Here's where VR's leading researchers report the results of their inquiries. Direct from the brains at Carnegie Mellon, IBM, JPL, MIT, NASA, UNC, and similar sterling institutions, Presence, a quarterly journal, delves into the understanding and design of interactive environments that support sensory immersion via electronic and electromechanical devices. It also explores human cognitive and sensori- motor systems, tele-robotic mechanisms, simulation software and, to balance the technoid slant, the impact of "transformed presence" on philosophy, culture, and aesthetics.
Presence is divided into "Articles" (classic techie format with charts, code, stats, formulae, and references) and "Forum" (short papers and essays). It also includes reviews, event announcements, and company listings. The minimalist design (two-column layout and no color, except for covers) belies the richness of its contents. Notwithstanding a proliferation of ten-dollar words and dense sentences, Presence is the most in-depth, insightful source of VR knowledge available. Issues one and two yield massive amounts of info about head-mounted displays, position tracking, data gloves, force and tactile feedback, virtual- world architecture, how tele-operators fix orbiting satellites, a taxonomy for technologically mediated experiences, and why your ears aren't the only factors that determine how you localize sounds. Presence even publishes humor. A spoof on stuffy techno-papers called "A Nose Gesture Interface Device: Extending Virtual Realities" ("Early rhino- virtual realities relied on rapid horizontal motion - twitching - as the only interaction method [Bewitched, 1960]"), is proof that VR can be ha!-inspiring as well as awe-inspiring.
Presence, $50 per year (individual), $120 (institutions); $14 for current issue. MIT Press Journals: +1 (617) 253 2889.
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