Speculative Spatial Computing Design

byBotao Amber Hu

https://github.com/realitydeslab/speculative-spatial-computing-design-2024

Course Title

Speculative Spatial Computing Design: Envisioning Entangled Realities

Course Type

Undergraduate course

Course Abstract

This advanced undergraduate course sits at the intersection of speculative design, experiential futures, and mixed reality technologies. It aims to cultivate students' innovative design capabilities in entangled realities while deeply exploring their social, ethical, and philosophical implications. The core concept of "entangled reality" runs throughout the course, reflecting the profound impact of mixed reality technologies on our understanding and experience of reality.

Students will critically examine the ethical implications of emerging spatial computing paradigms and create challenging mixed reality scenarios. Through a combination of theoretical research, hands-on prototyping, and creative development, the course guides students to envision and create experiences that challenge our understanding of reality and the digital-physical entangled future.

The course covers multiple cutting-edge topics, including but not limited to: speculative design, spatial computing, HoloKit development, mediated reality, body and phenomenology, game and protocol design, privacy and theory of mind, AI and afterlife, autonomous agents and artificial life, world-building, and spatial typography.

Through the integration of theoretical study and practical workshops, students will deeply explore the technical applications, creative expression, and ethical considerations of mixed reality. The final deliverables take the form of artwork + paper, including the creation of one to two original mixed reality works and writing an academic paper (short or long paper) suitable for submission to international conferences in the field, such as SIGGRAPH, CHI, TEI, DIS, IUI, IMX, C&C, MM, VR, etc.

This course is particularly suitable for students who are committed to publishing works at international conferences and exhibitions and possess certain English academic writing abilities. Through this course, students will acquire comprehensive capabilities in innovative design and academic research in the field of mixed reality.

Course Information

  • Target Students: 3rd Year Design Undergraduates, China Academy of Art
  • Semester: Fall 2024

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Apply speculative design and experiential futures methodologies to spatial computing contexts
  2. Critically analyze ethical implications of mixed reality technologies
  3. Develop proficiency in prototyping and developing mixed reality experiences
  4. Articulate complex ideas through academic writing and artistic expression
  5. Create and exhibit an original mixed reality artifact
  6. Prepare a conference-ready academic paper

Weekly Schedule

Lecture 1: Speculative Design

  • Introduction to speculative design
  • Case studies in speculative design

Lecture 2: Spatial Computing

  • Overview of spatial computing technologies
  • Mixed Reality Media Theory
  • Case studies in Spatial Computing Design

Lecture 3: Academic Art

  • Intersection of academic research and artistic practice
  • Writing and presenting for academic art contexts

Lecture 4: HoloKit Software and Hardware Development

  • Introduction to HoloKit open-source platform
  • Hands-on development workshop

Lecture 5: Mediated Reality and Media Theory

  • Theoretical frameworks for understanding mediated reality
  • Media farm workshop (Interpreting and Speculating Media Art via LLM)

Lecture 6: Body and Bodies, and Phenomenology

  • Embodiment in mixed reality contexts
  • Introduction to Phenomenology
  • Contact improvisation workshop

Lecture 7: Play and Protocol Design

  • Overview of Play
  • Overview of Protocol Design
  • Designing playful protocols for speculative scenarios

Lecture 8: Privacy, Asymmetry and Theory of Mind

  • Ethical considerations in mixed reality
  • Cognitive aspects of multi-user mixed reality experiences

Lecture 9: AI and Afterlife

  • Speculative scenarios involving AI and digital persistence
  • Ethical implications of digital consciousness

Lecture 10: Autonomous Agents and Artificial Life

  • Designing autonomous entities in mixed reality
  • Emergence and complexity in artificial ecosystems

Lecture 11: World and Worlding

  • Theories of world-building in mixed reality
  • Practical workshop on creating coherent speculative worlds

Lecture 12: Spatial Typography

  • Typography in three-dimensional space
  • Information design for mixed reality environments

Assignments and Evaluation

  1. Paper Prototyping + Abstract (20%)
    • Due: Week 2
    • Create a low-fidelity prototype of your speculative mixed reality concept
  2. Final Artifact (30%)
    • Due: Week 11
    • Develop and present a functional mixed reality experience
  3. Academic Paper (30%)
    • Draft Due: Week 6
    • Due: Week 12
    • Write a 2000 to 4000-word paper suitable for submission to ISEA, SIGGRAPH, IMX, CHI, TEI, DIS, C&C, AHs, or VR conferences
  4. Final Submission Results (10%)
    • Due: Two weeks after course end
    • Provide proof of submission to at least one academic conference (not being desk rejected)
  5. Class Participation (10%)
    • Ongoing
    • Active engagement in discussions, workshops, and peer feedback sessions

Office Hours

Instructor will be available for 2 hours per week for individual consultations and project guidance. Schedule to be announced at the beginning of the semester.

Required Materials

  • HoloKit mixed reality development kit (https://holokit.io)
  • Mac and iPhone
  • Access to Unity3D or similar development environment
  • Academic journal access (provided by the university)