[Dartmouth University researchers have published a systematic clinical study of the effectiveness of an AI-powered therapist called Therabot, which they trained using “original training set the researchers developed from current, evidence-based best practices for psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.” The impressive reductions in reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and concerns about body image and weight come with some important caveats, but a key result concerns medium-as-social-actor presence: Senior author Nicholas Jacobson notes that “We did not expect that people would almost treat the software like a friend. It says to me that they were actually forming relationships with Therabot.” See…

[The author of this story from Android Central uses two vivid examples as he describes the benefits of using presence-evoking virtual and mixed reality for at-home date nights. He writes that “there’s something amazing about being able to go somewhere with your significant other after a busy day without having to hire a babysitter for the kids.” See the original version for five more pictures and two videos. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central] At-home date nights are better in VR (no, seriously) It can be tough to be creative when you have kids, but VR makes it…

[Here’s a short story (for all of us but particularly our colleague and friend Chad Edwards in case he missed it). It’ s from PC Gamer and describes how an expert woodworker was able to build a table while using the passthrough feature of a VR headset without injuring himself, arguably demonstrating the progress mixed reality tech has made in enabling accurate and precise perceptions during presence experiences. Some of the comments below the 20:12 minute YouTube video available in the original story. and the comments at Hackaday, note that XR glasses are or will be superior for this kind…

[An ambitious collaborative research project by the company that developed and operates the general purpose ChatGPT AI service, and the MIT Media Lab, has produced some interesting presence-related results. The summary below from MIT Technology Review is followed by a more pointed assessment from Futurism that concludes that “the longer you use the chatbot, the more likely you are to become emotionally dependent upon it”). For a more detailed summary of the project, see the blog post from OpenAI and Media Lab. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/MITTR | Photo Getty] OpenAI has released its first research into…

[Our colleague and friend Grace Ahn is one of the lead researchers working with the U.S. government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric association (NOAA) to develop “an immersive and simulation” for virtual reality to help members of the public learn about and prepare for the dangers of storm surges. The NOAA press release below provides details, and is followed by more information from a University of Georgia press release. –Matthew] [Image: People at a public sporting event try out the “Weather the Storm” storm surge VR simulation. Credit: NOAA/Joshua Alland] Bringing storm surge to virtual reality New product to teach public…

[As Artnet reports, in addition to experiencing the surviving palace and grounds, a presence-evoking virtual version of long-lost monuments at the Palace of Versailles is now available to visitors. See the original story for four different pictures and the Palace website for more information about the Lost Gardens of the Sun King VR experience. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Château de Versailles] The Lost Monuments of Versailles Are Revived in a New V.R. Experience Visitors will discover digital reconstructions of the palace’s lost menagerie for exotic animals and its iconic hedge maze, known as the labyrinth. By Jo Lawson-Tancred, European News ReporterFebruary…

[Education researcher Jared Izumi at Chapman University in Southern California is exploring the potential benefits of using presence-evoking technologies to both assess and treat behavioral problems in children. This story from the University provides details (and the original version includes a photo of Izumi; more information about him and his work can be found on his faculty bio webpage). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Generated by Adobe Firefly] Virtual Reality and AI Could Transform Behavioral Assessments in U.S. Schools Assistant Professor Jared Izumi is developing a virtual reality program that could eliminate bias from child behavioral assessments. By Benjamin BrazilMarch 18, 2025…

[Here’s a first-person report on the current experience of watching a complete NHL hockey game in virtual reality. Despite some notable complaints, the author recommends the experience as “the best way to [watch a game] without actually being there in person.” See the original story from Daily Faceoff for five short video clips. –Matthew] What it’s like to watch an NHL game in virtual reality By Steven EllisMarch 18, 2025 Most hockey-crazed fans will skip out on enjoying the weekend sunshine to watch their favorite team get decimated on TV. But have you ever thought about strapping a piece of…

[This news release from XARlabs describes an impressive application of mixed reality technologies that evoke both spatial and social presence to bring neurosurgery experts together in real-time, across continents, to discuss and plan the details of complex surgeries for two patients; it also mentions potential future applications of the technologies. The release is undated, but shorter versions from Imperial College and Penn State are dated February 28, 2025 and March 7, 2025, respectively. –Matthew] Neurosurgeons from the UK and US in Mixed Reality World First Teams from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London, Penn State Health and Penn State…

[Demonstrating the positive and emotional effects of presence, a “VR documentary” project presented at the XR Experience Exhibition at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW) event evokes both spatial and social presence in a “quiet and intimate” interactive, shared experience that helps users process grief. This short description of the experience is from Mashable; more information and images are available from the websites of the Immersive Futures Lab and creator Vali Fugalin. –Matthew] [Image: A screen from ‘Traces.’ Credit: Couzin Films] How to process grief — in interactive virtual reality A new VR project offers a whimsical way to process…

[Here’s an interview with an award-winning designer of immersive environments – note the definition she provides for the term, and the many indirect references to presence experiences in her definition and throughout the interview. See the original version in Live Design Online for more images, and follow the links for more about Margaret Kerrison’s books. –Matthew] Margaret Chandra Kerrison On The Art Of Immersive Storytelling By Hannah KinnersleyMarch 17, 2025 Margaret Chandra Kerrison is a six-time THEA-award-winning experience designer, senior creative director at TAIT, and the author of three books. Somehow, she also finds time to speak at SXSW 2025…

[Cambridge researcher Chris Macdonald has developed a platform that uses widely accessible technology that evokes spatial and social presence to help people overcome their fear of public speaking. The project is described in this story from the University of Cambridge; the original version of the story includes more images and a 9:05 minute video (also available on YouTube). An excerpt from coverage by The Guardian follows below, and more coverage is available from The Times. –Matthew] Free tech eliminates the fear of public speaking Cambridge scientist launches free AI-enabled virtual reality platform that transforms users into skilled and confident public…