[All things being equal, presence responses are more likely when technology is unobtrusive or hidden; a new transparent TV display accomplishes this and is said to offer an “ultra-immersive viewing experience.” This story is from BGR, where it includes the mentioned videos and two more images. A longer (1:25 minute) HD video from Argus World is available on YouTube. CNET points out that “Comparable technology has been around since at least 2015, when Samsung showed a transparent OLED display panel for commercial use. LG also showed one at CES 2016” and as noted by BGR and in a 2016 ISPR…

[This story from MacRumors describes intriguing presence-evoking technology in a new patent filing from Apple. As the author notes, “[g]iven the complexity and outlandish nature of this filing, it is very unlikely that any of the features outlined in it will come to market any time soon. Nonetheless, it offers insight into Apple’s current areas of research and development.” The original version of the story includes two different images. For more details see coverage from Patently Apple, and for information about a related patent, see “Apple wants to bring Zoom-like background replacement to ‘Apple Glass’” from Apple Insider. –Matthew] [Image:…

[TechCrunch reports on how teams of volunteers are working to take the Burning Man event online because of the pandemic and in the process, participate in some “avant garde imagineering for what the future of human online interaction looks like.” In addition to the links to the separate projects, the original story includes six more images and links to related content. –Matthew] Digitizing Burning Man How indie developers are re-imagining social apps to save the iconic off-the-grid event Lucas Matney August 12, 2020 For decades, Burning Man has represented an escape from the current reality. An event for free-er spirits…

[This IEEE Spectrum story describes how roboticist John Peter Whitney takes some personal risks to develop technology that permits precise teleoperation (and potentially autonomous operation) of robots. The original version includes two more images and the mentioned video; follow the link at the end for more information. –Matthew] Remotely Operated Robot Takes Straight Razor to Face of Brave Roboticist You should really probably definitely not ever try this at home or anywhere else By Evan Ackerman July 28, 2020 Roboticists love hard problems. Challenges like the DRC and SubT have helped (and are still helping) to catalyze major advances in…

[This review of VR Quest educational software explores the potential of virtual learning experiences, and the spatial and social presence they produce. It comes from Parentology, where the original version includes two more images and a 1:54 “Introduction” video (also available via YouTube). A new 1:57 minute news report from Fox 12 in Oregon, and a 2013 CBS News report include brief interviews with students and the creator, and more information is available on the VR Quest website. For more context, “hear from researchers, educators, and developers from MIT, Stanford, and Seattle Public Schools as they share their experiences, benefits…

[Taking advantage of social presence, a new Kickstarter project creates a 3D holographic training partner for runners. The original version of this VRScout story includes three more pictures and a 2:29 minute video; the PR Newswire press release includes this: “’Nothing is a perfect substitute for running with another person,’ says CEO AbdurRahman ‘AR’ Bhatti, a former all-state cross-country runner himself. ‘But racing against a holographic avatar that you can train with anywhere at any time is the next best thing.’” For more information see the Kickstarter page and an interview with AbdurRahman Bhatti from NewsTalk Florida. –Matthew] Ghost Pacer…

[The design is still evolving, but this short story from Gizmodo describes a new VR accessory that could increase presence for VR users. See the original story for two videos, and for much more information including several videos, see the designer/creator Alexander Evans’ blog. –Matthew] These Motorized Shoes Could Be the Key to Making Virtual Reality Fully Immersive Joanna Nelius, Staff Reporter, Reviews at Gizmodo. Formerly PC Gamer, Maximum PC. August 5, 2020 There’s no shortage of people trying to make virtual reality gaming a more immersive experience. There are VR arenas where people strap on PC backpacks and play…

[For many years I’ve assigned students a “future of media” exercise in which they imagine what their mediated experiences will be like in 20 years; this thought-provoking story from Forbes does something similar by describing a near-future in which technologies have evolved to evoke many different kinds of presence and change the nature of work and play. See the original version for two more images and two videos. –Matthew] A Day In The Metaverse Cathy Hackl, Contributor Forbes CMO Network “I’m a tech futurist focused on the transformative impact of AR, VR, & AI.” Written with insight from Fifer Garbesi,…

[Frenchly reports on a new 360 degree film at the FlyView attraction in Paris, and available for free viewing via Oculus VR, that features footage from before and after the fire that nearly destroyed the Notre Dame Cathedral. The description from Flyview says viewers will “Teleport into the cathedral in virtual reality, as if you were really there.” See the original story for a 52 second video (also available via YouTube); the story also includes an embedded Tweet from Targo that notes that the documentary “Rebuilding Notre Dame” is “competing for a nomination to the #Emmys2020 in the Original Interactive…

[TimeOut New York reports on a new augmented reality project that “bring[s] the streets and buildings of old New York to life before your eyes.” I particularly like the inclusion of a separate “immersive” mode that omits the visual and audio information available in other modes. The original story includes two other images and a 6:54 minute video (also available via YouTube). The mentioned coverage in Untapped New York adds the detail that the two creators are both NYU undergraduate students. –Matthew] See old New York appear before your eyes with this new augmented reality app Explore Chinatown’s Doyers Street…

[A new article in the journal Science Robotics discusses how home-based telepresence robots can help societies lessen the “secondary impacts” of a pandemic; this story from Inverse summarizes the article. Note that the initial definition of a telepresence robot is then implicitly broadened to include independent (AI-based) capabilities. For more information follow the link to the original article. –Matthew] SOCIAL DISTANCING CAN BE LONELY, BUT ROBOTS CAN HELP The robot revolution is coming, but not as you think. Sarah Wells July 16, 2020 With Covid-19 infection rates continuing to climb throughout the U.S., it’s safe to say that maintaining social…

[This story from STUFF describes a new virtual tour that provides the public with a first-person experience of a distant heritage site and it also includes an interesting example of inverse presence, where an experience not mediated by technology is perceived as mediated. See the original story for 7 more images and a 41 second video. For more information, including a different 2:31 minute video, see the Antarctic Heritage Trust website. And for a 1:53 minute news report see 1 News. –Matthew] [Image: Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandson Alexander Hillary with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Credit: Abigail Dougherty/STUFF] Hillary’s Hut: Virtual…