Future narrative, discovery engines and making meaning in VR

Abstract

At the heart of innovative techniques for virtual reality, are the corporeal experience and the evolution of a heterogeneous range of interactive relationships that come together to constitute co-active, co-creative and emergent modalities of viewer incorporation in the data sphere. Embodiment explodes traditional narrative strategies and signals a shift from isolated individual experience to interpersonal theaters of exchange and social engagement. In addition, the opportunities offered by interactive and 3D technologies for enhanced cognitive exploration and interrogation of high dimensional data are rich fields of experimentation that need to be realized within the domain of both humanities and sciences. This presentation will focus research at the recently established Applied Laboratory of Interactive Visualization and Embodiment (ALiVE). ALiVE is an interdisciplinary research initiative of the School of Creative Media City University of Hong Kong, situated in a 1000 sq.m. facility at the Hong Kong Science Park. The Lab builds on creative innovations that have been made over the last ten years at the UNSW iCinema Research Centre, ZKM Centre for Art and Media, and at Museum Victoria. Its challenge-led research programs respond to the academic, cultural and industrial opportunities that are emerging throughout Asia. ALiVE is an incubator and innovations showcase for new forms of creativity at the cutting edge of digital media in society. Leveraging technological advances in cinema, games, and mobile, networked and participatory media, ALiVE researches innovative modes of immersive interactive experience that are of major relevance to the societal future of culture, entertainment, education and industry. Its pioneering infrastructure is made up of a number of unique virtual reality and augmented reality display environments, panoramic production systems and computer graphics techniques. The applications discussed will include ground-breaking works in media art, cultural heritage, situated gaming and digital humanities.