[A new study by researchers at the University of Bath and published in the 2023 CHI Conference proceedings explored the separate and combined contributions to presence of visual realism, field of view, emotions (fear and happiness) and apparent agency in virtual reality games. Details and the interesting findings are in the press release from the University below; see the original version for a 1:13 minute video (also available on Vimeo), and follow the link to the study for more details and supplementary materials. –Matthew] VR users need an emotional connection to virtual worlds, not better graphics – study finds Being…

[This essay from CleanTechnica recaps the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the use of remote work and the “idiotic battle over remote vs. in-person work.” The author points out some of the many benefits of remote work and suggests (tele)presence-enhancing solutions to address some of the negative effects. See the original version for a second image and the Lex Fridman-Mark Zuckerberg interview (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] VR Telepresence Takes More Anti-Remote Excuses Away By Jennifer Sensiba November 29, 2023 Over the last couple of years, I’ve been chronicling the idiotic battle over remote vs in-person work. The pandemic and…

[With its latest software update, Apple has enabled anyone with an iPhone 15 Pro to record in a new three-dimensional video format it calls Spatial Video and play the video in 3D on Apple’s soon-to-be-released Vision Pro mixed reality headset (or in 2D anywhere). While the author of this story from CNET doesn’t use the term, he provides a first-person report on the new format in which he describes a vivid presence experience. And while the equipment is still prohibitively expensive for most people, the advancements mean more people will be able to easily create vivid, presence-evoking recordings of their…

[This TechCrunch story provides a vivid example of the rapid evolution of presence-evoking technologies: the use of AI to create full-motion deepfake (or ‘dancefake’) video from a single image. See the original story for a 2:26 minute demonstration video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Source: Know Your Meme] ‘Animate Anyone’ heralds the approach of full-motion deepfakes By Devin Coldewey December 4, 2023 As if still-image deepfakes aren’t bad enough, we may soon have to contend with generated videos of anyone who dares to put a photo of themselves online: with Animate Anyone, bad actors can puppeteer people better than…

[As explained in this story from Northwestern University, virtual reality goggles evoke more effective presence illusions for mice as they do for humans, creating new opportunities for neurological research. The original version of the story includes a second picture; for more information and images as well as videos, see the new publication in Neuron. –Matthew] [Image: A view through the new miniaturized goggles, which can accurately simulate natural environments. Credit: Dom Pinke] Immersive VR goggles for mice unlock new potential for brain science Goggles enabled researchers to study responses to overhead threats for first time By Amanda Morris December 8,…

[If you’ll be in London before April 21, 2024, you may want to visit the presence-evoking immersive experience described in this review from The Guardian (see the original version for two more images). The writer gives it only three of five stars, but that’s related to content choices rather than the form of the presentation. Other coverage of “The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks” adds interesting presence-related details. This is from AP News: “It’s a high-tech blend of archive film footage, drawings, animation and digitally remastered photographs — but not, Hanks stresses, any computer-generated images. ‘Every photograph, every image…