[This story from Variety suggests that the guardian system in the new Oculus Quest VR headset could be a useful model for how we’ll transition between virtual and augmented real environments in the future (while noting two key challenges). The explanation begins in the 7th paragraph, and see the original story for a 2:30 minute video demonstration of the guardian system (start at 0:30). –Matthew] What the Oculus Quest Can Teach Us About the Future of Mixed Reality By Janko Roettgers May 22, 2019 Facebook’s new Oculus Quest headset is a great gaming device that simplifies virtual reality (VR), doing…

[Nearly all aspects of human life can be experienced via media technology, evoking varying degrees of presence; this story from Polygon describes an interesting one. The original story includes both videos; for more information see coverage in the Daily Mail. –Matthew] Watch in awe as a real pastor baptizes an anime girl in a video game Modern faith is complex By Patricia Hernandez May 20, 2019 Syrmor, a YouTuber known for finding humane stories in VRChat, has documented one of the most fascinating phenomenons to come out of virtual reality. Not only do people go to church in a video…

[Media conglomerate Comcast has its headquarters in Philadelphia; this story from Philly.com describes a new presence-evoking, free-to-the-public feature in the company’s newly opened Comcast Tower. Demand for tickets is high but some of us are already planning a field trip and I’ll add our impressions in the comments. For more information, see coverage by NBC 10 (also owned by Comcast) and the Universal Sphere website. –Matthew] [Image: The mysterious Comcast “sphere” in the lobby of the new Comcast Technology Center is now open to the public.] That giant sphere in Comcast’s new tower? Watch a futuristic Spielberg short film there,…

[It’s short on details, but this story from the Robb Report is the first I’ve seen about the designing and building of dedicated VR (and presence) rooms in homes. Let’s hope it doesn’t lead to the kind of events portrayed in Ray Bradbury’s classic short story The Veldt. –Matthew] Virtual Reality Rooms are Home Design’s Next Big Thing, and They’re Hiding in Plain Sight You can make your dreams a (virtual) reality. By Helena Madden May 17, 2019 Splashy home theater? Check. Indoor lap pool? Check. How about a room where you can dive through coral reefs or summit Mount…

[French photographer Vincent Fournier’s “The Man Machine” explores medium-as-social-actor presence (without using the term). His description of the project is below (fittingly with all but the first two paragraphs translated to English via Google Translate); visit the website for 21 photos and a 2:10 minute video. See also 2013 coverage in Slate and new coverage in Fast Company. –Matthew] Vincent Fournier “The Man Machine” The Man Machine project is a reflection on how artificial creatures such as robots or other avatars can evolve in our day-to-day life. For this speculative fiction series I staged several humanoid robots in realistic reconstructions…

[Theme Park Insider reports on the fading enthusiasm in the industry for adding VR to rides; it doesn’t use the term presence, but several statements refer to it – e.g., “the trend is toward using media as one of many tools in creating fantastic environments, rather than something that feels like a scaled-up or moving version of what you can watch at home. In short, if you can tell it’s a screen, that’s a fail. If you don’t notice that the media is media because you are so taken in by the setting and story of an attraction, then that’s a…

[Mira Robotics is about to test a new application of presence: teleoperation of robotic butlers and maids. This story from The Verge describes the technology and both the potential benefits and dangers; see the original for a second image and a 0:59 minute video. –Matthew] [Image: Ugo the robot will be operated remotely by humans to help around the house. Credit: Mira Robotics.] Robot butlers operated by remote workers are coming to do your chores Japanese startup Mira Robotics will charge $225 a month for a remotely operated robot helper By James Vincent May 9, 2019 For pretty much as…

[This story from the January-February 2019 ABA Journal magazine describes some of the ways Law Schools are incorporating presence into their training; the original version includes different pictures, and see a May 10 story in the OU Daily for more about how one Law School is using virtual crime scenes. –Matthew] [Image: Source: VRrOOm – “Virtual Reality Is Coming To A Courtroom Near You”] How are law schools using virtual reality tools in classrooms? By Anna Stolley Persky January 1, 2019 This past summer at the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law, a small team of law students…

[The augmented reality experience “Pilgrim” described in this story from Adweek is a reminder of how powerful audio, including audio without video, can be in evoking presence. See the original story for more pictures, and the Voices of VR podcast for a 26 minute interview with co-creator/director Lauren Hutchinson. –Matthew] [Image: The Camino de Santiago is now the setting for a new AR audio podcast. Credit: Getty Images.] This Augmented Reality Audio Podcast Brings the Camino De Santiago to Life Everywhere Pilgrim was made for Bose Frames By Marty Swant April 17, 2019 For centuries, the Camino de Santiago in…

[A new ArchDaily story about 9 augmented reality technologies “transforming civil construction” led me to this short story about an intriguing specific use of AR and presence. It’s from Curbed, where you can watch a 2:45 minute video. More coverage is available from Fast Company, and for more information including videos, and the app itself, follow the link to at the very end of the story. –Matthew] [Image: Bricklayers using Fologram with AR headsets. Credit: Fologram.] AR app turns 3D models into life-size building instructions The blueprint comes to life By Liz Stinson January 7, 2019 Augmented reality has given…

[Google has announced several presence-related improvements in its products, from a more responsive and personalized Google Assistant to the addition of augmented reality to Google Search and Google Maps. This story from The Sydney Morning Herald covers the new “magic” feature in Google Maps (see the original story for more pictures). For more on the next generation of Assistant see Engadget‘s story and for in-depth coverage go to CNET, where the story includes a 4:19 minute video (also available via YouTube). –Matthew] Google Maps’ AR navigation makes walking directions foolproof By Tim Biggs May 9, 2019 Google’s latest addition to…

[Presence-evoking simulations can measure and improve users’ abilities in the realms of both sports and business, as described in this post from the strategy+business blog. As with nearly every application of presence, though, one can imagine drawbacks as well (see Keiichi Matsuda’s short film Merger and many episodes of Black Mirror. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Illustration by FabioBalbi] How virtual reality is improving decisions in soccer and in business A 3D simulation is changing the behaviors of the world’s best soccer players — and the business world is catching on. by Ben Lyttleton May 7, 2019 I am standing in a…