26.10.17

Virtual Bodies



VR and the Body
Sylvia Xueni Pan discusses the requirements for the body to make believable virtual experiences happen.

VR as the ultimate empathy machine
Once the body is inside a VR experience, what are the unique experiences that are or might become possible? Chris Milk here, talks about VR as the ultimate empathy machine... 

In the Research Project 'Machine to be another, VR headsets were used to test out ideas around empathy and identity by allowing the immersing to explore the world through some one else eyes.

being Another...Species?
Design Company Marshmallow Laser Feast have combined Virtual Reality with Lidar Scanning Technology to show how it can be used to allow the user to se the word as an animal. Their innovative outdoor approach involves the design of the prosthetics of VR. More of that here and also see Walter Pichler, further down.



VR and Body as Interface and design tool
In the Nineties, one of the most successful Art works that sued VR technology was by Artist Char Davies. Osmose required the user to apply techniques used in deep sea diving  - to navigate through the Virtual Environment by breathing in and out to move up or down in the world.



Today it is possible to allow the brainwaves of the user to directly control the environment, not just for navigation, but to determine the form and nature of the space, in an iterative feedback loop.


While Flock is a recent attempt at a multiple body, co -located VR experience, where you can fulfil our long held dream to become a bird...

Immersive theatre is being recorded live for playback later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4CcAR_4NV0

VR as Designed interface In 1967 the Artist Walter Pichler Proposed this sculptural Prototype, called TV-Helmet (Portable living room). More here



VR as Design TOOL
VR can be used as a creative tool as we have seen with TILT BRUSH, now design is possible through tools such as Gravity Sketch.



Which could lead to things like this happening... Sketch Furniture by FRONT



The nature of employment may change when we become permanently immersed in our work and can be tracked at all times, as if Gilbreths motion studies had come to their full conclusion. However it is ideas of Plato from his cave based allegory, that are most prophetic...