394 research outputs found
Proceedings of the 10th International congress on architectural technology (ICAT 2024): architectural technology transformation.
The profession of architectural technology is influential in the transformation of the built environment regionally, nationally, and internationally. The congress provides a platform for industry, educators, researchers, and the next generation of built environment students and professionals to showcase where their influence is transforming the built environment through novel ideas, businesses, leadership, innovation, digital transformation, research and development, and sustainable forward-thinking technological and construction assembly design
A philosophical discussion of the implications and limitations of using Virtual Reality Technology (VR) as an âEmpathy Machineâ
This thesis engages in a philosophical discussion on âempathyâ, âvirtualityâ, and the use of
virtual reality (VR) technology as an âempathy machineâ. Here, I define empathy as the
intentional activity (or skill) of recreating aspects of another subjectâs emotional experience in
oneâs imagination to reflectively and âexperientiallyâ understand what another is feeling. As
opposed to isomorphically appropriating anotherâs feelings to oneself, I identify empathy as
third-personally âfeeling withâ others. After exploring the narrow and pluralistic approaches
to understanding empathy, I argue that there are compelling pragmatic reasons for adopting the
pluralistic approach, the proponents of which prefer to highlight varieties of empathy instead
of a sole conceptualisation of âempathy properâ. As for virtuality, I subscribe to a third view
that can be located between âvirtual realismâ and âvirtual irrealismâ, in that I understand
virtuality as a sui generis mode of technological actualisation, where psychophysiological
illusions, of virtual presence and embodiment, coexist with veridical elements, such as virtual
social objects, without causing a defect in usersâ rational judgment. My main contention in this
research is that VRâs multisensory affordances can be instrumentally utilised as a
complementary extension (but never as a replacement) for offsetting some of the limitations in
attaining interpersonal empathy through imaginative perspective-taking alone. After discussing
this contention in more depth, I then attempt to address some of the recurrent challenges and
criticism raised against VRâs use as an empathy machine. Finally, I highlight some of the
limitations in VR technologyâs capability to capture and transmit a full representation of othersâ
lived experiences
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Sonic heritage: listening to the past
History is so often told through objects, images and photographs, but the potential of sounds to reveal place and space is often neglected. Our research project âSonic Palimpsestâ1 explores the potential of sound to evoke impressions and new understandings of the past, to embrace the sonic as a tool to understand what was, in a way that can complement and add to our predominant visual understandings. Our work includes the expansion of the Oral History archives held at Chatham Dockyard to include womenâs voices and experiences, and the creation of sonic works to engage the public with their heritage. Our research highlights the social and cultural value of oral history and field recordings in the transmission of knowledge to both researchers and the public. Together these recordings document how buildings and spaces within the dockyard were used and experienced by those who worked there. We can begin to understand the social and cultural roles of these buildings within the community, both past and present
3D Design Review Systems in Immersive Environments
Design reviews play a crucial role in the development process, ensuring the quality and effectiveness of designs in various industries. However, traditional design review methods face challenges in effectively understanding and communicating complex 3D models. Immersive technologies, particularly Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), offer new opportunities to enhance the design review process. In this thesis, we investigate using immersive environments, specifically HMDs, for 3D design reviews. We begin with a systematic literature review to understand the current state of employing HMDs in industry for design reviews. As part of this review, we utilize a detailed taxonomy from the literature to categorize and analyze existing approaches. Additionally, we present four iterations of an immersive design review system developed during my industry experience. Two of these iterations are evaluated through case studies involving domain experts, including engineers, designers, and clients. A formal semi-structured focus group is conducted to gain further insights into traditional design review practices. The outcomes of these evaluations and the focus group discussions are thoroughly discussed. Based on the literature review and the focus group findings, we uncover a new challenge associated with using HMDs in immersive design reviewsâasynchronous and remote collaboration. Unlike traditional design reviews, where participants view the same section on a shared screen, HMDs allow independent exploration of areas of interest, leading to a shift from synchronous to asynchronous communication. Consequently, important feedback may be missed as the lead designer disconnects from the users' perspectives. To address this challenge, we collaborate with a domain expert to develop a prototype that utilizes heatmap visualization to display 3D gaze data distribution. This prototype enables lead designers to quickly identify areas of review and missed regions. The study incorporates the Design Critique approach and provides valuable insights into different heatmap visualization variants (top view projection, object-based, and volume-based). Furthermore, a list of well-defined requirements is outlined for future spatio-temporal visualization applications aimed at integrating into existing workflows. Overall, this thesis contributes to the understanding and improvement of immersive design review systems, particularly in the context of utilizing HMDs. It offers insights into the current state of employing HMDs for design reviews, utilizes a taxonomy from the literature to analyze existing approaches, highlights challenges associated with asynchronous collaboration, and proposes a prototype solution with heatmap visualization to address the identified challenge
Co-Creating with the Senses: Towards an Embodiment Grammar for Conceptualising Virtual Reality (VR) Narrative Design
This creative practice thesis comprises two components, a dissertation titled Co-Creating with the Senses: Towards an Embodiment Grammar for Conceptualising Virtual Reality (VR) Narrative Design and a creative work, The Recluse, a fictional VR script written in the Maria Vargas Immersive Play template, available through Final Draft.
The advent of publicly available virtual reality (VR) technologies has led to the emergence of a new genre of storytelling, henceforth referred to as âVR narrativesâ. There has therefore been a need to articulate its defining grammar and to contribute insights born out of artistic experimentation in a scholarly field which until recently was dominated by scientific points of view. Employing a somaesthetics approach outlined by researcher Kristina Höök, the dissertation draws on a qualitative study into 10 VR narrative works in order to propose an embodiment grammar through which the art form may be conceptualised. The studyâs findings, a group of eight embodied states organised into a framework, urge for the relenting of authorial control in order to instead frame affective potential, thus echoing a Deleuzian concept of the assemblage. In particular, the framework draws attention to the way that VRâs deeper affective dimensions may be elucidated by framing co-creation through the mediumâs
distinct sensory possibilities. As interest gathers in a future metaverse, the insights raised by the study are significant, with potential applications in a range of affective design contexts.
The Recluse is my original contribution to this emerging art form and a case study through which to interrogate the frameworkâs findings. A mystery with supernatural elements, the VR script aims to communicate an experience that transports the participant to the world of Alma Cohen, a famous artist turned recluse, where they are invited to experience the strange occurrences in Almaâs life through their own embodied actions. The VR script explores the potential for intimate encounters with virtual characters and the sensory, co-creational and affective possibilities which arise through these dynamics. It highlights, following the framework, the way that more open structuring approaches are required in order to access the mediumâs deeper affective possibilities and also the present technological constraints in achieving this
METROPOLITAN ENCHANTMENT AND DISENCHANTMENT. METROPOLITAN ANTHROPOLOGY FOR THE CONTEMPORARY LIVING MAP CONSTRUCTION
We can no longer interpret the contemporary metropolis as we did in the last century. The thought of civil economy regarding the contemporary Metropolis conflicts more or less radically with the merely acquisitive dimension of the behaviour of its citizens. What is needed is therefore a new capacity for
imagining the economic-productive future of the city: hybrid social enterprises, economically sustainable, structured and capable of using technologies, could be a solution for producing value and distributing it fairly and inclusively.
Metropolitan Urbanity is another issue to establish. Metropolis needs new spaces where inclusion can occur, and where a repository of the imagery can be recreated. What is the ontology behind the technique of metropolitan planning and management, its vision and its symbols? Competitiveness,
speed, and meritocracy are political words, not technical ones. Metropolitan Urbanity is the characteristic of a polis that expresses itself in its public places. Today, however, public places are private ones that are destined for public use. The Common Good has always had a space of representation in the city, which was the public space. Today, the Green-Grey Infrastructure is the metropolitan city's monument that communicates a value for future generations and must therefore be recognised and imagined; it is the production of the metropolitan symbolic imagery, the new magic of the city
Towards a data-driven military: a multi-disciplinary perspective
Towards a data-driven military. A multi-disciplinary perspective assesses the use of data and information on modern conflict from different scientific and methodological disciplines, aiming to generate valuable contributions to the ongoing discourse on data, the military and modern warfare. Military Systems and Technology approaches the theme empirically by researching how data can enhance the utility of military materiel and subsequently accelerate the decision-making process. War Studies take a multidisciplinary approach to the evolution of warfare, while Military Management Studies take a holistic organisational and procedural approach. Based on their scientific protocols and research methods, the three domains put forward different research questions and perspectives, providing the unique character of this book
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