[It’s sad that in addition to convenience, cost and carbon emissions we have to add bypassing the U.S. travel ban (and other such restrictions) to the reasons for using telepresence technologies. This story is from Business Vancouver. –Matthew] [Image: Simon Fraser University Prof. Carman Neustaedter has been using technology to solve some of the concerns business executives and others now have about travel to the U.S. | Photo: Rob Kruyt] Entrepreneurs tap tech to skirt U.S. travel uncertainty Concerns over connecting with U.S. clients, opportunities spark travel alternatives search By Tyler Orton Feb. 28, 2017 Ahead of a May lecture in Edmonton,…

[This story from MIT Technology Review describes the emergence of a new form of presence-evoking photography – it’s early days at this writing but new technologies are lowering the cost and making it easier than ever to create 360° images that can be viewed in VR, and “When you see 360° imagery that truly transports you somewhere else, you want it more and more.” See the original story for 6 videos and 5 more images. –Matthew] [Image: ALLie Camera. It uses technology originally developed for the surveillance industry and can capture images in low light.] The 360-Degree Selfie Inexpensive cameras…

[Here’s an interesting story from artnet News about the increasing prominence of presence-evoking VR/AR works in art exhibitions and sales; see the original version for more images and links to related stories. –Matthew] [Image: Installation view of Tamiko Thiel and Zara Houshmand, Beyond Manzanar (2000). Image courtesy Moving Image.] Market for Virtual Reality Art Gets Tested at Moving Image Fair The new medium opens new frontiers for art, as well as a few new obstacles. Brian Boucher, February 28, 2017 “I can count on two hands the collectors who are buying immersive media works,” said Moving Image fair co-founder Edward Winkleman at…

[It’s still early days for this innovation from Google but allowing both observers and participants to see the faces of VR and MR users could significantly boost the potential for presence experiences. That potential is only briefly mentioned in the last paragraph in this post from the Google Research Blog, which includes more images and a 1:46 minute video. –Matthew]   Headset “Removal” for Virtual and Mixed Reality February 21, 2017 Posted by Vivek Kwatra, Research Scientist and Christian Frueh, Avneesh Sud, Software Engineers Virtual Reality (VR) enables remarkably immersive experiences, offering new ways to view the world and the…

[Telepresence is being used at Grand Canyon University to let teachers-in-training learn by ‘being’ in a remote elementary school classroom; this story is from Grand Canyon University Today, where it includes several more images. –Matthew] Telepresence gives students new view of teaching February 08, 2017 Story and photos by Jeannette.Cruz, GCU News Bureau Three Grand Canyon University educators in the College of Education are exploring a new way to virtually provide students with an opportunity to get their feet wet in the profession. The initiative – a live, telepresence practicum pilot – engages students in an elementary school setting through…

[In an apparent first, an auction house is using VR to provide an immersive experience with virtual versions of art works before a sale. This interview from Sotheby’s, where it includes a 3:16 minute demonstration video and more images, never mentions presence explicitly but the phenomenon is obviously central to the discussion (note that the “watch video here” links may require sign in). –Matthew] [Image: A visitor to the exhibition tries out the virtual reality headset (photo: Ian Gavan)] Reimagining Surrealism Through Virtual Reality By Sotheby’s | 22 Feb 2017 Visitors to the Surrealist Art Evening sale exhibition at New Bond…

[NASA’s release yesterday of a 360 degree VR panorama so that we can all experience what it would be like to be on a newly discovered planet demonstrates the recognition of the value of presence. The story below is from Wired UK, where it includes the 1:23 minute interactive video and two different images. More media recreations related to the discovery are available from NASA. –Matthew] Explore Nasa’s TRAPPIST-1d exoplanet discovery in glorious 360-degree VR The 360-degree Nasa VR panorama animates the surface of a newly detected planet, TRAPPIST-1d By Victoria Woollaston Thursday 23 February 2017 Last night, Nasa revealed…

[Here’s a first-person report on an interesting approach to increasing presence with VR; the story is from MIT Technology Review, where it includes an additional image. –Matthew] Using Virtual Reality Underwater Is Weird (but Fun) Sure, you can soar or swim in VR. Just put on a headset and jump in a pool. by Rachel Metz February 20, 2017 No matter how well virtual reality mimics the sights and sounds of flying, floating, or swimming, it’s impossible to feel that you’re really doing those things when your feet are planted firmly on solid ground. So Stephen Greenwood and Allan Evans…

[Jessica Billhart has some very interesting insights on VR and presence; this interview with her is from MIT Technology Review, where it includes several more images. –Matthew] Imagining the Future of VR at Google The search giant’s filmmaker on what the new medium does that film cannot. by Jason Pontin February 14, 2017 Jessica Brillhart is the principal filmmaker for virtual reality at Google, where she enjoys one of the most creative jobs in Silicon Valley. She makes VR experiences (including World Tour, the first film made with Google’s Jump system, a circular 16-camera rig designed to capture VR films)…

[Here’s a short story about a new effort to add senses to presence experiences; it’s from New Scientist, where it includes a 0:41 second video; another video (“[CHI 2017] Ambiotherm: Enhancing Presence in VR by Simulating Real-World Environmental Conditions”) is available on YouTube. –Matthew] Virtual reality weather add-ons let you feel the sun and wind 13 February 2017 By Timothy Revell Virtual reality devices can already fool your eyes and ears. Soon your other senses will be fooled too, with the creation of a device that can bring the weather in your virtual world to life. Nimesha Ranasinghe at the…

[IMAX has begun to implement its plans to speed the mainstreaming of VR; the two articles below detail the company’s plans and report on the new IMAX VR Experience Center in Los Angeles. –Matthew] [From the Los Angeles Times] [Image: A guest plays a virtual reality game based on Lionsgate’s “John Wick” at the Imax VR Experience Centre in Los Angeles (Imax Corp.)] Virtual reality industry ‘in need of a jump-start,’ Imax CEO says at new VR center Ryan Faughnder February 15, 2017 Richard Gelfond, chief executive of big-screen company Imax Corp., unveiled his new virtual reality center Tuesday with…

[The use of telepresence robots in businesses may have the potential to affect more people, but nobody is likely to benefit from their use more than the group discussed in this story from The Conversation (where it includes another image and a 9:35 minute video). The last two sections are particularly interesting and important – we need to help change the policies and perceptions that prevent school districts from more widely adapting telepresence robots, and as scholars provide objective evaluations of their impacts. –Matthew] [Image: Too sick to attend school in person, but perfectly able to participate with a robot’s…