[In an increasingly polarized and challenging period for political affairs, this link-filled BBC story describes the potential for presence experiences via virtual reality to make us feel more connected to nature and each other, and even act accordingly. See the original version of the story for five different images. –Matthew] [Image: Source: HabitatXR) A virtual reality pangolin made me cry and care more about the planet: Is this the real power of VR headsets? For many, constant bad news numbs our reaction to climate disasters. But research suggests that a new type of immersive storytelling about nature told through virtual…

[A powerful, positive application of presence is described in this story from The Guardian about the use of virtual reality experiences of the outside world for prisoners in solitary confinement. See the original version for five more images. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Courtesy of Creative Acts] ‘An ideal tool’: Prisons are using virtual reality to help people in solitary confinement Participants view scenes of daily life as well as travel adventures – then process the emotions they trigger through art By Abigail GlasgowMarch 8, 2025 One Monday in July, Samantha Tovar, known as Royal, left her 6ft-by-11ft cell for the first…

[This story from National Geographic, but identified as independently produced for Microsoft, describes how the creation of a detailed digital twin is being used to provide new presence experiences of St. Peter’s Basilica in both in-person exhibitions at the famous landmark and online for people around the world. See the original version of the story for 11 different images. For more information see a Vatican News story that includes a 1:01 minute video (also available on YouTube). Two more short videos are also available on YouTube here and here. –Matthew] Immersive technology reveals new views of St. Peter’s Basilica Advanced…

[A group of medical researchers has proposed using a new combination of presence-evoking technologies to provide personalized emotional support and distraction to reduce the levels of pain experienced by patients. This story from the Association of Health Care Journalists provides some of the details and includes links to more information. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Getty via MobileHealthNews] AI-cloned voices could be added to virtual reality to help patients in pain By Karen BlumFebruary 14, 2025 When you’re in physical pain, listening to loved ones and looking at relaxing scenes may help comfort you and take your mind off of your ailments.…

[This AP story describes not only the presence-evoking Paradox Museum, with “more than a dozen” global locations including Miami, but the increasing popularity and variety of “immersive art experiences” available to the public. See the original version of the story for 13 more images and a 1:43 minute video. For more information, see the Paradox website and the website of the Museum of Illusions (which has over 60 locations). –Matthew] Paradox Museum Miami takes guests through a 21st century funhouse of mind-boggling illusions By David FischerFebruary 4, 2025 MIAMI (AP) — Art gallery, science exhibition and 21st century funhouse, Paradox…

[Several of the projects described in this story from Forbes incorporate vivid presence experiences into dining in creative ways (the first one and the last one, Kitchen Memories, sound particularly intriguing). But as one expert is quoted as saying, “No one has really cracked the code on how to apply VR in the world of food… this is only the rotary phone of what’s to come.” See the original version of the story for four more images and follow the links for more information. –Matthew] [Image: Diners await their first bite-size course during Epic.Now at New York’s Michelin-starred Icca. Credit:…

[A new chatbot from Sesame AI is evoking new levels of medium-as-social-actor presence. As noted in coverage by ZDNet, the company’s goal is “to achieve something called ‘voice presence’ or the ‘magical quality that makes spoken interactions feel real, understood, and valued.’” The first-person report from TechRadar below is typical of reactions in coverage from ZDNET, PCWorld, The Verge and Beebom. Several writers make comments like this one from Mike Elgan in Machine Society: “It’s the closest thing to a relationship AI, as in the 2013 Spike Jonze movie ‘Her,’ starring Scarlett Johansson and Joaquin Phoenix.” Read more about, and…

[The latest attempt to develop an effective and practical way to enhance presence by adding taste to mediated experiences is described in this story from Popular Science; see also the news release from Ohio State University and the new publication in Science Advances, which includes images and videos. –Matthew] [Image: Source: New Scientist] New device lets you taste food in virtual reality ‘e-Taste’ analyzes food flavor profiles and tries to copy it using a concoction of chemicals pushed through a gel. By Mack DeGeurinFebruary 28, 2025 Virtual reality can, in its own imperfect ways, transport a user into distant experiences.…

[Inside Higher Ed provides this concise and informative story about our colleague and friend Michigan State University professor Rabindra (Robby) Ratan and his work teaching about and with virtual reality. For more information, see Robby’s website, particularly the page about the classes he teaches. A 2:14 minute video is available on YouTube. For more about Slido, see the Slido for Education website. And for more about how Robby and other MSU faculty “find creative ways to integrate technology in the classroom to enhance student experience,” see a February 2024 story from the University’s College of Arts & Letters.…

[Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology have developed a telepresence robot that provides the user with an immersive, intuitive control system that lets them embody and teleoperate a powerful, durable four-footed, two-armed robot that can be placed in a variety of environments that would be too dangerous for humans. The details in this report from IEEE Spectrum provide a good summary of the current capabilities of presence-evoking teleoperation robots; see the original version of the story for two more images and a 3:06 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] Dual-Arm HyQReal Puts Powerful Telepresence Anywhere IIT’s hydraulic quadruped…

[The exhibition of works of art for galleries, institutions and collectors around the globe consumes huge amounts of energy and generates pollutants that harm the environment; this story from The Art Newspaper explains how presence-evoking technologies are and can better be used to make art exhibition environmentally sustainable. See the original version of the story for two more images. –Matthew] [Image: Christie’s partnered with holographic communication company Proto to create a hologram of Edgar Degas’s Petite danseuse de quatorze ans. Credit: Courtesy Christie’s] How technology can help the art world take a big step towards sustainability A new report published…

[The story from Nottingham-Trent University below describes a potentially valuable application of presence-evoking technology to raise awareness about and prevent the hazards posed by driving tractors on rural roads. See the original version of the story for a 1:51 minute video; for more information, see the Esitu Solutions website, which features a 3:07 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Source: FarmingUK] New VR test aims to boost road safety for tractor drivers A new virtual reality (VR) hazard perception test has been developed to address the training gap for tractor drivers, aiming to reduce road incidents involving agricultural…