VR & Memory, and Fate vs Free Will in Simulation Theory

Hassan-KaraouniHassan Karaouni is one of the 11 winners of an Oculus Launch Pad scholarship for his project My: home, which allows people to share 360 videos of locations that are meaningful to them. In my Voices of VR episode about Google Earth VR, I talked about how the principle of embodied cognition explains how our memories are tied to geographic locations. But right now Google Earth’s resolution at the human scale is really uncanny, and you can’t go inside.

That’s where Hassan’s project tries to fill the gaps by enabling people to share 360 videos of places that are meaningful to them, while being able to navigate between them using a model of the Earth. This is quite an intimate and effective way to get to know someone, but it’s also the type of content that’s going to be a lot more meaningful to the creators in 10-20 years from now because it is so effective at evoking memories.

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Hassan Karaouni is also one of the co-founders of the Rabbit Hole VR student group at Stanford. They’ve held a number of events, and have deep philosophical discussions about how VR can impact human life and the human condition. So Hassan and I go down the rabbit hole in this episode by exploring the deeper philosophical implications of simulation theory and our relationship to fate and free will. In the wrap-up, I talk how a recent sci-fi film helped me gain some more insights into the differences between chronos and kairos time and how a VR experience is a non-linear portal that tips the balance towards creating more kairos time type of experiences.


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Music: Fatality & Summer Trip

The post VR & Memory, and Fate vs Free Will in Simulation Theory appeared first on Road to VR.

The First 11 Oculus Launch Pad Winners Revealed

In March Oculus launched its Launch Pad initiative with the aim to support promising virtual reality (VR) content creators. Since then the programme has worked with over 100 developers, with them attending a one-day bootcamp at Facebook headquarters, receiving hands-on training, mentorship, and a free Samsung Gear VR. This week Oculus has announced the 11 winners of the Launch Pad 2016 scholarship contest.

The winning projects cover a wide range of ideas and will now receive funding to develop them into full VR experiences.

Found

The winning VR experiences are:

  • UnveiledVR – Shamir Allibhai. The app is a exploration of how to democratize VR short story creation, and how to share those experiences using smartphones.
  • My: home – Hassan Karaouni. The project explores how aspiring 360 content developers can contribute to a meaningful platform from the comfort of their own homes and communities.
  • SkyIslandsVR – Erica Layton. A narrative adventure game for Gear VR. Uncover the ecological mysteries of an ancient world, with the guidance of a helpful creature.
  • Found + Project Dragonfly – Jewel Lim. Found is an interactive VR film exploring the intersection between storytelling and the use of game mechanics, and it’s currently available on Steam. While Project Dragonfly will continue exploring that same intersection with a stronger narrative.
  • Shifting POV – Jeris JC Miller. A four-part VR/AR Mixed Reality film series following women and indigenous cultures.
  • EyezVR – Mohammad Musa. The app includes several eye exams in VR that traditionally couldn’t be easily done at home.
  • PHOBOS – Francisco A. Rojas, Ph.D. An exposure therapy application that psychologists can use to treat patients for a variety of fears and anxieties.
  • The Wait– Lakshmi Sarah. Lakshmi tells stories through a series of small-scale journalistic projects in collaboration with Melissa Bosworth for Tiny World Productions.
  • Starship Disco – Rico Stenson. A music-driven VR shooter that lets you import your own tunes, currently available on both Oculus Rift and Gear VR.
  • Paradiddle – Emre Tanirgan. A VR drumming application that lets users explore their percussion skills.
  • Reviva – Lisa Walkosz-Migliacio. Bailey is the older sister who looks after her mischievous younger brother, Chase, who has destroyed the world. Explore the ruins and bring them back to life with your magical camera that restores lost memories.

All the projects that aren’t already available will be shared over the coming months, and applications for the next Oculus Launch Pad will begin in March 2017.

For all the latest Oculus news, keep reading VRFocus.