Can VR ‘natural’ lines of desire and curiosity points be revealed by VR heat maps?
Could these inform VR environment design?
Are there any ethical considerations?
I am thinking about my environment design and I am reflecting on the video game research I have read that presents theory on wayfinding, proprioception, semiotics and cinematic environment design. I am reflecting on how this is informing my level design so that it is more effective.
I have been interested to learn how Disney approaches park layout design and how visitors find their way from one attraction to another and the use of ‘Weinies’, treats that lead the visitor from one spot to another as well as environmental signs that indicate the transition from one region to another.
I am also thinking about how hikers wear away paths in the Pennines. The national trust lays paths to protect the landscape from ‘lines of desire’ by laying stone paths. Although a ‘natural’ landscape, is managed as is an urban planned environment.https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/05/desire-paths-the-illicit-trails-that-defy-the-urban-planners
I am also thinking about how light, texture, wind direction, natural form (such as ice formation), temperature, signs, symbols and sounds help me to form an internal model of my environment informed by the physiological senses. This model helps to locate my body in space and time as it assists in my traversal of the ‘natural’ landscape. I study a site that is close to where walkers converged to assert their right to roam. Thinking about this raises the question of freedom and ethics in game/animated VR environment design.
I am also interested in ‘nature inspired design and computation’ which includes swarming behaviour, edge finding and biomimetic design. It is my understanding that AI has the potential to further develop this area of research. When I think about this my thoughts move to the area of ‘nature inspired AI’ Research. Having previously explored how ‘slime mould’ tracks the forest floor like an organic systematic computer I relate this to humans ability to spatial-temporary orientates itself and how information can filtered from the environment (lightfields and pinhole cameras)there is something here in terms of a potential research project.
This brings me back to HCI, control and ethics and the question of, Can human-computer interaction be ‘naturalised’ and if it can, should it be?
I’m going to conduct a sweep of the literature in this area to see if there is something there that could be further explored both through my experimental VR Animation/Games work while trying to spot a gap in the current literature.
(This is a familiar process and quite comforting at points in practice).
VR heat map analysis:
InstaVR
Unity 360 video heat mapping
