[NASA is working on several presence-related projects; this story from Popular Science includes a 1:40 minute video about the Destination: Mars exhibit and a 0:23 minute video of astronauts playing Space Invaders in VR in space; follow the links in the story for much more information. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Astronaut Tim Peake on Twitter] New NASA Exhibit Lets You Virtually Tour Mars With Buzz Aldrin No spaceship required By Mary Beth Griggs Posted March 30, 2016 At its most optimistic, the earliest NASA can hope to put people on Mars is sometime in the 2030s. But we’re impatient, and want…

[The ability of emerging technologies to give users a sense of presence from different perspectives raises a lot of really interesting and important questions; this story is from The Verge, where it includes the 1:18 minute trailer for Abe VR. –Matthew] How virtual reality can change the way we see gender and horror movies Men, women, and headsets By Adi Robertson on May 5, 2016 Yes, virtual reality will now let you experience being tortured to death by a lovesick robot. Or at least, that’s what I’m getting from Road to VR’s Paul James, who recently tried out Abe VR…

[While some are excited by the possibilities for human-like robots, others point to possible negative consequences of this form of ‘medium as social actor’ presence; this story from Tech Insider includes the full 58:06 minute panel during which Stuart Russell made his comments (which begin at the 21:35). For a cogent review of the status of AI see Slate’s coverage, which includes a link to a recent interview with Russell. –Matthew] [Image: Meka Robotics. Source: YouTube] Human-like robots may have a disturbing impact on actual humans Danielle Muoio May 4, 2016 Researchers hailing from NASA to Google have invested in…

[Technology can now reproduce and immerse us in historical and personal moments as never before; the presence experiences will not always be positive or deemed appropriate. This story is from The Hollywood Reporter; for more on the ethics involved see coverage in Bustle. –Matthew] [Image: Anne Frank at her home in Amsterdam in 1942, just weeks before she and her family entered the annex. Photograph: Reuters/Corbis/Reuters Photographer / Reuters. Source: The Guardian] Anne Frank Virtual Reality Film Planned The sensitive nature of ‘Anne’s’ plot — and the intensity of the Frank family’s situation — will invariably leave the project open…

[Adding eye-tracking to VR headsets should allow more natural and effortless interactions and enhance both spatial and social presence; this story is from USA Today, where it features more images and a 1:53 minute video. A 0:21 minute EyeFluence ‘demo clip’ is available on YouTube. –Matthew] Next big thing for virtual reality: Lasers in your eyes Marco della Cava, USA TODAY May 2, 2016 SAN FRANCISCO – The next big leap for virtual and augmented reality headsets is likely to be eye-tracking, where headset-mounted laser beams aimed at eyeballs turn your peepers into a mouse. A number of startups are…

[Here’s a heart-warming use of presence (which will be more impressive if the partners follow through in establishing a permanent installation at St. Jude to help more children); the story from Advertising Age features four videos. –Matthew] [Image: Source: AdWeek] Expedia Takes Sick Children on Thrilling Real-Time Adventures — Without Leaving the Hospital Campaign From 180LA for St. Jude Is the Stuff of Dreams By Ann-Christine Diaz. Published on March 21, 2016. Children with serious illnesses and confined to their hospital beds might think that swimming with tropical fish or running with wild horses is the stuff of dreams.…

[Some relatively simple uses of presence can save lives; this story is from The Architects Newspaper, where it features other images; coverage in Mashable notes that India’s transport minister tweeted on April 27 that the country will be trying out the 3D paintings, and that the use of optical illusions as speed breakers was first pioneered in Philadelphia. For more on the use of road design illusions created to increase safety, see a 2014 story from BBC News. –Matthew] 3D “zebra crossings” stop drivers in their tracks By Jason Sayer April 21, 2016 Earlier this year, it was reported that…

[It looks like in addition to the many other telepresence technology formats from phones to rooms, telepresence robots will become increasingly common; this story is from Inverse, where it includes a very short video of the early Greenman Teleperated Humanoid system mentioned. –Matthew] [Image: From VGo: “Despite a diagnosis of lymphoma resulting in a bone-marrow transplant that’s left her bed-bound in the Children’s Hospital, 13-year-old Cookie Topp is going to school, doing her homework and meeting with her friends.”] Telepresence Robots May Be Awkward Now, but Expect More of Them by 2020 Research group Tractica projects a 50 percent increase…

[This story from The Verge describes two projects that use presence to take us to Chernobyl, with likely powerful impact; the original story includes a 3:40 minute interactive trailer for The Chernobyl VR Project and a 0:57 minute interactive trailer for Chornobyl 360. For more on the former, see coverage in Raw Story and YouTube for a 4:47 minute video; for more on the latter, see coverage in U.S. News. –Matthew] Watch the trailers for two Chernobyl VR interactive documentaries By Adi Robertson on April 26, 2016 Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine — the…

[Headset-based VR is becoming a ‘hot’ medium in Marshall McLuhan’s use of the term, but as discussed in this story from The Verge (which has more pictures), it’s not the only, or necessarily the most effective, way to evoke intense presence illusions. –Matthew] [Image: Person being helped into the Famous Deaths installation at the Tribeca Film Festival.] What’s virtual reality without a headset? Tribeca Film Festival installations push our definitions of VR By Adi Robertson on April 21, 2016 My first thought, when I see someone roll into the Famous Deaths morgue freezer, is I’m sure glad they don’t lock…

[Presence isn’t referenced explicitly in this interesting piece from Forbes about the role of VR in the music industry, but both applications discussed – VR as an experience and a tool – involve evoking compelling presence illusions. –Matthew] [Image: A screenshot of StubHub’s immersive virtual-reality content that gives ticket buyers a full, 3D preview of available seats. (Photo courtesy of Re/code)] Virtual Reality In The Music Industry Needs To Be A Tool, Not Just An Experience Cherie Hu, Contributor April 23, 2016 Last month, I found myself at the Made in NY Media Center in Brooklyn, testing a prototype of…

[It’s easy to be blasé about technology events, but this surgery experienced remotely in VR in real time by thousands of people around the world last week is pretty amazing. Our colleague Skip Rizzo is quoted extensively in this story from CNN, which features a photo gallery and a 1:00 minute interactive video. –Matthew] Step in the operating room, wherever you are in the world By Meera Senthilingam, for CNN Thursday April 21, 2016 (CNN) All you need is a headset and smartphone to enter a virtual world of gaming, movies, travel — and now surgery. Health care company Medical…