[Road to VR reports on a new, very large lab for presence experiences at Colorado State University. See the original version for two more pictures and for more information see a CSU story from April 2019 and the University’s Virtual Reality Initiative webpages. –Matthew]

Colorado State University Has Deployed a 100 Headset VR Lab for Biomedical Education

By Ben Lang
October 10, 2019

Colorado State University has deployed a new VR lab; designed to accommodate up to 100 students simultaneously, the lab’s headsets run custom software which allow students to visualize life-sized virtual cadavers and medical imagery in a shared virtual space.

The so-called Immersive Reality Training Lab is part of a new CSU facility called the Health Education Outreach Center, says Jordan Nelson, a member the school’s Dept. of Biomedical Sciences and one of the lab’s operators.

Nelson tells Road to VR that the lab houses 100 headsets, in clusters of four, allowing students and instructors to simultaneously visualize complex 3D anatomical imagery in a shared virtual space.… read more. “Colorado State University has deployed a 100 headset VR lab for biomedical education”

[SlashGear is among those reporting on the latest vision for the future of ‘travel’ via telepresence by Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA). See the original story for three images. A three-part video from the CEATEC 2019 demonstrations is available from The Japan Times via YouTube here, here and here. And see ANA websites for a press release and vivid descriptions of Avatar-in, ANA-Avatar and the $10 million Avatar XPRIZE. –Matthew]

[Image: A diagram shows how ANA’s concept envisions connecting an avatar and its operator. Credit: ANA Holdings Inc. Source: GeekWire]

ANA Avatar-in lets you “teleport” to places using robots

JC Torres
October 14, 2019

As one of Japan’s major airlines, All Nippon Airways or ANA knows just how many people wish they could go places easily. It also knows just how much that travel is beyond the reach of most people, even when it is necessary to reach out to or help a loved one.… read more. “Japan airline ANA’s Avatar-in lets you ‘teleport’ to places using robots”

[Having grown up in Los Angeles, I can relate to this short story from the Daily Titan about a mobile earthquake simulator used to increase public awareness and safety. For more information see coverage (including a 1:17 minute video) from Seattle’s KING5 TV, the Big Shaker website and the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drills website (October 17 is International ShakeOut Day). For two different approaches to earthquake simulators, see ReleifWeb for information on international “VR-based disaster resilience training simulations” and the University of California, San Diego for information on the world’s largest outdoor earthquake simulator. –Matthew]

Big Shaker event simulates Ridgecrest earthquake at CSUF

Diana Tran
October 13, 2019

The world’s largest mobile earthquake simulator shook Cal State Fullerton, north of Titan Shops, last week during the Big Shaker event.

The simulator recreated the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook Ridgecrest, California in July 2019.… read more. “Big Shaker mobile earthquake simulator used to increase awareness and safety”

[This thoughtful piece from Quartz provides several vivid examples of possible future applications of presence-evoking augmented reality and highlights not just their benefits but the dangers they represent for individuals and society. –Matthew]

[Image: Seeing the world through a whole new type of rose-tinted glasses. Credit: Chris-McRobbie]

SEEING ISN’T BELIEVING

We’ll soon be able to experience reality as we want it. But is that a good thing?

By David Rose, Founder, supersight.org
October 1, 2019

The human eye is an extraordinary organ. Packed with over 120 million photoreceptor cells, it can discern 10 million different colors and is the body’s fastest muscle—the average blink lasts just 100 milliseconds.

For all of its wonders, however, the human eye hasn’t significantly evolved in millennia. Although we’ve invented glasses and telescopes to improve our vision and cameras to record it, our ancestors perceived the everyday world much as we do.… read more. “The promise and peril of augmented reality”

[In an interview in Tech Republic, author Romina Garber describes a new effort to use virtual reality and presence to enhance the experience of reading her books and draw more readers to them. The original version of the story includes a 7:42 minute video of the interview, and for more information see the Abelana VR website and Romina Garber’s tumblr. –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Abelana VR]

How VR creates an immersive experience for readers

Penguin Random House is using virtual reality to enhance how people read and appreciate books. Author Romina Garber discusses how VR is used with her Zodiac series.

By Dan Patterson in Innovation
October 3, 2019

CNET and CBS News Senior Producer Dan Patterson spoke with Romina Garber, author of the Zodiac series about how Penguin Random House is using virtual reality to enhance how people read and appreciate books.… read more. “How VR creates an immersive experience for readers”

[This IEEE Spectrum story features an interview with one of the creators of a new social robot designed specifically to evoke medium-as-social-actor presence by being emotionally engaging rather than performing tasks. See the original for 3 more pictures and a 1:46 minute video. –Matthew]

This “Useless” Social Robot Wants to Succeed Where Others Failed

The creators of Kiki believe they can build an emotionally engaging social home robot that is also “completely useless”

By Evan Ackerman
September 19, 2019

The recent high-profile failures of some home social robots (and the companies behind them) have made it even more challenging than it was before to develop robots in that space. And it was challenging enough to begin with: Making a robot that can autonomously interact with random humans in their homes over a long period of time for a price that people can afford is extraordinarily difficult.… read more. “This “useless” social robot wants to succeed where others failed”

[This short story from Tom’s Hardware describes how a potential new Microsoft product could create greater immersion and presence for virtual reality users. Follow the link to the patent application for more information. –Matthew]

Microsoft Patents Virtual Reality Floor Mat

by Nathaniel Mott
October 7, 2019

VR is currently limited to what people can see, hear and interact with using oddly shaped controllers. Variety reported on Friday that Microsoft wants to change that, however, with a VR mat that could better incorporate our feet into virtual experiences. The company mostly focused on safety issues–it can be hard not to bump into things in the real world as you explore a virtual one–but it did mention several features meant to offer greater immersion.

Microsoft said in the patent application that it expects its high-tech floor mat to help define the play space in VR experiences.… read more. “Microsoft patents virtual reality floor mat”

[GQ reports on the origins and expansion of virtual models on Instagram to video blogging influencers soon to be powered by artificial intelligence; among the interesting observations is this:

“’I would argue you can establish the same connection with a VTuber that you would with a ‘normal’ YouTuber,’ says João Lopes, an 18-year-old fan. ‘Even the most authentic influencers craft their personality to be more likeable.’ Indeed, the unblinking artificiality of this new wave of virtual celebrities is, it might be argued, more honest than flesh-and-blood celebrities who take care only to present part of their personality on camera. Brud’s website answers the question ‘Is [CGI model] [Lil] Miquela real?’ thus: ‘As real as Rihanna.’”

–Matthew]

Inside the world’s first modelling agency for virtual celebrities

Virtual celebrities are taking over your feeds but does it matter that they are not real?… read more. “Virtual celebrities: CGI models get agency, expand to new media”

[This local story from Technical.ly Philly describes a new program that uses presence to bring the virtual and in –person experience of art to more members of the community. See the original story for a second photo and the version in Generocity Philly for more images. –Matthew]

[Image: Inside the Barnes Foundation. Credit: R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia]

Virtual reality is bringing the Barnes’ art to Philly seniors — and vice versa

“It’s a way to go into communities, meet them where they are, invite them into the museum, and then encourage them to come back,” said Ana Gamboa, the museum’s special project coordinator.

By Hannah Chinn / Contributor
October 2, 2019

It’s no secret that Philly has some of the best art museums in the United States: Travelers from all corners of the globe come to visit the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and more every year.… read more. “Virtual reality is bringing the Barnes’ art to Philly seniors – and vice versa”

[They don’t use the term, but the authors of this story from Quartz predict that 5G networks will enable more compelling and effective presence illusions that will transform the workplace in 7 mostly positive ways. A story in Inc. adds 5 more predictions. –Matthew]

–Matthew]

How 5G will reinvent “working from home”

By Omar Abbosh & Paul Nunes
September 16, 2019

It’s 10:00 am. Do you know where your employee is? No doubt they are working—somewhere.

Thanks to greatly improved internet connectivity and workforce applications, employees in an increasing number of professions can work just about anywhere they want—in their home, at a coffee shop, on a plane. And chances are they’re more productive and more engaged than they would be if they were in the office. They may even be planning to stay in their job longer because of their flexible work location.… read more. “How 5G and presence will reinvent “working from home””