[The illusions provided by presence can apparently be the basis of effective treatment for phantom limb pain; this story is from Medical Xpress, where the original includes an additional image and a 2:16 minute video; a press release from The Lancet is available via EurekAlert! –Matthew] [Image: In the augmented reality environment, the patients can see themselves on a screen with a superimposed virtual arm, which is controlled by muscle signals from their arm stump. Credit: Ortiz-Catalan et al., The Lancet, 2016.] Phantom movements in augmented reality helps patients with intractable phantom limb pain December 1, 2016 Dr Max Ortiz…

[As this story from ChessBase says, playing chess against an online opponent on a 2D screen just isn’t the same as using a physical (“real”) chess set, and the creators of Square Off have developed an innovative presence-evoking alternative. The original story includes lots of pictures as well as the 3:06 minute Kickstarter video. –Matthew] World’s smartest chess board is here! by Sagar Shah October 13, 2016 How about sitting in the comfort of your living room and challenging a player anywhere in the world to play a game with you, on a “real chess set”? Sound’s impossible right! With the world’s…

[This story about a new production designed to evoke a greater sense of presence in historical events is from The Hollywood Reporter; the experiences are available at DiscoverVR.com and a press release is available via Broadway World. –Matthew] [Image: Chris Gordaneer/Courtesy of AHC Discovery’s American Heroes Channel Plans Virtual Reality Civil War Experience (Exclusive) The immersive segment takes an 1865 Confederate cadet dodging enemy fire in muddy trenches from 2D to 360 degrees. November 28, 2016 by Etan Vlessing The Discovery-owned American Heroes Channel is bringing the Civil War from 2D to 360 degrees with a virtual reality experience.…

[Perspective is key to effective presence illusions; this story is from Digital Trends, where it includes a 0:32 minute video and four more images. –Matthew] City VR Will Give You a Giant’s Perspective of the World’s Biggest Cities By Luke Dormehl September 30, 2016 Ever dreamed of getting your Godzilla or Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on and stalking through a city, towering high above its buildings? The founder of cutting-edge Silicon Valley virtual reality studio Amber Garage certainly did. As a kid, Botao Hu, aka Amber, fantasized about this scenario. Well, jump forward a decade and successful stints as a…

[This story from Psychology Today highlights some of the promise and especially the controversial perils of technologies that produce increasingly higher levels of presence. –Matthew] [Image: Debradacija/Shutterstock] Warped Reality What will it mean when millions of people play—and kill—in virtual reality? By Andrew Rosenblum, published on September 5, 2016 – last reviewed on November 25, 2016 It’s 1944. You’re an American G.I. on the Pacific island of Peleliu and a Japanese tank is creeping your way. You aim your bazooka and pull the trigger, sending the tank flying in a cloud of fire and molten steel. Somebody yells, “One down,…

[Drones with cameras can provide the user with a sense of spatial presence, but Robot Drone Man can also provide both the user and people who encounter the device with a sense of social presence. This story is from IEEE Spectrum, where it includes an additional image and a 0:55 minute video. –Matthew] [Image: Ilhan Bae/KAIST] Behind the Music: How “Robot Drone Man” Built His Flying Avatar By Evan Ackerman Posted 7 Nov 2016 The most entertaining video we posted on Video Friday a couple weeks ago was almost certainly Robot Drone Man, a parody of this PPAP (Pen Pineapple…