[Rachel Rossin’s art goes beyond just using VR as it addresses the merging of the ‘real’ and virtual worlds; this is from PSFK, where the story includes more pictures. See Rossin’s website for more VR-based art. –Matthew] Oil Meets Virtual Reality In This Trippy Painting Series Rachel Rossin mixes the traditional with the digital by using a VR headset and visually intricate oil paintings Eva Recinos 3 december 2015 Walking into an art gallery means surrendering yourself to whatever visuals might be on display against the space’s white walls. You negotiate space as you walk through an exhibition and take…

[“Uncanny Valley” is the latest entertaining and thought-provoking portrayal of presence; we’ll be adding it to our ongoing study of them (the project website is here). This story is from The Verge, where it features the 8:53 minute film, which is also available directly on Vimeo. –Matthew] Uncanny Valley is a super stylish short film about how VR will destroy us By Adi Robertson on December 2, 2015 It’s a sad fact that despite the huge wave of virtual reality hype we’re currently in, our generation doesn’t have its Strange Days or Lawnmower Man or any other stylish blockbuster about…

[This story from CNET is a nice description of where VR is and might be heading – if it succeeds it’ll be because of the ‘magic’ of presence. See also a related piece in Venture Beat in which a father describes what happens when he introduces his 5 year old daughter to VR. –Matthew] Home for the holidays with my family, and virtual reality Commentary: To my family, no matter what their age, VR is magic…but it takes someone to put it on their heads in the first place. December 2, 2015 by Scott Stein “Oh my god, it’s so…

[This research report from Aalto University about emotional reactions to 3D faces is interesting not only because of the role of presence but the implications for media producers; as coverage in Quartz notes, “it could help them hone the 3D effect to really make the viewer feel the emotions of the characters in the game [or other 3D experience].” –Matthew] [Image: Six stereoscopic image pairs used in the experiment. The images can be seen in 3D by ‘looking through’ the image.] 3D amplifies emotions evoked by facial expressions The research findings have implications for emotion research, entertainment industry and 3D…

[Virtual environments need not be photo-realistic to evoke presence and have impacts on users; this story about an interesting VR installation is from Fast Company, where it includes a large photo gallery. —Matthew] Reaching Enlightenment Through Virtual Reality Tune in and drop out. Diana Budds December 1, 2015 The Eight Phases of Enlightenment, a virtual-reality installation by the artist Aramique, starts off as if you’re in the eye of a storm of fireflies. In a video, the glowing spots set against a black background swirl faster and start to congeal into a glowing orb before exploding in a flash of…

[You can have some Christmas presence (sorry!) at TGI Fridays in the UK this year; will this become a trend? The story is from The Daily Mirror, where it features many more images and a 1:14 minute video. The unscientific poll at the end of the story currently has 75% indicating support for the idea. The VR promotion follows last year’s “Mistletoe drones” – see CNET for details. –Matthew] Fancy dinner in Lapland? Customers at TGI Fridays offered ‘virtual reality’ trips to festive wonderland You won’t even have to get on a plane to experience the true magic of Christmas…

[Evoking presence, in this case for an important educational simulation, doesn’t require highly sophisticated technology. Most of the media coverage of this draws on the Ford press release below; there’s also a 2:13 minute video on YouTube and International Business Times has a first person report and a 3:12 minute video. –Matthew] Unique Ford Suit Helps Teach Young People the Dangerous Effects of Driving Under the Influence of Illegal Drugs DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 20, 2015 – Ford Motor Company has created a unique suit to dramatically teach young people about the dangers of driving under the influence of illegal drugs.…

[Impacto isn’t just about boxing – it’s “a prototype for future gaming or telepresence interfaces “; the story from MIT Technology Review includes a different picture and a 0:30 minute video. If nothing else, read the succinct summary in the last sentence below. –Matthew] [Image: eTeknix] Get a Virtual-Reality Punch, Feel Real Impact Researchers in Germany have developed technology for an armband that lets you feel impact from virtual interactions. By John Pavlus on November 11, 2015 Imagine playing a virtual-reality boxing game, complete with a menacing opponent aiming a haymaker at your head. You get your gloves up in…

[This looks like a very immersive, presence-evoking installation; the post from The Creators Project blog includes a larger gif, many more images, and the video. –Matthew] [Image: GIF via, images courtesy the artist] Take a Mind-Bending Plane Ride That Never Leaves the Ground By Beckett Mufson — Nov 5 2015 File into the airplane. Find your seat. Buckle up. Instead of engines revving and cabin pressure falling, an array of LEDs sets the metal tube ablaze with light. Welcome to PlayMid’s (Playmodes + MID) new installation, Porta Estel·lar: the only destination is the psychedelic corners of your mind.…

[An early step toward the Holodeck? This is from Gizmodo, where you’ll find more pictures and a 3:45 minute video. See the HaptoClone website for more detailed information. –Matthew] The Haptic Tech That Could Let You Touch The Person You’re Skyping With Alissa Walker 8/12/15 I was skeptical. Two cubes sat side-by-side, looking like stripped-down 3D printers. I sat in front of one as instructed, and reached my hand inside, toward a floating disembodied finger. Just at the moment I knew I’d stab through the illusion, I had the ultimate “E.T. phone home” moment—I swear I could feel the other…

[This story from the Los Angeles Times is an interesting consideration of the possibilities for VR and presence in live theater. The original story includes the 5:02 “Circle of Life” in 360° video. –Matthew] [Image: Jelany Remy as Simba in the Broadway musical “The Lion King.” (Joan Marcus / Associated Press)] Can virtual reality revolutionize live theater? Broadway’s ‘Lion King’ experiment Steven Zeitchik November 18, 2015 Since the dawning of the new age of virtual reality all the way back in, you know, 2014, the form has been beset by a major question: Can it revolutionize live theater? After all,…

[This first person report considers the emotional implications of presence in the context of sexuality; it’s from Motherboard, where it includes the 0:58 minute trailer for the film “I Am You” and an additional image. For more about the VR film, see coverage in CBC News. –Matthew] Is an Affair in Virtual Reality Still Cheating? Written by Zoltan Istvan November 19, 2015 I hadn’t touched another woman in an intimate way since before getting married six years ago. Then, in the most peculiar circumstances, I was doing it. I was caressing a young woman’s hands. I remember thinking as I…