Overview
During his studies at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, Yifei Chai has been exploring the Human – Machine interface from an empathetic point of view – what it fundamentally means to be human in the digital space. Inspired by witchcraft, his graduation project The Pretender Project allows one human to enter and control another’s body. Since then the motion control function of the project has received much interest, and is now UK government funded and developed by an award winning Innovation company Unit9.
The talk will investigate how we as human beings understand and absorb the world around us and how digital is changing that; what it means to be human in a digital space; and how the exploration into additional sensorial input/output devices could revolutionize VR and the way we live.
Objective
To introduce the notion of Digital Empathy, The Pretender Project and how multiple sensorial stimulations will change the future of VR.
Target Audience
Gamers, Developers, VR Enthusiasts, Dreamers
Assumed Audience Knowledge
Basic or advanced knowledge of the concept of Virtual Reality. First hand experience with VR headsets a plus.
Five things audience members will learn
- How our perception as a human engages in a Digital Space.
- How Digital Empathy is crucial in generating a great user experience and has the potential to push forward towards amazing futures.
- Pretender Motion as a motion output device that interfaces with the human body.
- How the Proteus Effect affects our digital and physical persona.
- The collaboration and adaptation of multiple sensorial stimulations in a VR experience.
