Designing Mixed Reality Interfaces to Support New Forms of Social Engagement and Creative Expression

Опубликовано 8 августа 2016, 21:55

In this talk I introduce myself and present a series of projects focused on bridging physical and virtual spaces in more creative and socially engaging ways. I discuss the experience of our "second selves" in mixed reality interfaces, supporting creative engagement and realtime animation through augmented play, and opportunities for new shared experiences in telepresence applications. Creative telepresence systems have been under-explored in research literature, particularly in the context of bodily activities such as theatre and dance that require participants to coordinate directly with each other. To address this I have been developing WaaZam, a platform that enables shared experiences in a composited video environment for families, colleagues, and friends who are geographically separated. WaaZam examines how creative play in mixed reality spaces can increase engagement and ownership between a parent and child over multiple sessions with a particular focus on participants building their own worlds. From a constructive standpoint I ask critical questions about how corporations might engage with communities shifting from the information age to a creative age where authorship, participation, and social relationships will drive the decisions and loyalty of consumers.