[Researchers at Tohoku University have created a robot that teaches people how to dance, which involves not only complex physical interactions but (arguably) medium-as-social-actor presence. The story is from New Scientist, with additional details from coverage by the Daily Mail. For more information see videos from Quartz and the researchers on YouTube, and of course the published paper. –Matthew] Waltzing robot teaches beginners how to dance like a pro By Edd Gent 24 May 2017 Got no one to dance with? Not to worry – you might soon be gliding through the moves, thanks to a robotic instructor designed to…

[In addition to the scope of the adoption of VR and presence to train employees, note the comments about the non-technology obstacles to adoption identified near the end of this story from Discovery Magazine’s Lovesick Cyborg blog. The original story includes an additional image, and see Walmart’s blog post for more information, more images and 0:52 minute video. –Matthew] [Image: Walmart plans for all of its training academies to incorporate virtual reality experiences by the end of 2017. Credit: STRIVR] Largest US Employer Adopts Virtual Reality Training By Jeremy Hsu June 14, 2017 Virtual reality technology that has helped train…

[This thoughtful piece by MT Technology Review writer Rachel Metz considers what it’ll take to make VR a successful platform for communication; the specific design choices will revolve around creating compelling spatial, social and self presence, and require a deep understanding of human nature (including its darker side). The original article includes an additional image. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: David Brandon Geeting] Virtual Reality’s Missing Element: Other People VR can be the basis of a new communications industry if the technology becomes less insular and isolating. by Rachel Metz June 14, 2017 Unlike most people, I have a virtual-reality headset. I…

[The ScreenX technology described in this story from Los Angeles Magazine (which includes a different image) is another attempt to create a strong sense of presence for media consumers. See also the press release via PRWeb. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Nerd Reactor] This is The Only Theater in L.A. Where the Movie Expands Beyond the Screen The new ScreenX technology has arrived at CGV Cinemas in Koreatown June 12, 2017 Lisa Beebe When I sat down at the CGV Cinemas in Koreatown (621 S. Western Ave.), I was sure I was in the wrong place. I was there to see a…

[This news release from the University of Alabama at Birmingham describes an impressive effort to take presence outside the lab to educate children in a vital skill. The original version of the story includes a second image and a 1:11 minute video. A related story can be found in a September 2015 post in ISPR Presence News. –Matthew] [Image: Students in a classroom in Changsha, China, test the Google Cardboard virtual reality training system.] UAB Professor Uses Latest Virtual Reality Technology to Improve Access to Pedestrian Safety Education Newswise (UAB News – University of Alabama at Birmingham Newsroom) 16-Mar-2017 BIRMINGHAM,…

[This story from The Guardian illustrates different ways presence technologies are being used in ‘high culture’ experiences; I think the use of 3D digital replicas of art works displayed in the reproduction of the historic Gothic home Strawberry Hill House is a compelling example of the blurring of authentic and artificial. The original story includes a second image. –Matthew] [Image: 3D replicas of 18th century portraits will be hung in Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham, the home of Horace Walpole. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian] Step inside Butterfly’s house in virtual reality opera night Arts are embracing cutting-edge tech in…

[The two stories below demonstrate the use of presence experiences in health care beyond the hospital or clinic. The first is from VR Fitness Insider, where the original includes more images; for more information see coverage in the Los Angeles Times. –Matthew] VR Can Lower Blood Pressure (You Read That Right) A VR Smart phone app educating patients about the best and worst foods to eat in the context of blood pressure? Yes! By Patrick Ryan June 2, 2017 When virtual reality first debuted, few people thought this technology had the potential to transform medical treatment and improve the human…

[Robots in new roles are provocative and novel today, but will they and medium-as-social-actor presence responses to them, become common and normal? This story from The Guardian includes a 0:51 minute video (also available on YouTube); for more information see EKHN. –Matthew] [Image source: Popular Mechanics] Robot priest unveiled in Germany to mark 500 years since Reformation BlessU-2, which delivers blessings in five languages, is intended to trigger debate about the future of the church Harriet Sherwood, Religion correspondent 30 May 2017 Five hundred years after revolutionary printing presses spread news of Martin Luther’s radical call for church reform across…

[Simulating the experience of caring for a baby has come a long way, from carrying around a bag of flour or sugar, or an egg, to the VR app in this story from Fast Company. See the original story for a 3:00 minute video and see researcher Akihiko Shirai’s blog for much more information including additional images. –Matthew] [Image: courtesy Kanagawa Institute of Technology] Not Sure If You Want To Have A Baby? Try Procreating In VR First Becoming a new parent is one of the few things more frightening than being seen in a VR headset. June 02, 2017 By Mark…

[A new 1:39 minute video by Mashable makes Kino-mo’s Hypervsn “holographic” displays look very impressive; the story below from New Atlas provides a review and a different video, and more information is available from Kino-mo’s website. Of course the prospect of these displays becoming common in public spaces raises concerns about clutter and distraction too. –Matthew] [Image: Kino-mo’s Hypervsn displays uses LED-based technology, which allows the “holograms” to be clearly seen at a distance, even under brightly-lit conditions (Credit: Kino-mo)] Kino-mo’s Hypervsn puts a different spin on holographic displays Stanley Goodner January 8, 2017 Marketers are always on the lookout…

[Aside from the intriguing experiment results, this story from Scientific American is notable for raising the prospect of “real-world, bot-assisted company meetings” along with the ethical challenges of using AI and medium-as-social-actor presence to manipulate human beings. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Sarah Holmlund Getty Images] Pushy AI Bots Nudge Humans to Change Behavior Researchers use artificially intelligent bot programs to stimulate collaboration and make people more effective By Richard Conniff on May 17, 2017 When people work together on a project, they often come to think they’ve figured out the problems in their own respective spheres. If trouble persists, it’s somebody…

[The new robot toy described in this story from Mashable replicates, some would say eerily, a (fictional) animated character in Pixar’s Cars movies and so is very likely to evoke medium-as-social-actor presence, especially in young children. See the original story for a 1:30 minute video, many pictures, and a link to a recent story about the Sphero BB-8 toy that ‘watches’ Star Wars movies with you and moves and ‘speaks’ in response to key scenes and characters. –Matthew] This Ultimate Lightning McQueen robot is awesomely real By Lance Ulanoff May 24, 2017 Pixar’s original Cars movie worked because you believed…