[The author of this post from Storebrands’ Viewpoints blog describes how private brands (also known as store brands – see Investopedia for more information) are using virtual reality and the presence is evokes in consumer research and other contexts that help them more effectively compete against established brands. –Matthew] Using Virtual Reality To Create Real-World Solutions Caroline Kim of SGK and Equator explores how virtual reality technology is revolutionizing private brand research and enabling retailers to create more impactful packaging designs and shopping experiences. By Caroline Kim, a Strategy & Consumer Insights Specialist at SGK and EquatorJanuary 28, 2025 Virtual…

[This story from the University of Waterloo describes the Digital Oral Histories for Reconciliation (DOHR) project, “an educational virtual reality (VR) curriculum rooted in restorative justice.” Quoting Oliver Schneider, one of the interdisciplinary team of researchers at the Games Institute there, the story provides this notable detail: “’We’re trying to disrupt the sense of presence at key moments. We’re trying to help people to remind themselves that they are sitting and listening to this experience.’ The experience is crafted to allow listeners to engage with the tragic history, think about their own positionality, and carry the learnings forward into social…

[ELIZA, Joseph Weizenbaum’s early example of an AI chatbot that evoked medium-as-social-actor presence, has been “brought back to life.” As this story from IFLScience notes, the contrast with today’s AI bots is instructive and refreshing. See the original version of the story for a 1:40 minute video (also on YouTube) and visit the Elizagen website for more details. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Jesus Sanz/Shutterstock.com] ELIZA, The World’s First Chatbot, Brought Back From The Dead Definitely what the world needs now is a zombie chatbot. By Stephen Luntz, Freelance WriterEdited by Francesca BensonJanuary 22, 2025 As the world grapples with a flood…

[This piece from Harvard Magazine summarizes some of the observations from an interview with Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker on the topics of virtual reality and presence. See the original version (or YouTube), for the 14:12 minute video interview. A related video, “Harvard Professor Steven Pinker on Apple Vision Pro,“ is also on YouTube. –Matthew] [Image: Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family professor of psychology at Harvard University, wearing a Meta Quest headset outside William James Hall, home to Harvard’s psychology, sociology, and social studies departments. Credit: Jason Nemirow, courtesy of Steven Pinker] The Psychology of Virtual Reality Harvard’s Steven Pinker on…

[This story from Anglia Ruskin University describes an ambitious project using presence-evoking and other technologies to preserve the endangered Cornish language and the culture of Cornwall, England, and Griko, a second endangered European language. –Matthew] New project aims to REVIVE the Cornish language Digital technologies will help to preserve and promote Cornwall’s unique heritage By ARU Press officeJanuary 16, 2025 A major seven-nation project has been launched to help preserve and promote the Cornish language, as well as Cornwall’s wider cultural heritage, by combining immersive technologies with participatory storytelling. Called REVIVE, the £2.5 million project is being led by Anglia…

[Researchers at the University of Montreal are testing the effectiveness of personally relevant virtual reality experiences and the presence they evoke, combined with hypnosis, to reduce the pain and anxiety of cancer patients. Details are reported in this story from the University, where the original includes three more pictures. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Super Splendide] Virtual reality and hypnosis bring relief UdeM scientists are combining immersive imagery and hypnotic techniques to reduce pain and anxiety in patients who have cancer of the blood. By Virginie SofferJanuary 21, 2025 In a room at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal, a patient puts on a…

[A virtual reality presentation that uses presence to build empathy and understanding around the events of October 7, 2023 is described in this story from The Times of Israel. The experience is being provided around the world, including on college campuses in the U.S., to depoliticize the issues and counter antisemitism. See the original version of the story for four more images. More details are provided in coverage in the Pasadena Weekly and LA Downtown News; the latter includes this: “Produced by Stephen D. Smith, the former USC Shoah Foundation executive director, the project uses cutting-edge technology to ‘give survivors…

[Today’s posts are both news stories about new presence-evoking techniques being used in sports coverage. The story below from DesignTAXI describes how the Australian Open tennis tournament is using animated avatars of players to recreate match coverage in near-real-time on its YouTube channel. See the original version of the story for four embedded social media posts containing video examples. For more information, see coverage from AP via ABC News. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Australian Open] The Australian Open reinvents tennis coverage with Wii Sports-style animated livestreams By KeyboardKittyJanuary 16, 2025 The Australian Open 2025 has taken an unexpected yet wildly entertaining…

[Today’s posts are both news stories about new presence-evoking techniques being used in sports coverage. The story below from Sports Business Journal describes how ESPN is using virtual reality to provide television viewers with the first-person perspective of National Football League players during critical moments of play. For more information, see coverage in Sports Illustrated. –Matthew] How ESPN uses StatusPro Visualizer on ‘NFL Live’ By Joe LemireDecember 16, 2024 Telestration has long been the tool of choice for football analysts to explain actions on the field, but sometimes overhead annotation can’t match in-studio visualization. For the past three weeks, ESPN…

[As a person with low vision (due to congenital nystagmus), this story from Travel Tomorrow about a new type of glasses that use a combination of presence-evoking technologies to “replicate the functionality of a guide dog,” is especially meaningful. The original version of the story includes a 1:22 minute video (also on YouTube). Much more information about the .lumen glasses and the company developing and testing them is available from MIT Solve, including this description: “.lumen uses technologies from autonomous driving and robotics scaled down to a wearable system. In detail, it uses advanced sensorics, mostly vision-based, combined with he…

[This short story from The Drum provides a vivid example of how much widely available presence experiences have advanced since the days of VHS. The 30 second ad described is available in the original version of the story and on YouTube. The new Supernatural experience is available from Meta, and you can watch Jane Fonda’s Original Workout from the 1980s on YouTube. –Matthew] Jane Fonda takes her cardio legacy into the world of virtual reality with Meta Quest The actor and fitness icon blends retro charm with cutting-edge tech to redefine at-home cardio. By Audrey Kemp, LA ReporterDecember 18, 2024…

[China is planning to use humanoid robots, intended to evoke medium-as-social-actor presence, to care for its growing elderly population, as reported in this story from the South China Morning Post. The plans are at the national and local levels – note the reference to a report from Hubei province’s Wuhan that says robots “are expected to provide companionship, monitor health, and use 3D facial scanning and modelling technology to customise their appearance to resemble loved ones or even a younger version of the senior” (!). For a related story, see “Nvidia scientist praises Chinese humanoid robot, stoking interest” also from…