Project Concept

First things first:

The aim for the final project is to design a concrete solution for animals in a zoo setting.

As initially the focus was San Diego Zoo, my primary focus will be San Diego Zoo, although as part of research, a number of facilities, animals across the globe were considered and included within the scope of the research.
(Details to be released in coming weeks)

Initial, Week 4 sketch

Week 9-10 Update

Initially, an idea of a hybrid-reality environment for Animals, situated in a place where certain aspects of the species' unique ecosystem cannot be recreated; After following up with the research, developing into more refined forms and eventually leading up to... well...

Based on a mad concept derived from last year's Ed Tech & Design Thinking Hydrodrangeas project, inspired and in awe of the construction of an artificially raised Marsian-like Dome and a simple, yet blazingly effective combination of a single-projector and a reflective surface with which an entire surrounding becomes alive, I decided to pursue the mixed-reality idea, although now with additional materials showcasing, that, well, the impossible may be in fact, quite, possible.

Tammar Wallaby

Initial Focus

Initial focus was established on a Tammar Wallaby
Grounded Research is still underway
Along with expert interviews and consultations

Technical Implementation

I made an attempt at showcasing how the concept scales, from within the animal's cognition, outwards towards the technology that influences, the environment it is embeded into and the entire ecosystem, which here is the Zoo.

The difficulty with situating the project in a Safari Zoo, is that there is heaps of land and therefore less likely that the animals will interact with, well, a structure that was previously unknown to them, unless it provides some additional qualities. For instance kangaroos, when it gets too hot, they will seek shelter and try to regulate their temeprature with saliva (which is the same mechanism for wallaroos and wallabies with the latter being in San Diego Zoo but San Diego not seeming to have scorching hot days).

Variations

I sketched 4 different related concepts-sketches:

- Virtual Reality for Humans with HTC Vive
- Hybrid Reality for Humans with a combo of 4 projectors
- Hybrid Reality for Humans with a combo of 4 projectors and 3D glasses
- Hybrid Reality for Animals with a combo of 4 projectors and props

All environments would run on a PC system with Unity

While it may seem out of relevance, I'd find it interesting to investigate how the interaction differs between Humans and Animals in relation to remotely the same hybrid environment.

Precedents Research

There is a number of equivalent projects, featured as conceptual, physical and/or rendered representations.
I am showcasing a few, that I found as particularly relevant to this concept and the minor differences scattered across.

First one involves a mixed reality environment featured for humans created by Bernardo Schorr – Mixed Reality Living Spaces

Second involves a mixed reality environment as well, although portrayed in a highly dystopian manner: Black Mirror - Fifteen Million Merits episode

Third involves a mixed reality environment but for Orangutans, as part of research conducted by Sarah Webber’s PhD Research at University of Melbourne

Forth involves mixed reality environment for humans, concentrating rather on VR, although extending beyond and focusing on a few use cases

Renders

Renderings

Dome Prop

The Dome was constructed for the purpose of Ed Tech and Design Thinking. In principle, it covers the idea I recurrently showcased in Week 4 and 8, except, it's meant for humans with the purpose for showcasing the impact of how plastics, waste and pollution affect the waters around us, in particular the Hudson Bay River

As part of the team I am responsible for the creation of a 3D environment conveying the messages, feel and narrative imbued within the concept. In my honest blief, the very same could be ported to any being, humans and animals have relative cognitive abilities, although different, in principle they all operate the same.

There is a Timelapse and a 360 timelapse coming shortly.