). More details are available on the Devanthro website. I imagine many of us would like to know more about what the company’s “nearly ten years of research and intensive testing in real-world environments” reveals about how people perceive…

    Read more: Robodies: Next-gen robots advancing in-home elderly care with telepresence

  • Call: 10th STS Italia Conference: “Technoscience for Good: Designing, Caring and Reconfiguring”

    Published:

    Call for Abstracts: 10th STS Italia Conference“Technoscience for Good: Designing, Caring and Reconfiguring”Organized by The Italian Society for Science and Technology StudiesJune 11-13, 2025Milan, Italyhttps://stsitalia.org/call-for-abstracts/ Deadline for submissions: February 3, 2025 We are pleased to announce the Call for Abstracts for the upcoming 10th STS Italia Conference “Technoscience for Good: Designing, Caring and Reconfiguring”, which will be held on 11-13 June 2025 at the Politecnico di Milano, Milan (Italy). You can find more information about the conference theme and the list of panels here: https://stsitalia.org/call-for-abstracts/#theme We invite you to submit an abstract to one of the 77 panels that have…

    Read more: Call: 10th STS Italia Conference: “Technoscience for Good: Designing, Caring and Reconfiguring”

  • Holodeck watch: Real-time volumetric video takes a giant leap

    Published:

    [According to this story by the Editorial Director of New Atlas, we’re one step closer to a real-world version of Star Trek’s ‘ultimate’ presence-evoking technology, the Holodeck. See the original version of the story for four embedded short videos, and the technical explanation and demonstration video from SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 (also available on YouTube). The new research paper is in ACM Transactions on Graphics. –Matthew] Holodeck watch: Real-time volumetric video takes a giant leap By Loz BlainDecember 16, 2024 Imagine a next-gen VR experience that lets you speak realistic scenes, intelligent characters and complex situations into being, then interact with…

    Read more: Holodeck watch: Real-time volumetric video takes a giant leap

  • Call: 12th International Digital Storytelling Conference 2025

    Published:

    Call for Proposals 12th International Digital Storytelling Conference 2025Lives, Voices, and Knowledge in a World on FireOctober 31 and November 1, 2025 – VirtualNovember 6-8, 2025 – Belém, Amazon, Brazilhttps://dst2025.org/call-for-proposals/ Deadlines for submission of abstracts: Global North: February 15, 2025 Global South: March 15, 2025 We invite proposals for participation in the 12th International Digital Storytelling Conference, which will feature two distinct components: A virtual gathering, from October 31 to November 1, 2025 and an in-person event in Belém, Brazil, from November 6-8, 2025. Hosted by Museu da Pessoa and StoryCenter, this will mark the first time the conference is…

    Read more: Call: 12th International Digital Storytelling Conference 2025

  • Earthquake and tsunami simulation educates and prepares New Zealanders

    Published:

    [A 10-minute simulation of a large earthquake and subsequent tsunami on the coast of New Zealand is being used to educate and prepare residents there to evacuate to safety should the rare events occur. This story from the Bay of Plenty Times describes the project; visit the original version for four more images, two audio features, and a 1:05 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: A still image showing a tsunami swamping downtown Mount Maunganui. Credit: SkillsVR.com] Tsunami simulation shows 9m wave swamping Mount Maunganui in virtual reality By Kaitlyn Morrell, Multimedia journalist ·Bay of Plenty TimesDecember 14,…

    Read more: Earthquake and tsunami simulation educates and prepares New Zealanders

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