[This story illustrates potential roles of presence experiences in contesting not only the appearance but the personal and social meaning of places and events that occurred in them, and more generally the use of presence as a tool of protest. See the original story in the San Francisco Chronicle, where it features 5 more images and related links. –Matthew]

[Image: An augmented reality app includes a quote from the victim of a notorious 2015 sexual assault on the Stanford campus. Credit: Photos by Cody Glenn / Special to The Chronicle]

Augmented reality brings to life words of Stanford sex assault survivor

Anna Bauman
September 27, 2019

A fountain gurgles not far from shaded benches in a small, peaceful garden at Stanford University, but the serenity of the scene feels off to Kyle Qian.

The garden was created to replace the scene of one of the most notable crimes to ever occur on the campus, but nowhere to be found is a sign to distinguish this as the place where Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted by Stanford swimmer Brock Turner after a fraternity party in January 2015.… read more. “Augmented reality brings to life words of Stanford sex assault survivor”

[A new study indicates that we don’t have to physically move through virtual spaces to learn where things are in them. This story is from the UA News, where it includes 3 more images and a 1:55 minute video. –Matthew]

[Image: Derek Huffman navigates a virtual environment in 360 degrees on an omnidirectional treadmill. Credit: Roy Wageman/UAHS BioCommunications]

Brain May Not Need Body Movements to Learn Virtual Spaces

A new study conducted by the University of Arizona and the University of California, Davis enhances our understanding of how the brain learns in virtual reality.

Alexis Blue, University Communications
September 18, 2019

Virtual reality is becoming increasingly present in our everyday lives, from online tours of homes for sale to high-tech headsets that immerse gamers in hyper-realistic digital worlds. While its entertainment value is well-established, virtual reality also has vast potential for practical uses that are just beginning to be explored.… read more. “MRI and behavior study: Brain may not need body movements to learn virtual spaces”

[At the Oculus Connect 6 developer conference in San Jose, California this week, Facebook made a series of announcements related to presence. Among them is a new social world called Horizon, described in this story from TechCrunch (see the original for four more images and a 1:32 video). For much more information, including a specific reference to presence, see extensive coverage in CNET; for even more, see the Oculus Connect 6 website. –Matthew]

Facebook announces Horizon, a VR massive-multiplayer world

Josh Constine
September 25, 2019

Facebook today announced it’s building its own Ready Player One Oasis. Facebook Horizon is a virtual reality sandbox universe where you can build your own environments and games, play and socialize with friends or just explore the user-generated landscapes. This is Facebook’s take on Second Life.

Launching in early 2020 in closed beta, Facebook Horizon will allow users to design their own diverse avatars and hop between virtual locales through portals called Telepods, watch movies and consume other media with friends and play multiplayer games together, like Wing Strikers.… read more. “Facebook announces Horizon, a VR massive-multiplayer world”

[This short story from Fast Company describes Facebook’s latest progress toward using HMD sensors and AI to create immersive telepresence. The reconstructed images of users’ faces aren’t perfect of course, but the author notes that “with AI, the limitations are so convincing that we don’t even know they’re there. And it’s important that we don’t lose ourselves somewhere inside AI’s white lies.” See the original story for more pictures and a 5:55 minute video. –Matthew]

Facebook is getting very, very good at faking your face

Bu just how “real” is it?

September 4, 2019
By Mark Wilson

Five years ago, Mark Zuckerberg stated in no uncertain terms that Facebook was going to build the metaverse, a digital world that’s a surrogate for our real one, predicted by science fiction for decades. That’s why he bought Oculus, and invested heavily in VR.… read more. “Facebook is getting very, very good at faking your face”

[In this PC Magazine UK interview, the co-founder and CEO of Scape Technologies explains how and why the company is creating a platform to generate augmented reality experiences that much more accurately link the nonmediated and virtual worlds. See the original story for 4 more images and 2 videos. For more information see coverage in AR Post and VentureBeat. –Matthew]

This Augmented Reality Platform Is Smarter Than Pokemon Go

Scape Technologies compares data from your phone’s camera with a cloud-based, machine-readable 3D map for augmented reality overlays that put existing setups to shame.

By S.C. Stuart
30 August 2019

Pokemon Go sparked a new wave of augmented reality exploration, but London-based Scape Technologies wants to take AR beyond GPS-driven gaming to provide a more accurate representation of the world around us.

GPS can pinpoint location within a foot or so, but Scape can tell exactly where you’re standing by comparing data from your phone’s camera with a cloud-based, machine-readable 3D map.… read more. “Scape creates 3D maps of 100 cities for new, ultra-accurate augmented reality”

[Here’s a short piece from Forbes about the potential roles of VR and presence in the future of dating and love. See the original for more images. –Matthew]

Move Over Online Dating! Virtual Reality Is The Future Of Finding Love

Sol Rogers, Contributor, CEO and Founder of REWIND, an Emmy nominated immersive content studio that fuses bleeding-edge technology with award-winning creative storytelling.
September 20, 2019

Modern dating is a far cry from the courtship our grandparents experienced. In the past, people met their partners at work, on a night out, or at church. Then came the internet and cellular technology—suddenly, distance was not an issue, and the phrase “plenty of fish” has never rung truer.

Around 40% of Americans use online dating, contributing to the $3 billion industry that’s set to grow 25% by 2020. Online dating is no longer seen as a last-ditch attempt to find love.… read more. “Move over online dating! Virtual reality is the future of finding love”

[This post from the excellent Kottke.org blog highlights insights from a Real Life magazine story about how Apple’s AirPod wireless earphones represent a type of augmented reality, expressing “a more complete embrace of our simultaneous existence in physical and digital space,” with concerning implications for the public sphere. Extended excerpts of the Real Life story follow below. –Matthew]

[Image: Potsdamer Plaz (2017) by Diane Meyer. Hand sewn archival ink jet print. Courtesy the artist. Source: Real Life.]

AirPods, an Augmented-Reality Wearable Computer

Posted by Jason Kottke
September 19, 2019

For Real Life magazine, Drew Austin writes about wireless headphones and their potential effect on the public sphere if many people start wearing them. The bit that particularly caught my eye was the subtitle of the piece:

Wireless headphones are augmented reality devices.

And further down the page:

Much as phones have enabled and concretized the always-on nature of everyday life, introducing the constant interpenetration of physical and digital space to individual experience, wireless earbuds facilitate a deeper integration, an “always in” existence that we need never interrupt by looking down at a screen.… read more. “AirPods as augmented-reality wearable computer”

[This story from Bloomberg describes a new, apparently compelling combination of fine dining with virtual reality and the potential of such presence experiences to be popular beyond the artistic and culinary elite. See the original version for several more pictures. For more information and a 7:10 minute video, see Mattia Casalegno’s website and to make reservations visit jamesbeard.org. –Matthew]

[Image: The Aerobanquets RMX experience, previewed at the James Beard House in New York. Credit: Amy Lombard for Bloomberg Businessweek]

Virtual Reality Is the Latest Dinner Party Trick

The James Beard House joins one of the country’s most lauded chefs to make the case for VR meals.

By Richard Morgan
September 19, 2019

Harry Parr has one of the most dynamic palates on the planet. Half of the London-based food consultants Bompas & Parr, he’s served plasma-cooked bacon, created clouds of vaporized gin and tonic, and dropped banana-­flavored confetti in sync to New Year’s Eve fireworks.… read more. “A lauded chef makes the case for VR meals with the Aerobanquets RMX experience”

[In an inspiring cross-disciplinary effort, a game lab and a trauma center are collaborating on VR applications to help patients with spinal cord injuries, as reported in this story from Technical.ly Baltimore; for more coverage see MICA’s website. –Matthew]

[Image: MICA student Marco Cortes tests what it would be like to play a VR game with a spinal cord injury. Credit: Photo courtesy of MICA]

MICA Game Lab and Shock Trauma are developing VR games for spinal injury patients

With the collaboration, the Baltimore institutions are developing virtual reality games that use a quadstick, which can be controlled by the mouth and chin.

By Maria Volkova
September 17, 2019

The Maryland Institute College of Art’s Game Lab partnered with the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland in order to develop virtual reality applications that will aid patients with high spinal cord injuries during their hospital recovery.… read more. “Game lab and trauma center using VR to help patients with spinal cord injuries”

[An interesting example of presence experiences created to bring history and cultural heritage to the public is described in this story from Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. For more details see Branding in Asia and a 1:49 minute video report from KBS via YouTube; for a 3:51 minute report in Korean, see a video from the Korea Cultural Heritage Administration. –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Branding in Asia]

Joseon Dynasty era gate virtually restored with digital technology

August 20, 2019
By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) — Donuimun, one of the four main old gates that were part of the wall that surrounded the Joseon-era capital, was virtually restored Tuesday with the latest digital technology around a century after it was demolished during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule.

Donuimun, also called Seodaemun, which literally means “Great West Gate,” was established in 1396 on the west side of Hanyang, the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) capital.… read more. “Seoul’s Joseon Dynasty era Donuimun gate restored via AR and VR”