I had two motives when coming into VR. The first was to create meditative environments that serve as a breath of fresh air for the mind. The second, loosely related but with less explicit medical intentions, was to bring painting to this medium.

We will be working with Unity throughout the course. Here are the limitations for this unit:
(1) The VRE (Virtual Reality Environment) must include:
(a) a computer-generated scene including terrain, lights, and a skybox
(b) navigation of the space, be it teleportation or any other sort of locomotion
(c) some sort of interaction, including but not limited to controller-based and gaze interaction
(d) optional 360 sound

(2) The MR content must include:
(a) computer-generated content or live-action content activated via QR code
(b) computer-generated content must be 2D or 3D animation (max 5 seconds) or a 3D object
(c) exportation for phone or tablet on a platform of choice, Android or iOS
(d) sound

As of week one, my idea for the VRE is a recreation of my favorite hammock on the beach. I decided for this approach since it remains true to my vision for a meditative environment. Further, should it fail, I have it as a point of departure for the rest of my journey. Some initial objectives:
(1) To prepare an environment that can later be added onto with features for a meditation program, such as validation of time past (i.e. every ten minutes spent there, there is a gratification in the form of pleasing visuals) and/or unlocked potential within the world
(2) A crucial one: biofeedback or the integration of breath monitoring. I intend on making a shader in Unity for water whose texture is white noise. The waves crashing on the shore should correspond to the breath of the user. This is meant to increase awareness of the effects of breath on perception, since there seems to be a correlation between anxiety or lack thereof and conscious breathing. This is seen in people who have frequent panic attacks and learn to control their breathing to prevent them at the onset.
(3) Manipulation of graphic quality so as to not disturb the eyes as much as one can: this can be done by offering the option of a dark mode, like it is done in many modern apps. This ensures the user can remain in the environment for longer periods of time. It is important to note that, because it is a meditation app, the author does not preclude the possibility of the user closing their eyes as a part of the experience of the beach space. This is an essential part of meditation and the user must feel at liberty to do so and still remain a part of the environment.
(4) The physical object of a hammock could be integrated into the experience. I think this raises difficulties in computer animation and also physical issues with lying down with the HMD. A quick idea for the reversal of the latter is to present it in an exhibition space where a special headrest has been created to cradle the back of the head and diminish discomfort.

Enough about the VRE thus far. Admittedly, I have not given much thought to MR before this unit, and for some reason its applications come less naturally to me. Nevertheless, my idea for the MR application is designed for visualization techniques in the treatment of phantom limb pains. The idea is to create an app where the person missing a limb may visualize said limb and touch trouble areas that would light up. The user may then have the option of “treating” them through massage or other purely symbolic techniques. I need to do more empirical research on visualization techniques for phantom limb patients, and that is surely to come. My concept for this section is inspired by my belief that visualization is a powerful technique that can rewire perception of the human condition. Let’s see if this idea survives my research or if it is forced to evolve to something more useful and/or purely amusing.

That’s it for Week 1, stay tuned to see where these experiments may go. Be sure to check out my post on Unit 2 coming this week, as well, since it tackles the story-telling aspect of more cinematic VR. Safe travels to all virtual heads!