Athyrius (bio)

Going in reverse- bringing the virtual into your reality- are small innovative groups of forward thinking technologists and artists such as those in Basel Switzerland who are working on ‘Lifeclipper’.

As proclaimed on the website. “Lifeclipper is an open air art project.” Lifeclipper consists of a VR headset, GPS and portable computer that feeds images and sound to the participant as he is walking around and interacting in a real environment while totally immersed in a virtual environment.

I believe that this and projects like it will pave a path to immersively interacting with our environments on a daily basis. The Lifeclipper site states that “Users feel as though they are watching a film in which they participate as active observers and in which they get attention from virtual players.”

This is one more step towards blurring the distinction between virtual reality and physical reality. Other applications can be as simple as virtual clocks on our walls or virtual windows with your choice of scenes, incorporating sound. Or as complex as virtually manning a hundred robots in a factory line.

What does this future hold for designers? Everything. Incorporation of virtually designed environments means that designers will be creating a new world. What this world ends up looking like will be up to the designers, the artists, the visionaries. Every accredited university is now exploring the applications, including the futurists at Georgia Tech who have established the GVU Center, whose mission statement is: “To advance the state of the art of the interaction between people, computing machines, and information by developing technologies that naturally reflect the abilities and behavior of people.” As a designer, if you have an interest in exploring this ‘brave new world’ it would be a good idea to contact your local University and ask about any programs they may have and how you can participate.

As with any new technology there are certainly pitfalls and room for abuse. Baser instincts and craving for hedonism, barbarity or pure escapism can drive some to turn this new world into something resembling the old, yet ten times or a hundred times worse. It will be up to the Designers to create the new. To bring thought provoking beauty, balance and reason into this world via the images that spring from the imagination will be your job.

As I write this there are millions of people traversing virtual worlds thanks to the gaming industry. The Gaming industry is a good indicator of what’s to come in regards to the split between barbarity and humanity.

I just read that over 8 Million people are playing World of Warcraft. A lovely and massive virtual environment created for it’s players to totally interact within. The designers have created an amazingly huge universe filled with striking architecture, outdoor environments, creatures to interact with as well as real human beings behind avatars to befriend, play or quest with. There is a certain level of violence in the game- mostly having to do with killing evil dragons or other creatures to 'bring light into the world', or correct environmental poisoning and destruction. People can get so immersed in this environment that some actually have trouble ‘leaving’ it to participate in ‘real life’.

What I am hoping for is a time to come when real life and virtual worlds will co-exist in harmony and support of one another instead of one becoming a place to escape the rigors or hardships of the other.

On the other side of the coin there are the two million or so who play Grand Theft Auto – an example of the barbaric side of the virtual world that involves carjacking, crime, violence, racism and sexism. But to me the numbers give reason for hope- 8 million vs. 2 million is a pretty striking split.

The themes that you decide to focus on in your design concepts now will eventually evolve into a large part of the world you, your children and grandchildren will live, play and work in. This is something to think about when plotting your future work- or considering your next design project; as everything you do will open doors to a future that even now you are in the process of creating.