The experience of virtual materials
Description
The title "Experiencing virtual materials" seems like a contradiction in terms.
Virtual materials do not really exist. They are not material, so you cannot feel and smell them. But you can see them. And as we increasingly live in virtual environments, including games, we are increasingly confronted with virtual materials.
Compared to 'real' materials, virtual materials have quite a few advantages. They are not environmentally harmful and they cost nothing. Moreover, you can invent unlimited new materials that do things that are impossible in the real world.
But, as mentioned, virtual materials cannot be felt, and so you cannot manipulate them. Much has been done to solve this problem. Much of it is directly dedicated to mimicking tactile experience. One example is the glove pictured from the Dutch company Manus Machinae.
However, there are several possibilities. For example, PhD student Hanna Schraffenberger in Leiden is investigating the possibilities of creating tactile experiences through sound. Using three-dimensional sound, she creates virtual objects that you can perceive without seeing them. By touching such a virtual object, it is possible to 'feel' its presence and experience the nature of its material.
Jouke Verlinden, who received his PhD some time ago, is working on virtual object information in a completely different way. He investigated the possibilities of augmented reality in the design process. What he did, among other things, was project 'material' onto white objects coming out of the 3D printer. The shape is real, but the material is virtual. The equipment he developed for it has been patented and is being further developed by a start-up company.
The third lecture will be given by Marco Christis of Blixem Media, a company that focuses on designing virtual 'worlds'. He will explain how he deals with designing and applying virtual materials in his work
18.30:00 Reception
19:00 Opening
19:10 Synergy between the virtual and physical world by Jouke Verlinden
19:40 Sound as feedback in a virtual environment by Hanna Schraffenberger
20:10 Pause
20:30 Interactive virtual environments by Marco Chistis
21:00 Introduction discussion by Wim Poelman
21:10 Discussion
21:30 Closing
Location
TU Delft, Faculty of Industrial Design
Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft
Organiser
Industrial Design
MaterialDesign Foundation
Name and contact details for information
MaterialDesign at the e-mail address below
Register via
MaterialDesign via e-mail
info@materialdesign.nl