[This report from GeekWire describes how a group of neuroscientists, inventors, and video game developers are producing therapeutic games for virtual reality that create a “simulation of a stressful situation that [players] nonetheless fully control” and which evoke a both presence and flow as “the player’s subconscious mind theoretically recognizes parallels between [the game] and the real world.” See the original version for two more images. –Matthew] This virtual reality game encourages rhythmic breathing to help with mental health by Thomas WildeAugust 24, 2024 At first glance, Deepwell DTX’s Zengence (pronounced like “vengeance”) is what video game fans might call…

[This CNN story provides vivid examples of, and some explanations from psychiatric experts about, our tendency to ascribe human attributes to everything from household objects to robots and AI chatbots (i.e., anthropomorphism phenomena many of which we’d identify as medium-as-social-actor presence). The story also considers individual differences in these perceptions and associated behaviors. See the original version for a second image and reader comments. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Rawf8/iStockphoto/Getty Images] Why do some people give human feelings to inanimate objects? What experts say By Taylor Nicioli, CNNSeptember 7, 2024 (CNN) — When she goes to the grocery store, Lilianna Wilde will…

[Despite their improved ability to evoke compelling presence illusions, there are still many significant barriers to providing consumers with sustained presence experiences that lead to adoption and continued use of virtual reality headsets. In this essay from Make Use Of (MUO), a tech enthusiast describes five of these barriers (I’d add the lack of effective, inexpensive accommodation for those of us who wear corrective eyeglasses, and too-often overly complex operation and glitchy performance). –Matthew] VR Simply Doesn’t Interest Me: Here’s Why It Fails to Capture My Attention By Oluwademilade AfolabiSeptember 2, 2024 I really lucked out in scoring a Meta…

[In a new study, researchers at the University of Bath show how using sensors to assess the emotional state of virtual reality users as they play exercise games and using that information to adjust the difficulty level of the game increases the user’s engagement in the activity. The original version of this story from the University includes a 1:55 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] Can technology turn exercise pain into pleasure? Most people who exercise using VR drop out when things gets too tough or dull – could programs that use sensors to tune into a person’s emotional…

[A new study from researchers at the University of South Australia demonstrates the potential of presence-evoking virtual reality to aid the learning of practical skills by people with intellectual disabilities. As with all of the press coverage, this story from Forbes is based on a press release from the University, which includes a 52-second video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Figure 7 from the published study. “Correct disposals in the real-world assessment across timepoints and between groups. Note: Circular points on each line represent the mean correct disposals in the Real-World Assessment, and the error bars represent the standard…

[Established in 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, ViiV Healthcare is “a specialist pharmaceutical company 100% dedicated to HIV medicines and research and focused on people living with HIV and AIDS.” The company’s Head of Digital Innovation and Implementation Science is leading the development of a series of 360-degree videos for healthcare providers to view in virtual reality so that they’ll better understand what it’s like to be a patient dealing with the stigma of having HIV and learn how to avoid contributing to the stress and discomfort the stigma causes. A ViiV story about the project from August 29, 2024 is…

[In a startling but predictable development, the advancement of technologies that evoke a variety of forms of social presence are making it increasingly difficult or impossible to distinguish interactions with humans from interactions with technology. Though the prospects are daunting, several initiatives are underway to develop countermeasures, as described in this story from MIT Technology Review. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | Adobe Stock] How “personhood credentials” could help prove you’re a human online A system proposed by researchers from MIT, OpenAI, Microsoft and others could curb the use of deceptive AI by exploiting the technology’s weaknesses By…

[The study described in this story from the U of T News describes work being done at the University of Toronto on how using current presence-evoking technologies alters our interactions in the non-mediated world, with important implications for training (e.g., of surgeons, pilots, drivers, etc.). See the original version of the story for a second image. –Matthew] [Image: Research associate Xiaoye Michael Wang fits a VR display onto study participant Colin Dolynski Credit: Molly Brillinger] Virtual and augmented reality can temporarily change the way people perceive distances: Study ‘We wanted to understand if the way our brains and bodies adapt…

[As the story from The Guardian below reports, in a creative and positive application of presence-evoking technology, journalists in Venezuela are protecting themselves from government persecution by using AI-based avatars to present accurate news about events in the nation. Caracas Chronicles summarizes the development this way: “… traditional media outlets in Venezuela—large newspapers, TV and radio networks—are under some form of control by the government, so independent media, mostly small online platforms (save for the analogue ElBusTV) have to get creative. Enter Operación Retuit, which features short social media videos that encapsulate the initiative’s reporting. The catch is that these…

[The global pandemic has led to an historic increase in the use of mediated communication, especially for work, but Zoom and other technologies don’t fully replicate the experience of being together – they evoke an imperfect sense of presence in users. In the Fast Company article below, a communication coach describes some of the negative effects of our prolonged reliance on these remote communication technologies and offers tips for how to reverse these effects and restore our in-person communication skills. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Dynamic Wang/Unsplash] HOW TO BE A SUCCESS AT EVERYTHING 3 things you forgot you knew about speaking…

[Especially because I recently had an ultrasound scan that produced results completely uninterpretable to my untrained eyes, I find the argument in this essay from Forbes about some of the important benefits of presence-evoking virtual reality in health care very convincing. –Matthew] Virtual Reality – The Universal Language In Healthcare By Alon Zuckerman, Forbes Business Council Member and President of Surgical Theater, a global leader in XR visualization for healthcareAugust 19, 2024 Imagine walking into the doctor’s office in constant pain. Your head feels like it is going to burst. You get an MRI scan. It’s cancer. You feel suddenly…

[This Sky News story reports on the widespread use and important benefits (and some limitations) of evoking presence with virtual reality in the training of firefighters. See the original version of the story for seven more images and two videos. For more context see an April 2018 story in ISPR Presence News. –Matthew] [Image: Mick Dewer from the Fire Service College practising with the VR kit] Haptic hoses and hot suits: How VR is helping firefighters prepare for climate change challenges For decades firefighters have trained for emergencies using live fires. Now there’s a new kid on the block. Virtual…