[There are many compelling ways to teach students about presence. Although the term isn’t explicitly mentioned in this story from Penn Today, it’s clearly an important element in Professor Jeffrey Vadala’s “Making Virtual Worlds” course at the University of Pennsylvania, which he describes as “a mix of anthropology, archaeology, psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy” along with instruction and experience in “the technical skills of graphics technologies like the Unreal Engine [and] Unity.” See the original story for three more images. –Matthew] [Image: Lorraine Ruppert, right, donned a virtual reality headset to work on her final project for the Making Virtual Worlds…

[Using presence experiences to increase empathy is becoming more common, including in the context of health care, but this story from The Times of Israel provides a vivid description of the need and benefits of such efforts in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. See the original version of the story for five more images and a 2:53 minute video news report (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Three medical students at Baruch Padeh (Poriya) Medical Center in Tiberias, Israel using OtheReality VR headsets] Virtual reality app lets medical staff get a patient’s-eye view Israeli start-up OtheReality allows doctors to…

[The MIT Technology Review story below explores how generative artificial intelligence is changing the nature of gaming by enhancing the ability of nonplayer characters to evoke presence, and some of the ways AI could be used in the future to change the nature of play itself. Both the abridged version below and the original version (which includes seven more images and links to related stories) are long but really interesting and thought-provoking. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: George Wylesol] How generative AI could reinvent what it means to play AI-powered NPCs that don’t need a script could make games—and other worlds—deeply immersive.…

[As we often note, presence doesn’t depend on technology reproducing nonmediated experiences as they occur in the real world. Although the results generate lots of questions for follow-up study, the research described in this news release from the Cell Press journal iScience (via EurekAlert!) provides an intriguing example by comparing how human- and machine-like prosthetics seen through virtual reality evoke embodiment and self-presence. Follow the link at the end to read the full research report. –Matthew] People feel more connected to “tweezer-like” bionic tools that don’t resemble human hands By CELL PRESSJune 6, 2024 Some say the next step in…

[This story from Ars Technica illustrates how deploying presence can offer both a new way to address a problem (in this case angry, abusive calls from customers) and a way to avoid a more difficult but better solution (improving a company’s products and business practices). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Getty Images / Benj Edwards] SoftBank plans to cancel out angry customer voices using AI Real-time voice modification tech seeks to reduce stress in call center staff. By Benj EdwardsJune 18, 2024 Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank recently announced that it has been developing “emotion-canceling” technology powered by AI that will alter the…

[A Washington Post photo essay, with the accompanying text below, profiles two transgender friends who met and spend much of their time together in VRChat. The Washington Post webpage features 13 more images and a 4:43 minute video set in VRChat. The video is also available on YouTube; here’s an excerpt from the description of the project there: “Silent and Radar, two transgender friends who spend most of their time on the virtual reality platform VR Chat, have found there a true sense of belonging. … For them, it is never about the technology itself, but always about the human…

[Researchers at Victoria University Wellington in New Zealand conducted and analyzed detailed interviews with women after most of them used virtual reality, and the presence it evokes, to reduce pain and anxiety during their early and active labor. The study and its results are described in this report from News Medical. For more information, watch a 4:53 minute interview with the study’s lead author from 1News in New Zealand. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock] How virtual reality transforms women’s labor experiences By Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D.Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.June 17, 2024 In a recent study published in…

[As someone with low vision (i.e., even with corrective lenses), I have both personal and professional interest in this post from The Ghost Howls blog by Skarredghost (VR expert Antony Vitillo). The VOY Glasses product he describes is certainly not a complete solution to the discomfort, visual distortions and cost for the millions of people who need to wear glasses while using virtual reality headsets, but it sounds like a big step forward, especially for those who need to share headsets, including for expositions of various kinds and to conduct research. See the unabridged original post for a detailed hands-on…

[Our colleague Daniel Pimentel studies the potential of presence-evoking immersive media experiences to change attitudes, perceptions and behaviors regarding the environment. He and some of his work are featured in this story from The University of Oregon’s Around the O. For a related story, see “(Under) Sea Change: Virtual Reality and Aquatic Exploration: Professor Betsy Stoner’s immersive VR videos offer Bentley students a unique — and unforgettable — way to learn about marine ecosystems” from Bentley University. –Matthew] [Image: Professor Daniel Pimentel (right) works with a student using a VR headset] Storytelling in the metaverse can spur environmental action By…

[This first-person story from San Jose State University provides another example of how even simple, abstract immersive virtual environments can evoke spatial presence and increase learning. The original version of the story includes a second image, and for much more information on the NSF-funded project (including the VR modules), follow the link at the end below. –Matthew] [Image: An image from the virtual reality classroom featuring three vectors. Credit: Photo courtesy of Ferdie Rivera] Math Adventures in Virtual Reality by Cassie MyersJune 6, 2024 I haven’t taken a math class since 2009 and I’m about as frightened of virtual reality…

[The author of this review from TheGamer describes how anonymous recordings of real people in the virtual reality game Pillow evoke presence as social realism (though he doesn’t use that term). The experience is reminiscent of a series of websites and apps that provide a forum for anonymous messages and interactions such as PostSecret, Whisper, Secret, YikYak, Omegle, and others. –Matthew] Pillow Is A Virtual Reality Game With Real Audio Logs From Real PeopleBy Mike DruckerJune 6, 2024 I’ll be honest, the mixed reality game Pillow came out late last year. In fact, I bought it a few months ago…

[As this story from Singularity Hub notes, thinking about the connection between our present self and who we may be in the distant future can have a variety of positive psychological and behavioral impacts. A project at the MIT Media Lab has provided a presence-evoking experience to encourage this reflection by using an AI chatbot to simulate a conversation with a future version of oneself. As the story says, “It’s not hard to imagine a far more realistic version of [the simulation] in the near future,” one that would be even more effective. In a related quote from the linked…