[From NBC News’ Cosmic Blog, where the post includes additional images] [Image: NASA / GSFC. An artist’s concept shows how a crew aboard an orbiting station could control robotic operations on Mars, ranging from real-time rover trips to rocket launches bringing shipments to the station.] Is there a virtual Mars in our future? By Alan Boyle Follow @b0yle August 1, 2012 Imagine a day when virtual reality gets so good that you could take a computer-generated walk on the Martian surface, right here on Earth. Or imagine having a space station in Martian orbit that can control robots down on…

[From AP via The Huffington Post, where the story includes a photo gallery] Artist Brings 3-D Pavement Art To Grand Canyon By Felicia Fonseca  07/16/12 FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Uninspired by modern art, Kurt Wenner set out to learn how European masters made architecture soar and figures float in ceiling frescoes. What started off as two-dimensional chalk and pastel art on the streets of Rome decades ago, mimicking what Wenner saw in Renaissance classicism, morphed into an art form of his own – one that makes objects appear to rise from or fall into the ground in three-dimensional pieces. His latest…

[From FierceHealthIT] [Image: From Telementoring and Telesurgery: Future or Fiction? by da Silva, McGregor, Rayman and Luke (2010).] Pittsburgh specialists mentor international surgeons remotely Telepresence technology allows them to walk colleagues through new procedures July 30, 2012 | By Susan D. Hall A University of Pittsburgh Medical Center uses telepresence technology to provide live support for surgeons in other countries who have difficulty replicating complex new procedures. Since 2005, its cranial base surgical team of three neurosurgeons and two otolaryngologists have trained more than 500 surgeons from more than 30 countries on treatment tumors and other conditions affecting the base…

[From The University of Barcelona] Using virtual reality an arm up to three or even four times the length of a real arm can be felt as if it was the person’s own arm July 20, 2012 Recerca A study shows that using virtual reality an arm up to three or possibly even four times the length of a person’s real arm can be felt as if it was the person’s own arm, even if it incorporates strong asymmetries in the body shape. It is explained in the article “Extending body space in immersive virtual reality: a very long arm…

[From IEEE Spectrum; for more information, see Canon’s press release] [Image: Reality Mixed: The author checks out a computer generated car through Canon’s mixed reality system. Photo: John Boyd] Trying Out Canon’s Mixed-Reality Tech Meant for design work, it goes well beyond consumer-oriented augmented reality By John Boyd 26 July 2012—Canon begins selling a next-generation form of virtual reality technology known as mixed reality (MR) this month. The company suggests its version of MR is an enhanced, more grown-up version of the augmented reality provided by some smartphone apps and things like Google’s Project Glass. In contrast to augmented reality,…

[From DesignTAXI, where the story includes additional images and a 1:26 minute video] Virtual Shoe Stores Use Augmented Reality To Find Your Perfect Footwear 25 Jul 2012 To reach out to more consumers, German shoe retailer, Goertz, has gone virtual with their augmented reality ‘pop-up’ shoe stores. They installed virtual stores at crowded public places such as train stations and invited customers to ‘try on’ a pair of shoes. Using three Microsoft Kinect cameras and a large screen, they would scan and render 3D shoes onto the customer’s feet—allowing customers to see the shoes like they were actually wearing them.…