Category: avatar

digital representation of self

academic, avatar, Facial disfigurement, psychology, Sussex University, virtual worldLeave a comment

Facial Disfigurement: a study using the virtual world, Second Life

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

We found differences among the coping styles identified by participants’ responses on the BICSI and their behaviours in-world. … The discrepancies between the BICSI scores and behaviours in-world suggest future research directions evaluating the longstanding problem of divergent expressed and reported attitudes.   This is a first for Ether Books: ‘Facial Disfigurement in Second Life‘ is a research paper detailing a study in which participants responded to the application of a facial scar to their avatar. A free download for smartphones. http://catalog.etherbooks.com/Products/3014 Related articles Facial disfigurement (slideshare.net)   Continue reading Facial Disfigurement: a study using the virtual world, Second Life

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academic, avatar, Brighton University, Spirit of Enquiry, Sussex PartnershipLeave a comment

Spirit of Enquiry conference, 2011

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

I am very sorry to report that this conference has been cancelled. This is due to low levels of registration which, in turn, seem likely to be due to our lack of publicity at a key time (I was away and unable to expedite this – see link), and current pressures on clinical staff to meet necessary targets. The Trust is working hard to deliver complex services to a population of around 1.5 million people, and the present climate is not an easy one within which to operate flexibly. Front-line staff probably feel this more than any of us. Hopefully, we will be back next year. Two guaranteed invitations to present will … Continue reading Spirit of Enquiry conference, 2011

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academic, avatar, NHS, Sussex Partnership, Treet TVLeave a comment

Imperial College London | Treet TV

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Imperial College London | Treet TV. Imagine making a live TV show with a bunch of potentially maverick scientists and a studio audience. Nervous? Good. Now imagine that you’re going to do this in a virtual world with all your presenters and guests represented as avatars and communicating using text, in-world voice, and VOIP. Not to mention you need them to face front at the right time, have in-world voice turned on but not up so you get lip sync without echo, and nobody’s connection cracks up. That’s the challenge faced by the Treet TV team that followed Dave Taylor, … Continue reading Imperial College London | Treet TV

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academic, avatar, health care, NHS, Sussex PartnershipLeave a comment

What Havok and Smurfs can do for you

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Remember my post about Havok7 and things tumbling about in virtual worlds? Well this week, events in my real world have been tumbling about too! First up, I played football in Second Life with Dave Taylor (Our Man at Imperial College ) using an on-the-spot created ball by way of a demonstration of what the current version of Havok can do. We already have bump, jiggle, and dislodge, it seems so next time we can maybe incorporate it into our build. That’s the value of teams – Dave knew what could be done but not that it might be useful, … Continue reading What Havok and Smurfs can do for you

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Havok7 in Second Life

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

IndigoMertal, a builder in Second Life, sent me this link to a wonderful video of what seems to be the next generation of Second Life viewers. In this iteration, the underlying physics engine allows for tumbling, bumping, and colliding in ways not possible at the moment. Take a look here, magic! Of course, that isn’t where it stops, this isn’t just a pretty face. The kind of reality introduced by this capability seems likely to increase the sense of presence people experience in the virtual environment and that has huge implications for the kinds of social, psychological, and medical research … Continue reading Havok7 in Second Life

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Space Destiny in Second Life

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

It’s not often you get a personal tour around a space science research centre, especially one that has a dance floor, free drinks, and a sofa on the ceiling! Yesterday, at Space Destiny SylvianaJ took three of us in a big blue bus to see what’s being developed there. Space Destiny is a research facility used by scientists from many different disciplines – environment design, sustainable agriculture (hydroponics), physics, biology, amongst  others. The venue is open to the public – just so long as you are a Second Life resident – and there are open days during which you can … Continue reading Space Destiny in Second Life

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