Augmented Reality is no longer a state of the human mind delving into the fabric of virtual reality, but also a real virtuality which physically and mentally envelopes the user. Our lives are already punctuated by pervasive technologies in the form of mobile phones or gaming devices. Now we can expect these new technologies to be woven into the fabric of the worldy architecture around us. This creation of the mediascape is Augmented Reality. In this, the subject participates in both the virtual reality VR, and the real virtually, RV.
VR + RV = AR [1]
This overlaying should be entirely immersive – the distinctions between VR and RV should be indiscernible. It is set to strengthen the relationship between the environment and technology. “This expression represents a paradigm shift from building virtual worlds, toward embedding information technology into the ambient social complexities of the physical world.”[2] Augmented architecture is made real by individual technologies all playing their part to create this multifaceted immersive experience. These could include sensors to respond to a certain change in state in the environment – either portable or embedded. Microelectromechanical systems or MEMS make click-based operations old technology. MEMS allows for skillful and unobtrusive operations like the tilting of a GameBody to effectuate a command.[3] Pressure Sensors have very real applications in architecture – built into an environment they could be responsive to human presence. Hewlett Packard’s pressure sensitive dance floor reacts appropriately with software to produce a real-time environment[4], while deCOI’s Aegis Hyposurface façade reacts to the presence of movement or sound in the building. Other technologies include Bluetooth, GPS, tagging and digital fingerprint authentication, implemented to create an immersive mediascape.
Augmented Reality is also emerging as a new cultural and social tool. At the University of Singapore, students have created a hybrid game of PacMan. RV technology is applied to the cityscape, in other words, reality is virtualized. The user is completely enclosed by the virtual when a VR mask is taken up, plunging the body into AR. “Players’ movements are tracked using GPS receivers and motion sensors and they are linked back to a central computer system by a wireless Local Area Network.”[5] The game remains the same as the original, with ghosts and players moving through the maze whilst trying to collect both virtual tokens and physical tokens – which are fitted with Bluetooth receivers. The actualisation of this technology has highlighted many uses for this tool. Although this project was military backed, Augmented Reality could be used in the areas of medicine to assist surgeons, while physical challenges in the construction of engineering/architecture could be overcome by the experience of the plan before actual construction begins. There is no question that Mediascape will soon be a reality. It is an inevitable development of the complex technology already so integrated into our lives. By amalgamating virtual reality and true reality it becomes and exciting new tool. It is now up to the forth-coming spatial practitioners to embrace this idea and run with it, for a more pertinent architecture of tomorrow.
[1] Skrebowski, Luke. “Augmenting Reality: Pervasive Computing, Spatial Practice, Interface Politics” in Did Someone Say Participate? An Atlas of Spatial Practice, edited by Shumon Basar and Markus Miessen (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006), 46
[2] McCullough, Malcolm. Digital Ground (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004) IX
[3] McCullough, Malcolm. Digital Ground 76
[4] Ibid
[5] Knight, Will. “Human PacMan Hits Real City Streets”. www.newscientist.com/article/dn6689-human-pacman-hits-real-city-streets.html (accessed October 27, 2010)
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