Connected Immersion: Interacting with Dynamically Generated Creatures and Narratives

Abstract

Connected Immersion, a mixed reality art installation explores dynamic spaces that were created by imaginative organisms from captured human images in the physical, virtual, and networked environments. The project is an extract of our body and generates virtual lives (birds, trees, and snakes). The new creatures build new societies based on computer algorithms and mimic human society and behaviors. The audience creates new organisms by putting their hands or objects into the white box in the physical installation space. Their input becomes a flock of birds, a group of trees, or snakes in the projected virtual environment. Participants can get immersed in the virtual environment through a projection or a VR headset. In the virtual environment with a VR headset, they can navigate the world that is full of the dynamism of the trees, birds, and snakes by walking or teleporting using the VIVE controllers. The organisms go through a life cycle (birth, growth, interact, death and re-birth) and provide various interactions to the participants. In the VR environment, participants can experience the space through multiple sensory channels.