[From Gizmag] Healthspot replaces doctor’s office with a telepresence kiosk By David Szondy January 27, 2013 Telepresence physicians have been predicted since Hugo Gernsback foresaw the “radio doctor” in the 1920s. HealthSpot of Dublin, Ohio takes this idea a step further with its HealthSpot Station. It’s a telepresence kiosk that acts as an alternative to the traditional doctor’s office.…

[From AZoRobotics] Humanoid Robotics and Virtual Reality to Improve Social Interactions Published on January 24, 2013 Social pathologies, including schizophrenia, autism and social phobia, are mainly characterised by difficulties in interacting with other people. This causes much suffering both for the person and those that surround them. A new project, that aims to improve social interactions, will develop and test an innovative rehabilitation method using humanoid robotics and virtual reality. The collaborative European research team, including Dr Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova and Professor Mario di Bernardo from the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol, have been awarded €2.9 million…

[From The Detroit News, where the story includes many more images] Automakers put attendees virtually in the driver’s seat By Tony Briscoe, The Detroit News January 21, 2013 Detroit— The North American International Auto Show is letting consumers get a taste of what it’ll be like to be behind the wheel of many new models. In the middle of the Ford Motor Co. show floor, people can test their racing skills in the virtual simulation of the brand’s sports technology of the Focus. Technicians strap volunteers into an elevated two-seat cockpit controlled by four mechanical legs that allow the drivers…

[From Jezebel, where the story includes a link to the performance; see Aretha Franklin’s comments, including “In 2009, I wanted everything to be live and on the real side for the moment as it actually happened,” in The Detroit Free Press] Beyoncé Lip-Synced at the Inauguration, Betrayed the World [Updated] Dodai Stewart Jan 22, 2013 In the most earth-shattering piece of news since that of her own pregnancy, it has been confirmed that Beyoncé — as in, Beyoncé — LIP-SYNCED THE NATIONAL ANTHEM at the Inauguration. Oh my god how could you? According to Nico Hines, writing for the Times…

[From BBC News, where the story includes additional images] Viewpoint: The small business of 2063 By Alastair Reynolds Author 3 January 2013 Our world is changing faster than ever and, in recent years, a number of transformative technologies have moved from science fiction and the research and development R&D laboratory into the realm of practical application. These new technologies, combined with demographic shifts and globalisation, will have a profound impact on the future of SMEs. Who would have thought that advanced machinery and electronics such as GPS navigation tools, which only a decade ago would have seemed completely science fictional,…

[From Reuters, where the story includes an additional image] Disney joins JAKKS, LA billionaire to bring toys to life By Ronald Grover LOS ANGELES | Tue Jan 8, 2013 (Reuters) – Walt Disney toys are sold around the world. Now, children can find them in the cloud as well. The media giant is teaming up with toy company JAKKS Pacific and Patrick Soon-Shiong, Los Angeles’ wealthiest person, on a new line of toys – with a nifty technological twist designed to link the goodies that kids lug home from the store with Disney’s stable of well-known animated characters. “DreamPlay”, developed…

[From Gant Daily] [Image: Realistic 3-D computer generated environments enable the athlete to feel fully immersed in cyber-imagery] Penn State Pioneers Virtual Reality to help Athletes after Concussions January 14, 2013 By Heather Herzog and Joe Weeks, Penn State UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State may be the first institution to use virtual reality to protect student athletes from the very real consequences of concussions. University researchers in kinesiology, information technology and sports medicine are using the technology to investigate cognitive changes beyond the limits of typical diagnostic tests. Sam Slobounov, director of Sport Concussion Research Services, and Elena Slobounov, lead…

[From The Verge, where the story includes a 3:22 minute video] Sculpting in virtual reality: meet Leonar3Do (hands-on) By Ellis Hamburger on January 7, 2013 @hamburger Hungarian startup Leonar3Do (pronounced “Leonardo”) today demoed its mind-boggling virtual reality software for PC and Mac that lets you manipulate 3D objects as if they were right in front of you. Using a combination of triangulation (using sensors latched on to your computer) and 3D goggles, Leonar3Do creates an environment for interacting with 3D objects for work or for play. The company’s pro software costs around $2000, and the sensors and “bird,” a N64-esque…

[From GeekWire] [Image: Credit: Carnegie Mellon research paper, 2003] Microsoft patents long-distance virtual handshakes, hugs December 22, 2012 by Todd Bishop It can be tough to stay connected over long distances. Yes, there’s phone calls, texting, Facebook, Twitter, IM, video chatting and everything else. But what if you could give virtual hugs to each other using battery-powered, Internet-enabled pillows? Microsoft just patented that … and more. The company has been awarded a patent on “Force-feedback within telepresence” — the idea of using interactive, connected devices to bring physical interactions to long-distance communications. For example, the patent says, “Hugs, hand-shakes, grabbing…

[From ScienceDaily] [Image: Animated environment for the simulation. (Credit: Image courtesy of Bournemouth University)] Investigating the Bystander Effect Using Virtual Reality Jan. 11, 2013 — The bystander effect is well-known in behavioural psychology and suggests that the more people who witnessing a violent emergency the less likely it is that someone will intervene. It was first identified in the 1960s, but conducting research on the phenomenon has been difficult. Most experiments rely upon staging fake emergencies or violent encounters using actors, but it is tricky to gauge how genuine a response is. Dr Southern and his colleagues have turned to…

[From Lost At E Minor, where the post includes additional images; more information and images are on the artist’s web site] Remarkable 3D graffiti by Jimmy Cochran December 11, 2012 | by  Kiron Heriot-Darragh Australian-born graffiti artist Jimmy Cochran has painted walls from the Bronx to Berlin and is recognized equally in fine art galleries as graffiti street tours in London. Last month, Cochran unveiled his latest project, pushing the boundaries of his pointillist-inspired art style with 3D graffiti techniques. Living in London, Cochran has been working on developing 3D graffiti for years now. He explains: ‘This is something that…