[From Chalmers University, where the press release includes an additional image] [Image: Max Ortiz Catalan demonstrates how the system works with the aid of electrodes, which capture bio-electric signals from the surface of the arm. Amputees will, however, have the electrodes implanted directly on the nerves and muscles inside the body, which will be permanently accessible through the Brånemark osseointegrated implant (OPRA Implant System). Photo: Oscar Mattsson] Thought-controlled prosthesis is changing the lives of amputees The world’s first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts is being developed by Chalmers researcher Max Ortiz Catalan. The first operations on patients will take…

[From NSF] [Image: Surgeons from the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences Systems Neurosurgery Department view a simulation of the human brain vasculature and cortical tissue in the CAVE2 Hybrid Reality Environment. This project is a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) and Bioengineering Department’s Laboratory for Product and Process Design. EVL OmegaLib software is used to display the 3D model in the CAVE2 System. Credit: Lance Long for Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago.] State-of-the-Art Virtual Reality System Is Key to Medical Discovery For team of neurosurgeons and researchers,…

[From The University of Washington] [Image: The conical (red) surface shows the relationship between energy and momentum in special relativity, a fundamental theory concerning space and time developed by Albert Einstein, and is the expected result if our universe is not a simulation. The flat (blue) surface illustrates the relationship between energy and momentum that would be expected if the universe is a simulation with an underlying cubic lattice.] Do we live in a computer simulation? UW researchers say idea can be tested By Vince Stricherz December 10, 2012 A decade ago, a British philosopher put forth the notion that…

[From This is Plymouth] [Image: A virtual reality view of Wembury] Virtual reality scene of Plymouth path could be used to help patients Friday, December 07, 2012 By Mike Bramhall, Herald Reporter A virtual reality reconstruction of a picturesque coastal path near Plymouth could soon be helping patients at a hospital – which treats injured troops evacuated from Afghanistan – to recover from serious surgery. The digital rendering of Wembury Bay, from the Church of St Werburgh’s to Wembury Point and Great Mewstone island, has been developed by researchers from the University of Birmingham. They are set to demonstrate their…

[From NASDAQ] [Image: Google’s Project Glass and Star Trek’s Geordi LaForge. From Gizmodo] Four Technologies to Watch in 2013 Posted 12/8/2012 by Benzinga Over the past 12 months, tech companies have added touch screens to just about everything. This trend will surely continue in 2013, but what is the next big thing in technology? What can consumers and business professionals look forward to in the next 12 months?…

[From DigInfo TV, where the story includes a 2:44 minute video] See and feel virtual water with this immersive crossmodal perception system from Solidray 7 December 2012 Posted By Don Kennedy and Ryo Osuga Solidray, which is involved in virtual reality production, has released an immersive crossmodal system incorporating visual and tactile feedback, enabling the user to see and feel flowing water in a virtual space.…

[From Telepresence Options] Teledining: Then and Now December 5, 2012 | David S. Maldow, Esq. There is nothing like the business lunch. We feel an undeniable increased connection with someone after sharing a good meal with them. This can often serve to smooth the wheels of business. A good meal is like a good videoconferencing meeting; it is all about the experience. While we all [had] fun this year at Thanksgiving, passing around iPhones with Facetime sessions to remote family, we can’t really call that teledining. Proper teledining should (as much as possible) attempt to simulate a normal, across the…

[From James Iliff’s blog, where the post includes additional images and the blog features much interesting material] Three Fundamental Ways that Virtual Reality is Changing the Future of Game Design Most games are designed with a computer screen or television in mind – but what happens when the screen is attached to your face?  What happens when your body is being tracked?  There’s a lot of things that go into making virtual reality systems work, and they all fundamentally change how games are experienced and designed. Submitted by jimbo2go on December 2nd, 2012…

[From IEEE Spectrum’s Automaton blog; the paper is available here (pdf)] Robot Mirrors Our Emotions To Be More Social Posted by Angelica Lim  /  Wed, November 14, 2012 We all have that friend: The one who understandingly pats us on the back when we feel down, or shares our excitement when we’re brimming with joy. They share our frowns when we’ve been wronged, and say “I’ve been there” when we confess our worries. Psychologists have long known that this kind of empathy is an important social construct for building relationships, and now researchers are testing whether it can bring us closer…

[From eWeek] Cisco Still Leads Slowing Video Conferencing Market: IDC Revenues in the space fell 4.8 percent in the third quarter, hindered by a weak global economy and a drop in sales of high-end telepresence systems. By Jeffrey Burt  |  Posted 2012-11-30 The worldwide video conferencing market is continuing to struggle in the face of an uncertain global economy and slowing sales of expensive, high-end immersive telepresence systems, according to analysts with market research firm IDC. IDC’s third-quarter numbers, reported Nov. 29, show a trend that has continued throughout the year, as the shift in enterprise video conferencing has been…

[From The Verge, where the story includes a video and more images] Life telepresent: Working vicariously through the Beam robot By Paul Miller on November 7, 2012 Last week I took a trip to Willow Garage in the heart of Silicon Valley. It’s not a hard place to find, and I was on time for my 11AM appointment. Just one problem: I was supposed to be at Suitable Technologies at 11AM, not Willow. Suitable is a recent spinoff of Willow Garage, which might explain my confusion. In fact, as I stood befuddled at Willow’s reception desk, I was greeted by Scott…

[From Medill Reports, where the story includes a 1:02 minute video] [Image: Arthur Nishimoto (right) gives visitors a virtual reality tour of the starship Enterprise model he’s spent two years creating. Mitch Smith/MEDILL] Move over, Holodeck by Mitch Smith Nov 28, 2012 It’s baby shower day and Arthur Nishimoto’s gift is next. His pregnant classmate unwraps a gray onesie with a Star Trek logo that matches the one on Nishimoto’s T-shirt. The room full of University of Illinois at Chicago computer science graduate students erupts in laughter. Spare Nishimoto the jokes about how computer geeks have memorized every line of…