Full Abstract

Although we physically inhabit one "real world", the virtual universe of information is an increasingly vital presence in our lives. Throughout our daily routine, we move between the virtual (email, Facebook, Twitter, web) and the physical (face to face conversations, meetings, presentations). Typically, the experience of the virtual in the real is limited to computer screens while the experience of the real in the virtual is limited to web cams and teleconferencing. We are witnessing the dawn of ubiquitous networked sensor infrastructures that make much more data about the physical world accessible in the virtual world. At the same time, the virtual world has become rich with accessible data about its past and its people. This is a opportunity to expand our ideas about interfaces between the virtual and the real and envision an extension of human perception by using virtuality to augment our five senses beyond the "here and now." We suspect that 3D virtual worlds will have a strong role to play in these interfaces because they share the spatiality and persistence of the real world. Physical manifestations of these interfaces might also appear as, for example, objects in real environments, mobile phones, or projections.

We term the incarnation of sensed or real-world phenomena into the virtual space and the manifestation of virtual phenomena into the real world "Cross Reality," where sensor/actuator networks tunnel information across the real/virtual divide. In this class, students will design and build new Cross Reality applications. These designs will be based on our exploration of questions of design on the boundary of the virtual and the real:

To help address these questions we will explore, discuss, and experience:

As we shift from discussion to building new Cross Reality applications, we will focus more heavily on the technologies of Cross Reality including Second Life, Sun's Project Wonderland, sensor/actuator networks, and mobile platforms like the Nokia 810. The 45 Portal nodes around the lab will be available as well to participating students, providing a version of the densely distributed "nervous system" and pervasive media environment that we imagine playing a key role in Cross Reality.

The class will involve reading assignments, in-class discussions, group ideation, technical lectures, a few small projects, and a final project.

Crossreality Wiki: FullAbstract (last edited 2009-01-29 04:19:37 by c-24-60-201-237)