Tag: Impuls

In my previous impulse, I briefly described an example of VR usage in theater based on the description and review in a VR-blog, and now I would like to talk about VR and film as another development in the usage of VR. I experienced a bit of VR-film in an exhibition that I mentioned in a previous impulse, yet I didn’t know much about the basics of VR film. I found multiple blog posts that go into detail on specific film experiences, I would, however, like to write about the post that covers the basics of VR film. The author mentions a couple of VR-film categories:

1. Blockbuster extensions: these are being produced by more and more large film studios in order to create an extension to their blockbusters or series, providing the audience with new possibilities to get in touch with the world of the respective movies.

2. Passive VR-films: these currently make up the majority of VR-movies. They are individual VR-films that the viewer can experience passively. I think this is also the type of film I experienced while visiting the exhibition, as I was just sitting on a chair and watching the film sequence with VR-glasses in a 3D environment. One challenge of these movies is that they need to be cut properly so the viewer doesn’t get lost. In my experience, it was an artificial environment that kept continuing from beginning to end, so I didn’t really have that issue since there weren’t really any cuts.

3. Interactive VR-films: these are films that experiment with elements of interaction.

What stuck to me through all of these descriptions is the vision, and at the same time dilemma, filmmakers have when wanting to create VR-movie experiences. Ideally, some time in the future, we will be able to move around in movie worlds, feeling like we’re actually there as the audience and being fully immersed. On the downside, this freedom of movement in said worlds would make it more difficult to tell a linear story, seeing as we’re still in a movie and its plot. Especially focussing the viewers attention will prove to be very tricky, and can (in my current thoughts) mainly just be done with 3D audio cues, which lead the attention somewhere.

I am incredibly curious what the future will hold for VR movies and how much influence or even freedom the viewer will be able to have within a set story. 

Further interest

https://vrgeschichten.de/vr-und-film

https://vr-sync.com/de/how-the-movie-industry-uses-virtual-reality/

https://sensoriumarc.com/articles/best-virtual-reality-movies

https://arvrjourney.com/virtual-reality-in-the-movie-industry-f60a9e094d74?gi=7e9fbb3f6c24

For this impulse, I decided to research some VR-experiences, as I myself did not (yet) have the possibility to experience many VR-related performances, festivals, movies etc, seeing as I mostly came in contact with VR-games and building VR-environments at work.

Thus, in order to get a better feeling of what the world of performing arts makes out of the possibility to extend performative spaces. I, myself, have seen an exhibition so far, but I found a blog series that describes examples of the usage of VR in a theatric/performance environment, one of which I would like to share in this impulse.

The first blog post I read was a play that happened simultaneously in the real world and a VR-environment. The actors were wearing VR-headsets while physically standing in the same room as their audience within a classic stage setting. At the same time, there was a virtual audience group that experienced the virtual play via High Fidelity (a VR platform). Within the virtual world, there was a projection of the real world and vice versa. This allowed for the creators of the play to sort of merge the real and virtual worlds and providing the audience with two different sets of the story.

I thought this was rather interesting, the author of the blog post describes it as a prototype of a new form of theater. I agree with her, based on the pictures of the performance, on the fact that this is an approach that still needs tweaking as the physical VR-equipment doesn’t (yet) allow for a live performance that is as emotional, intimate or intense as a „traditional“ play, and furthermore, the lip synchronization of the avatars was not yet on point. So, there is room for improvement, but I agree with the author that this is an interesting approach to experiencing theater and opening the theater space for a virtual audience.

Further interest

https://vrgeschichten.de/loveseat

https://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2019/09/loveseat-first-play-to-combine-virtual-and-real-world-audience/

https://www.artbasel.com/news/virtual-reality-technology-and-art

https://artsartistsartwork.com/virtual-reality-and-the-future-of-art-exhibitions/

For this impulse, I started looking for alternate sources on VR/AR topics and ended up encountering a variety of podcasts that have said topics as their main objective.The content of these podcasts varies from reviews of equipment or games, tech insights into the world of VR/AR-glasses, and more. During my research, I stumbled upon a podcast episode of UXPodcast that discussed a very interesting topic that one might not necessarily think about at first when hearing the word “VR” ¬– the hosts of this episode were interviewing an expert on the usage of VR in healthcare, the challenges, possibilities and further developments in this area and how VR could be incredibly valuable in medical care. More specifically, the expert who is a doctoral researcher and organisational developer within the areas of brain computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, social robotics and extended reality, works on developing VR-applications as a medical tool, in this case talking about the usage in psychiatric and palliative care.

One thing that was mentioned in the episode that stuck with me was her approach to VR: she calls it not just an educational tool but rather a tool for empathy. VR can be used for both medical training and treatment strategies and offers the unique possibility to fully recreate a person’s individual condition and make it possible for someone else to experience it, thus making it more relatable for people not suffering from said condition. By, for example, recreating auditory and visual hallucinations of a patient with psychosis, it is possible to share that experience with someone else, thus making them more susceptible to empathize with the patient’s experience. That is something that hasn’t yet been possible before VR, as there was no tool that allowed for this kind of immersion before.

I believe that the possibilities and what is yet to come in terms of making illnesses relatable for others bears so much potential for the future and I am excited to see, what kind of developments there will be. Of course, there are also a lot of challenges when using VR in a medical context, accessibility, data and patient safety being only a few of them. But I think that these are topics that will hopefully be addressed sensitively and cautiously, because I believe that the benefit will be invaluable to health services.

Further Interest

https://uxpodcast.com/virtual-reality-healthcare/

https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/virtual-reality-therapy/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7366939/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4361984/

Looking at the development of AR and VR technologies over the past decades it’s impossible not to be astonished. For this impulse, I looked at various TED-Talks that were given between the years 2010 and 2019, each reflecting on different projects and (at that time) new developments in the respective field. Seeing as these days, the time the average human spends in front of screens is higher than ever, it makes sense to view AR/VR-Applications as one of the most impactful and biggest mediums of the modern age.

Through all of the TED-Talks I was able to gather one big takeaway: AR/VR allows us to experience things rather than just watch them. Through AR/VR we can simulate doing things ourselves instead of observing, which has both physiological and psychological effects: the body and mind react in authentic ways, causing feelings/reactions such as an adrenaline rush, a jolt of fear, a pounding heart etc., making it a much more intense way of experiencing other realities. The TED-talks presented projects that partially date back many years, thus being far from recent these days, and STILL, the project, such as the 2010 presentation of a Microsoft feature that extended a map into a 3D-space, basically showing what we know as Google Street View today, is incredible.

I think all presenters, and I share their point of view, are convinced that VR/AR is much more than just a gadget or technology. It is a new, enhanced form of communication, allowing us to get immersed in worlds and realities in a way that we will remember on a whole new level: we basically live through them as we experience not only the visual, but all the physical and emotional effects of the augmented or virtual environment.

Further Interest

https://www.ted.com/talks/catherine_allen_the_future_of_virtual_reality

https://www.ted.com/talks/catherine_allen_the_future_of_virtual_realityhttps://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera_y_arcas_augmented_reality_maps

https://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_ochoa_hendrix_how_virtual_reality_turns_students_into_scientists

https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_milk_the_birth_of_virtual_reality_as_an_art_form

Today I would like to talk about the physiological effects that I have experienced while both playing a VR game and watching others play. I have tried a couple of games but would like to describe one in particular, as it is a very a good example for the instant physiological responses VR experiences can cause.

I borrowed a pair of VR glasses from my workplace and gathered my parents in order to both observe their behavior while playing and experience myself what reactions the game would cause. The game I am talking about is called a plank experience, where the user/player takes an elevator up a high storey building and then, as the elevator doors open, is faced with the challenge of walking a narrow plank that leads outdoors, with a rather steep drop on both sides. This is probably an experiment known to quite a few, and for many probaply one of the first touchpoints with virtual reality.

We laid out a piece of wood that most closely resembled a plank, but rather than having it high up the outer walls of a building, we put it on to the floor, in order to create a more realistic environment. Before trying it myself, I watched everyone else walk the plank and was highly amused by their reactions, as I saw them hestitate, walk the plank rather slowly and fight for balance. My mother even refused to take a step „outside” – she didn’t move until I took off her VR glasses. Lastly, it was my turn, and all I can say is that i was pretty surprised by the way my body reacted. Firstly, I had a feeling of elevation when the elevator was going up, a halting sensation as it came to a stop and I could sense my heart beat just a bit faster in anticipation. With the doors opening, I felt like I was standing atop a tall building and looking down into the abyss was surprisingly leaving my toes a bit tingly, even though logically, I knew that I was perfectly safe. The feeling of walking the plank itself was even worse, making it rather challenging to step on it and walk what was ultimately nothing more than a straight line.
I was quite astonished by the intensity of the reactions that came with this experience and the unique feeling of logic and sensation going in different directions. It makes me wonder what all those people who had a real plank on the floor at those VR demo stands went through.

Further interest

https://www.meta.com/de-de/experiences/1642239225880682/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190318114550.htm

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.531535/full

https://hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/vestibular-care/virtual-reality-technology-help-treat-balance-problems-new-study-says

Images

1. Meta. “Richie’s Plank Experience für Meta Quest | Quest VR Games | Meta Store” Meta Quest Store. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.meta.com/de-de/experiences/1642239225880682/#?

This will be more of a free form reaction and thoughts written down, in response to Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset, as well as critical feedback of the community mixed with my own. As always, it goes without saying that in the Apple trailer itself, the product is presented as the next best thing, absolutely revolutionary. Seeing as I work with AR, VR and mixed reality headsets every day I was also reasonably excited to see the announcement.

Ultimately, we will have to wait and see how Apple will deliver on the promises they have made throughout this first reveal, but so far the public reception has of course been mixed. Many are sceptical, but most early reviews of influencers and writers that have gotten the opportunity to test a prototype out in person are actually pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality off the product. The main point of praise almost everybody found was the passthrough cameras. Passthrough modes have been a thing in mixed reality headsets for a while now, however most of them only use it as a way of orienting oneself in physical space, almost like a setup progress, before actually diving into VR. With their (apparently) extremely high quality cameras providing “crystal clear” passthrough footage, Apple intends to make it a key feature to seamlessly integrate being able to view your surroundings into workflows. According to testers, the passthrough quality even allowed the use of a phone while wearing the headset, which, according to personal experience, is something that no other headset on the market right now can remotely offer.

While these features are of course impressive and there are many more to dive into and analyse, we shall see what actually happens. In the meantime I would like to share my opinion on the general development this means for the whole industry. No matter what someones opinion is on Apple, their philosophy is repeatedly pushing boundaries in whatever area they operate. This is the reason why I am especially excited about the announcement of them dipping their toes into the mixed reality field. Not because of what they eventually bring to the table (that too, of course) but more so because of these new approaches that will start out expensive and gimmicky, but will eventually be made more accessible and cheaper through its next generations.

Further interest

https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/apple-vision-pro-hands-on-far-better-than-i-was-ready-for/

https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/apple-vision-pro

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/5/23750003/apple-vision-pro-hands-on-the-best-headset-demo-ever

https://hbr.org/2023/06/what-is-apples-vision-pro-really-for

For this second impulse I listened to a Ted Talk about virtual worlds, and how people experience them in different ways. The talk was split into three sections, each being an interview of someone telling the listener about their unique stories. This will be a short summary of their parts, followed by a summary of the topic.

The first interviewee is Wes Looker, a writer from a small rural town in the US. He recalls his experience growing up, being the smallest guy in school and often getting bullied. Because of this, he found himself retreating into his own fantasy worlds and reading books to escape into other places in his mind. He did this until 1998, when Ultima Online was released. It was one of the first online multiplayer games, which allowed him to connect with people from all over the world. He played the game for the next 5 years, which allowed him to look past his small town, even learning lessons for life while growing up with the game, all through his virtual connection to others.

Cass Marshall is a writer at polygon, and she talks about her story next. Her general message is much of the same as the first one. She used the online game Sea of Thieves as a counterpart to being bullied and dealing with being on the spectrum. For those reasons she felt more at ease in online environments, where she met 2 other people with whom she grew closer sharing online memories in games. In these safe spaces she could leave her comfort zone and be herself around them, exploring her identity and grow as a person. Through this she learned not to see the physical and virtual as something separate, as in both of these worlds the people are the same, making the barrier almost nonexistant in the end.

The last story is the one of Russel Quinn. Russels grandmother and mother died in the same year, while he also had to undergo surgery to remove a kidney stone. Russel had been making interactive stories before, and also found himself using this hobby to help himself deal with these tragic events. He spent the next 3 years rebuilding his last year with them as a game. While his wife was worried that dealing with it this way would be unhealthy, he immediately felt at ease when being taken there through his 3d work. He recreated game mechanics according to what had happened to him and his family during that time. In the game you play as all 3 characters: Russel, Linda and Jone. Toggling between their perspectives, you take the role of their family, to make the most of a bad situation, take care of each other. The project turned into something meant for people in similar situations, to give them new ways of talking about it. To learn how to deal with grief. Artists and musicians often deal with difficult situations through their art, but through videogames you get to experience and feel as a character. Recreating his mother in the game was the last thing he did, as it was the most difficult to him. When he eventually got to it, it ended up better than he was expecting, giving him emotional distance and the ability to process his experience almost as someone else, to practice sitting through pain. “Anyone else can do that too, but only if they want to, as it is a place you can always switch off.” – he says

This was a surprisingly touching listen, which focussed less on the technical aspects of virtual realities, and much more on how it makes people feel, and which positive responses it can trigger. While this is not directly relevant to my topic, it is nonetheless important to always keep such aspects in the back of our minds.

Further interest

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-021-02110-z

https://metaverseinsider.tech/2022/10/31/new-virtual-reality-app-retreat-transforms-personal-growth-and-self-improvement-education/

https://oxfordmedicalsimulation.com/healthcare/how-virtual-reality-creates-a-safe-space-for-learning/

https://www.worldywca.org/team/virtual-safe-space/

As a first impulse and a kind of retrospect I would like to present my visit to the Viva Frida Kahlo exhibition in Vienna, which serves as a perfect introduction and insight into the fascinating potential uses of VR/AR and immersive experiences in general.

The exhibition presents itself in a format that has now been used to portray great artists and topics, including Van Gogh and Tutankhamun – and of course the artist Frida Kahlo and her story. Kahlo’s life story and artistic works were presented in various digital formats – on the one hand, the digitized paintings were projected onto the walls and floors of the exhibition hall using high-performance projectors, creating the opportunity to move freely through the artist’s visual world in this space.

On the other hand, there was also a VR experience in which visitors wearing VR glasses embarked on an approximately 10-minute journey through parts of Frida Kahlo’s life. The fascinating thing about this exhibition, both the immersive room projection and the VR experience, was the extent to which an actually empty room, a hall without any exhibits, managed to create an entire, three-dimensional visual world of images. By picking up typical elements from the art and style of Frida Kahlo, a colorful picture of the artist and her works was created, who, in addition to her quite colorful-looking art, had a life marked by illness/injury. In particular, the view through the VR glasses, in which you sit in Frida Kahlo’s bed and “fly” through her life, created a closeness that made it possible to identify with the artist’s life and thus also to understand her works.

This exhibition really serves as the perfect first example of my series of extended and virtual realities, as it just barely leaves the “real” world, expanding upon it through various means, immersing even people who usually would not be in touch with such technologies.

Further interest

https://frida-kahlo-wien.reservix.at/

https://www.museumnext.com/article/how-museums-are-using-augmented-reality/

https://www.adobe.com/max/2021/sessions/creating-an-interactive-augmented-reality-art-exhi-l487.html

https://www.atelier-lumieres.com/en