[This first-person report on the experience provided by a virtual reality installation about the Titanic and its sinking simultaneously captures some of the factors that enhance and degrade presence, and illustrates how a personal voice and vivid description and narrative in text can evoke a strong sense of presence as well. The story is from People, where the original includes five more images and a 52-second video trailer for Titan: Echoes From the Past (the trailer is also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: SSPL/Getty] A Titanic Obsessive Reveals the Moment That Lingered While Visiting VR Recreation of the Lost…

[In the second of two posts about research with animals that expands our understanding, and possible future experiences, of presence, this story in Futurism describes how researchers created a computer model of a fruit fly’s brain and watched it match a real fly’s behavior in a simulated world. Describing a 4:17 minute video included in the original story (and available on YouTube), researcher Alex Weissner-Gross says “What you are seeing is not an animation. It is not a reinforcement learning policy mimicking biology. It is a copy of a biological brain, wired neuron-to-neuron from electron microscopy data, running in simulation,…

[In the first of two posts about research with animals that expands our understanding, and possible future experiences, of presence, this story from Road to VR describes a study in which monkeys with a brain-computer interface learned to move around in a complex virtual environment. “While the study hopes to pave the way for similar results in humans, which could unlock things like controlling electric wheelchairs, [KU Leuven researcher Peter] Janssen also believes it could allow people with paralysis to intuitively navigate virtual worlds.” See the original story for two more images and follow the links below, and read a…

[Doctoral researcher Rishi Vanukuru at the University of Colorado Boulder’s ATLAS Institute is exploring ways to evoke higher levels of presence with smartphones and tablet computers. The original version of this description of his work includes two more (and larger) images. For more information visit Rishi’s website, especially a page that includes the research team’s paper “Studying Mobile Spatial Collaboration across Video Calls and Augmented Reality” and a 1:19 minute video (which is also available on YouTube). –Matthew] Shared reality: Exploring VR-like environments with your smartphone By Michael KwolekApril 1, 2026 Virtual reality (VR) devices offer great potential for immersive…

[Upload reports on an “arguably revolutionary” approach to the long-standing problem of adding the experience of smells to presence-evoking technologies. See the original version of the story below for another image and a 28-second video. For more details and images, see the project website, which has this provocative URL: https://writetobrain.com/olfactory. –Matthew] Researchers Induce Smells With Ultrasound, No Chemical Cartridges Required A group of independent researchers built a device that can artificially induce smell using ultrasound, with no consumable cartridges required. By David HeaneyApril 15, 2026 Current virtual reality is focused on stimulating your vision and hearing, with some limited haptics…

[A company called EchoLabs is developing what sounds like a presence-evoking experience familiar in science fiction stories. Details are in this story from Cybernews (where the original version includes a second image and an embedded social media post). In addition to the film examples mentioned in the story, see Wikipedia’s entry for the “Parallels” episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Cybernews] Multiverse platform wants you to watch AI clones live the life you could’ve had An unknown company is attempting to make your life’s “what ifs” a reality. While it may seem that you can follow…

[This story from New Jersey Business Magazine describes the familiar benefits of using presence-evoking virtual reality to engage and train people to work in a wide variety of professions. In this case, the new training is designed for those learning the necessary skills and habits of bricklayers. –Matthew] BACNJ Launches Virtual Reality Training for Bricklayers April 9, 2026 The Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers of New Jersey (BACNJ) have announce a new initiative that integrates virtual reality into workforce training. The program, which uses state-of-the-art virtual reality goggles to provide immersive, hands-on training experiences, allows apprentices and prospective students to safely…

[While there is good reason to be concerned about and address potential negative impacts of presence, especially when fast-evolving technologies including artificial intelligence are involved, there are also many potential positive impacts. This story from R&D World describes some extremely important positive impacts in the context of telerobotic surgery. See the original version of the story for a larger version of the graphic below and five additional images. –Matthew] [Image: Intuitive’s telecollaboration roadmap spans today’s remote case observation and telementoring to a future vision of intraoperative consultation, where a remote surgeon could join a live case from a second console.…

[As AI-generated media content becomes increasingly common and similar to content created by humans, it becomes more challenging for consumers to distinguish between the two, and especially for casual consumers, it may become less important. As Vice reports, a vivid example of this is occurring in country music. See the linked ABC News KTEN story for additional details. –Matthew] [Image: “Whiskey & Water,” a song by Cain Walker featuring Cade Winslow, is one of many AI-generated country music tunes. Credit: Timothy A. Clary / AFP. Source: RFI.] This Genre Considers Authenticity a Core Value, but Is Leading in AI-Generated Music…

[In a dramatic presence-evoking display, and celebration, of this week’s space flight to the furthest distance from Earth humans have ever travelled, The Sphere in Las Vegas ‘turned into’ the Moon, with NASA’s Artemis II spacecraft orbiting above its surface. See the original version of this short story from Futurism for larger versions of the two images below and follow the links within the story for more information, images and videos. –Matthew] Las Vegas Sphere Turns Into Huge Moon to Celebrate NASA Mission “Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let’s go.” By Victor TangermannApril 9, 2026 NASA’s historic Artemis 2 mission…

[Two first-year undergraduate students are working with an assistant professor of computer science at Kennesaw State University in Georgia to develop an AI-based system that predicts when a virtual reality user is about to fall and warns them to prevent it. The warnings come in the form of sounds or prompts (perhaps eventually they can be incorporated into the experience to avoid breaking presence, as with in-story verbal cautions from characters). The Fallguard is one of several projects in the University’s First-Year Scholars Program; a summary of others is here. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Darnell Wilburn] First-year students leverage AI technology…

[A multi-year project in the EU is using presence-evoking virtual reality to help both the public and policy-makers better understand and address the challenges of controlling air pollution. Some of the details are in this news release from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (the original version includes a second image); more details are available from Atmo Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (Atmo BFC). The Escape and Serious games are available from Meta. –Matthew] Clearing the air: LIFE project uses virtual reality to make invisible pollution visible As air pollution remains a critical health and environmental challenge in Europe, the LIFE V-aiR…