Immersive Design for Good
How Designing AR/VR Experiences Can Level The Playing Field
My fascination with Augmented Reality (AR) sparked a few years back as I delved into "Ready Player One." The moment protagonist Wade Watts donned his immersive headset to attend school in the OASIS, a boundless virtual world, marked a turning point in my understanding of technology's potential.
Wade's school is referred to as OASIS Public School #1873. Like every other OASIS, this virtual school provides students with a far more interactive and immersive learning experience than traditional physical schools. In the OASIS, students use avatars to attend classes, participate in simulations, and interact with each other and their teachers in a 3D virtual environment. So every student, no matter what OASIS Public School they are in, receives this same experience.
The virtual school setting in "Ready Player One" highlights the novel's themes of escapism, the potential of technology to transform education, and the disparities between the virtual world and the real world. The OASIS serves as a refuge for Wade and many others, offering opportunities for learning, exploration, and personal growth that are not available in their physical reality.
Limitations
However, translating the virtual equality seen in "Ready Player One" to real-world immersive experiences through VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR) presents its set of challenges:
Access to Technology: Ensuring widespread and affordable access to necessary technology is crucial for equal opportunity.
Quality of Content: The book assumes that the education content is engaging and high-quality. But designing this type of content that is filled with content and also caters to various learning styles, including accessibility considerations for those with disabilities, is difficult and must be created.
Supportive Infrastructure: A robust support system, including educational frameworks, teacher training, and technical assistance, is essential for leveraging immersive technologies to their fullest.
Addressing Digital Literacy: Users must possess a basic level of digital proficiency to fully benefit from immersive experiences, necessitating comprehensive digital literacy programs.
Regulatory Frameworks and Privacy Concerns: Protecting user privacy and ensuring ethical data use are paramount, requiring effective regulatory measures.
But if we figure that out…
Despite these hurdles, the possibilities for immersive technology to democratize access to rich experiences and education are boundless. During a recent and exhilarating AMA session with AR magician Ben Knutson in the world-renowned Spatial Explorers Slack Community (shameless plug) we delved into these potentials, uncovering exciting applications such as:
Live Performances: Imagine having front-row seats and backstage access to concerts in VR, making premium experiences accessible to all.
Sporting Events: VR could offer every viewer the best seats in the house, complete with access to all camera angles.
Thinking about it after our chat, it led to even more applications, highlighting the far-reaching impact of immersive tech:
Healthcare: Offering remote diagnostics and training for medical professionals, especially in underserved areas.
Workforce Training and Development: Facilitating hands-on training opportunities, regardless of geographical or financial barriers.
Accessibility for People with Disabilities: Creating inclusive environments for interaction, communication, and access to services.
Cultural Preservation and Education: Making historical and cultural sites accessible globally through detailed digital replicas.
Entertainment and Social Interaction: Democratizing access to entertainment, allowing diverse interactions regardless of physical location.
Environmental Awareness and Conservation: Encouraging global action on climate change through firsthand virtual experiences.
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Enhancing training and preparedness for emergencies with simulated environments.
Real Estate and Urban Planning: Enabling remote property tours and community engagement in urban planning through virtual models.
These immersive experiences, once exclusive to the affluent, could become universally accessible, bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The future of technology offers unlimited potential to create profound impacts; it's up to us to harness it towards fostering equality and opportunity for all.
Join The Spatial Explores Community
Join The Spatial Explorers, a dynamic community for artists and enthusiasts passionate about immersive storytelling. We specialize in creating 3D content for headsets like Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro. This is a space for collaboration, learning, and growth in the realm of augmented reality. Dive into the future of immersive storytelling with us!!
3D News of the Week
The Wild Robot Trailer Released! - YouTube
A Quest developer pushes the boundaries of mixed reality on Vision Pro - Mixed News
Rooster Teeth Is Shutting Down After 21 Years - Variety
A Stunning Recration of Arcane's VI With Blender & Substance 3D - 80.lv
How Bad Can It Get for Hollywood? - NYTimes (paywall)
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Hello! Michael Tanzillo here. I am the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.
In addition to his work as an artist, I am the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging. I also created The3DArtist.Community and this newsletter.
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