Magic Windows and Mixed-Up Realities
Wednesday 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM • Fall 2020
Interactive Telecommunications Program - New York University
Instructor
Rui Pereira
Course Description
Magic windows that allow us to peek into different realities without leaving our physical space, lenses that reveal hidden layers of objects or navigating new universes within the same room. More than ever, mobile/wearable devices are getting a human-scale understanding of space and motion allowing us to create more intimate interactions with our surrounding spaces, leveraging them as a canvas to experience other realities. We now have the potential to give life to inanimate objects, tell stories through space, customizing private views of public spaces and recognize places we’ve never been.
We’ll question what it means and how can we blend reality exploring themes such as: augmented space and new paradigms in social interaction, public space and privacy; storytelling and navigating the physical space like turning pages in a book; tangible interfaces, mixed objects and animism; Magic windows, x-ray vision, time-machines and impossible universes; Far away so close: telepresence and remote collaboration.
The course will survey the past, current and up and coming technologies and experiences in Mixed Reality including environmental augmented reality and interactive projection mapping, handheld devices and head mounted displays fostering a strong user experience perspective on the affordances and constraints of each. We’ll research and discuss the design principles and guidelines for creating mixed reality experiences focusing on the links between real and virtual objects, interaction space and asymmetries between physical and digital worlds, environmental semantics and multimodal and tangible interaction.
Technologies explored will include and are not exclusive to Unity3D, Apple ARKit, Google ARCore, Vuforia, Microsoft Hololens, volumetric video, SLAM, image and object recognition, depth sensing and projection mapping.
Students should feel free and are invited to use any other technologies they might find suitable to better execute their ideas.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Please inform your teacher via email if you are going to miss a class.
Please arrive on time. Being late is lame and it will have an negative impact on your grading.
Evaluation
Grades will be determined according to the following breakdown:
Weekly Assignments 40%
Participation and Attendance 35%
Final Project 25%
We will have weekly assignments based on the theme from the previous class. It is recommended (though not mandatory) that you pair with a colleague for the assignments. These assignments are required and you should be prepared to present them in class.
It is expected that everyone in the class will create and maintain an updated blog with their class activities and assignments documentation (including: research and inspirations, process, demos).
This class is participatory and collaborative: you are expected to engage with the class in informed discussions based on the class themes and related readings as well as give feedback to your fellow students - be constructive!
Class will culminate with final projects. Students are invited to revisit one of their past assignments and improve it. New ideas/projects are welcomed too, just make sure you can finish it on time.