In the early stages of an interdisciplinary collaboration that led to a new article analyzing the promotional material for Appleās āfirst spatial computer,” the Apple Vision Pro (AVP), our discussions often returned to the overlapping themes that we saw across a variety of research engaging in questions around āspatiality” and/or “spatial media.” Again and again,…
In late August of 2024, Helsinki Fashion Week (HFW) was held on online, world-building platform VLGE. Still accessible via their Instagram Link Tree, Iāve explored up to 40 different digital fashion exhibitions. When done right, digital technologies can enable users to build alternative and immersive fashion experiences. The following is a review of the digital…
This article was originally published on the Public Understanding of Science Blog and is republished on CAVRN with the permission of the author, Emma Kaylee Graves-Sandriman. You can find the original article here. Many science fiction narratives present cautionary tales of technology, particularly when it comes to extended reality (XR; including virtual, augmented and mixed…
Virtual reality (VR) has been hailed as the “ultimate empathy machine” (TED, 2015), with immersive storytelling demonstrating remarkable capabilities in eliciting empathetic responses. However, the question remains: Can VR truly change opinions and, if so, what mechanisms drive this change? This study investigated the effects of parasocial intergroup contact on empathy and attitudes towards LGBTQ+…
This article is derived from a paper recently published in International Journal of Cultural Policy, titled āInnovating the humanities, reimagining the future: empirical evidence from virtual reality practice in Chinaā. For a more detailed account, you can find the full article here. Despite ongoing conflicts across culture, geopolitics and economics, the challenges faced globally within…
This article is adapted from my research recently published in Postcolonial Theory and Crisis, titled “Post-Humanitarianism and the Crisis of Empathy.” For a more detailed account of my research, see here. This article is also in conversation with two previous pieces published in CAVRN: Exploring āproper distanceā in virtual reality for humanitarian practice and Virtual…
While the Syrian refugee crisis has elicited varying responses from different nations, the American perspective remains critically understudied, even in the light of evidence suggesting that the U.S. public opinion toward refugees is less favorable than in other countries (Carlier, 2016). Studies have pointed out that quality information sharing in the context of a refugee…
Emerging technologies are increasingly being incorporated into humanitarian practice by non-governmental organizations, governments, and leading institutions. Such new technologies include digital mapping systems, GPS technologies, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellite imagery, and virtual reality deployed in the service of humanitarian rescue and aid efforts. Among all of these, virtual reality (VR) seems to occupy a…
Play has always been at the centre of the metaverse. Gaming technology has a clear place in the history of virtual reality and worlds. From Oculus Riftās role in reinvigorating interest in virtual reality (Evans, 2018), to persistent virtual worlds like Second Life shaping our perception of virtual worlds (Boellstorff, 2015), games and gaming technology…
The performer Sarah Nicolls sits poised at a piano at a darkened concert hall in London. This is no ordinary recitalāstrapped around her arms are Myo Armbands that track her arm movements, allowing her to generate curious and unnerving sounds through gesture as she plays Atau Tanakaās (2019) biometric piano piece Suspensions. In Madrid, Marco…