[This personal story from VentureBeat is a reminder that despite the current limitations of technology, presence experiences have great potential to improve individual lives. See the original version for a second image. –Matthew] How I discovered the therapeutic power of VR — by accident David Waltenbaugh July 26, 2018 Ask anyone that has experienced a true, high-production virtual reality experience and nearly all can remember our “first time.” The immersive nature of the technology tends to evoke such a visceral response that it often remains with us long after our dive into the virtual realm. Most people I’ve spoken with…

[The press release below from davidbowie.com previews new AR- and VR-based versions of the “David Bowie Is” touring exhibit. They’ll follow several other applications of technology to create presence experiences related to Bowie, including the “Augmented Reality: David Bowie in Three Dimensions” feature by The New York Times, a “2.5-minute train journey through the world of David Bowie” from NS and the Groninger Museum, the “Heroes” dance sequence for 360-degree Gear VR and Microsoft HoloLens from Sundance 2017, and a VR version of the Bowie musical “Lazarus” (see more material by searching for “Bowie” on the V&A Museum website. –Matthew] David…

[As a cyclist with poor vision even with corrective glasses, I’m particularly interested in this post about using presence to reduce accidents by increasing driver-cyclist empathy. A report in Australia’s Nyngan Observer about how the government there is using VR to reduce accidents with quad bikes on farms led me to the short story below from Campaign that describes a Ford program that uses VR to give motorists the experience of bicyclists and vice versa. For much more information including videos, see Ford’s Share the Road website and the Ford Europe blog. For a recent published study on this topic,…

[This story from Hyperallergic explores current dating sims, “a sub-genre of video games which center around the user forming and maintaining romantic relationships with digital partners through the use of VR/AR and (for now) rudimentary AI” and considers some of their positive and negative implications. Designers and scholars need to consider the implications since the (presence-evoking) technologies are evolving quickly. Note that the author plans a follow-up report on gender roles and sexual preferences in the sims. The original version of the story below includes four additional images. –Matthew] [Image: Screenshot of the game VR Kanogo. Credit: The author for…

[This first person report and evaluation of a new mixed reality art exhibit in New York City from TechRadar describes both the promise and current limitations of presence-evoking technologies. See the original story for six additional images and a 2:59 minute behind-the-scenes video. For more information see Microsoft’s coverage, the exhibit’s website (which features a nice interactive rippling water illusion), a 2:04 minute video report from CNET, and another first person report from Engadget. –Matthew] Microsoft HoloLens and Times Square prove an odd mix for an underwater AR exhibit Tourists’ first introduction to augmented reality may underwhelm By Michael Hicks…

[Here’s a new and surprising use of presence-evoking technology for summer fun. The story is from Digital Trends, where it includes a 1:06 minute video. More information from coverage in Gearbrain follows below and see the Ballast website for more on VRSlide and the company’s larger vision for underwater applications of VR and presence. –Matthew] World’s first VR-augmented waterslide is totally unnecessary, but also amazing Luke Dormehl July 18, 2018 Let’s face it: We live in a pretty jaded society. In such a “been there, seen that” environment, the promise of a regular ole’ waterpark wouldn’t be enough to prompt…

[When racial bias has been considered in the context of presence it usually has involved virtual environments (e.g., search for the phrase in the archives of ISPR Presence News), but this story from IEEE Spectrum describes a new study that examined this bias in the context of medium-as-social-actor presence, along with the controversy the work has generated. The original version of the story includes a second image. If the link in the story doesn’t work, the study itself is available (at this writing) in a pdf file here. –Matthew] [Image: Example of image that researchers from the University of Canterbury,…

[Evermore is a new form of smart experience theme park opening soon in Utah; this abridged story from Blooloop describes the vision for the park that “blurs the line between video games, fantasy, and real life.” See the original version for several more images and two videos and see the Evermore website for more information. –Matthew] Evermore – how Utah’s new smart park is imagineered for fantasy gaming Lalla Merlin 12th June 2018 Imagine a theme park without rides or IP, but with live action role playing (LARP), dragons, quests, pirates, and midnight costume parties. This is Evermore, opening in…

[This story from TechRadar reviews the variety of ways virtual reality and the spatial and social presence they evoke may protect and enhance the mental health of astronauts on future long-term space missions. The original version includes additional images. –Matthew] The tech that could keep astronauts happy on their missions to the stars How virtual reality technology could positively impact mental health in space By Becca Caddy July 9, 2018 NASA has a bold plan to send astronauts to Mars by 2030 (or thereabouts). In preparation for this monumental Martian mission, the space agency needs to make sure everything’s in…

[This story from Quartz raises many important and (to me at least) fascinating issues regarding medium-as-social-actor presence. The original version includes more images and for more details see coverage in New Statesman and a plus. Mashable has a 3:07 minute video. –Matthew] I’m building a robot boyfriend—and you can, too Written by Fei Liu April 24, 2018 Gabriel2052’s library of motor movements will know what I’m turned on by, his fingertips ghosting across the back of my neck with the right force-per-unit area. His motorized parts will know how to spread goosebumps across my skin, and his sensors will detect…

[Amazon’s new VR Kiosks in 10 malls in India are getting positive reviews, including in this short story from VentureBeat; see the original story for a second image and a 1:34 minute video, and see coverage in India Today for more details. –Matthew] [Image: Amazon’s new VR store dispenses with the trappings of a shop in favor of fun — a city full of products to explore in themed rooms. Credit: Amazon.] Watch Amazon’s VR kiosks transform the future of shopping Jeremy Horwitz July 12, 2018 Earlier this week, Amazon announced that it has opened virtual reality kiosks in 10 shopping…

[This story from JSTOR Daily describes how a recently published study expands our understanding of how the brain interprets, and can be led to misinterpret, the physical world. Aside from being interesting on their own, the story notes near the end how the conclusions have implications for the design of virtual environments. The original version of the story includes a different image; the press release mentioned is available from the Association for Psychological Science. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Association for Psychological Science] How Ventriloquism Tricks the Brain New research shows our brains place more weight on vision than hearing in identifying the…