From Bits to Experiences:

The Future of Digital Media in the Era of Experience

The Hague, Netherlands November 8, 2011

Ed Lantz
President & CTO, Vortex Immersion Media, Inc. Co-Founder & Director, IMERSA, Inc. ed@vorteximmersion.com www.vorteximmersion.com www.imersa.org

Artist /Writer/Inventor Hollywood, Florida

Masters in Engineering w/Quantum Physics Tennessee Tech University

Aerospace Engineer Melbourne, Florida

Planetarium Engineer Cocoa, Florida

Immersive Theater Engineer Chadds Ford, PA

Cable Television Pioneer Philadelphia, PA

Immersive Media Producer & Entrepreneur Los Angeles, CA

There are rare moments in technology when everything changes. When the entire framework defining how we interact with machines (and consequently, each other) shifts perceptibly. That happened when the TV was invented, it happened when the computer mouse was made available commercially. These kinds of changes forever alter our economics, our social life, and our individual experiences. It's now about to happen again. Only this time, the shift that is coming is on such a large scale that not only will it change things dramatically, it will usher in a new era in human economics (and therefore, everything else). We call the new era the Era of Experience.
- James McQuivey, Forrester Blogs, January 24, 2011

Computer Input Devices

User Experience

Computer Output Devices

Applications

Gesture Interactivity
Relationships Products & Services Travel Media Politics Hobbies Entertainment Food & Drinks Fashion Games Career Leisure

Multisensory Immersion

User Experience

Personal Affinity Sharing

Mediated Storytelling In Virtual Worlds

Industrial Economy: Goods Agrarian Economy: Commodities

Experience Economy: Experiences Service Economy: Services

Tools and Technologies

Experience Delivery Modalities

Cable & Broadcast TV

Giant Screen & Digital Dome Theaters

Mobile Media & Apps

Music, Video & Print Publishing

Video Games

Theater, Opera & Live Performances

The Fine Arts

Online Media & Social Networking

Digital Cinema & Feature Films

Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

Themed Entertainment

Art & Music Festivals

Spectrum of Virtual Reality

Spatially Augmented Reality

Spatially Immersive Displays

Augmented or Mixed Reality

Classic Virtual Reality

P. Milgram, H. Takemura, A. Utsumi, F. Kishino, Augmented Reality: A class of displays on the reality-virtuality continuum, SPIE Vol. 2351, Telemanipulator and Telepresence Technologies (1994)

Virtual Reality

Courtesy NASA

Courtesy VirtuSphere Corp.

Courtesy Immersion Corp.

Third-Person VR Display

Mobile Device Overlays

See-Through Goggles

Many Real-World Applications

Spatial Immersive Displays

CAVE

Reality Centers

Fulldome Theaters

Domes

Mega-Walls

Wrap-Around Screens

Personal Small-Scale

Group Large-Scale

Spatial Augmented Reality

Virtual Reflectance

Virtual Illumination

UNC & Ramesh Raskars Shader Lamps

Virtual Motion Virtual Interaction

Gesture Interactive and Multitouch Displays

Interactive tables, walls, floors, screens Gesture based computer interfaces

Stereoscopic 3D and Autostereo Displays

3D & Holographic Displays

No glasses needed Touch or gesture interactive

Holographic Audio

IMAX Producers Claim Audio is 60% of the Experience Holographic Wavefront Reconstruction

Sound sources can be placed anywhere within theater space Virtual plane waves provide identical directionality for all seats Commercial system now available (IOSONO)

4D Theater Effects: Multisensory Stimulation

Fog, Strobes, Bubbles, Mist, Snow Face Blast/Mist/Scent Air, water mist, scent blast from seat in front Seat Transducer - Audio shaker based in seat pan Seat Back Audio FX - Audio speakers located in seat back Seat Cushion Air Poker - Seat cushion inflation with poker Seat Cushion Ripple - Small air bladders that inflate/deflate in sequence Seat Back & Cushion Buzzers - Seat vibration in cushion and back Seat Back Air Bladder - Gentle seat back motion inflation/deflation Leg Tickle - Pneumatic tickle at back of leg Neck Tickle - Air tickle at neck left and right Seat Cushion Drop - Sudden seat cushion deflation Seat Motion Translation, rotation
Courtesy Tehcnifex

Virtual Worlds

Massively multiplayer online games Virtual worlds offer possibilities that the real world cannot

Easy access to experiences, people, places, tools, data, simulations Instant gratification, creative expression, wideband communication

Machinima Filmmakers in virtual worlds

Virtual world meets real world

Next big thing

Many residents of Second Life said that in-world friendships could be more real than actual-world friendships, and many found sex online deeply meaningful. Tom Boellstorff, Coming of Age in Second Life

Spectrum of Virtual Reality

The Holodeck

The Matrix

Elements of Experience: Storytelling

The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.

- Muriel Rukeyser

Story: An imaginative journey within the mind that evokes affective and cognitive neurological responses in viewers brain and nervous system as if the story were real. Storytelling: The art and science of invoking story narratives within the minds of audiences through various sensory stimulation channels and storytelling modalities. Sensory Channels include auditory, visual, aroma, taste, haptic and various special effects. Digital channels require sensory interface devices. Storytelling Modalities include: dialog, narration, music and sound effects (auditory); acting, cinematography, production design, visual effects (visual).

Cognitive (thoughts, beliefs, language, etc.): Conceptualization, Imaging Problem Solving Rationalizations, Interpretations Recognition, Remembering Linguistic Articulation Realizations, Logical Connections Learning, Skills, Technical Information

Affective (feelings, moods, reactions, etc.): Energized, Motivated - adrenaline Ecstacy, Bliss, Connectedness - oxytocin, anandamide Curiosity, Anticipation - endorphins, beta-endorphins Chills, Goose Bumps - pilomotor reflex Sense of Accomplishment - norepinephrine, epinephrine Humor, Laughter, Pleasure - dopamine Sexual Arousal - androgens and estrogens Happiness, Satisfaction - serotonin Relaxation - GABA, anandamide

Transformative Media
The Eyes and Ears are a Wideband Interface to the Brain

Arts, Media and Entertainment are Powerful Tools for Reprogramming our Neural Software

Transformative Media
An experience that substantially alters a persons possibility space or life path

Discovering new facts, cultures, connections Epiphany, realization, revelation Spiritual, numinous, or unity experience Awakening to empathy, compassion, love Often triggered by new friends, social circles Trauma, loss, fear, etc. can also be transformative transformed world view = transformed world

Industrial Economy: Goods Agrarian Economy: Commodities

Experience Economy: Experiences Service Economy: Services

Immersive Cinema Digital Dome or Fulldome Theater

Large-scale, real-time interactive group immersive environments

Digital Dome Growth Markets 700 Digital Domes Worldwide

Events Domes Themed Entertainment Digital Planetariums

Giant Screen Digital Cinema

Sampling of Fulldome Theaters

Courtesy Sky-Skan

Imiloa Astronomy Center Hilo, Hawaii Stereo 3D Dome

Bubble Theater City of Dreams Caino Macau, China

Papalote Museo del Nio Mexico City

Bibliotheca Alexandrina Alexandria, Egypt

Hayden Planetarium Rose Center for Earth and Space American Museum of Natural History New York, NY

Mobile Dome Venues

Inflatable (Air-Supported)

Geodesic (Rigid Structure)

Nike Quad Dome Event

SciDome Trade Show Dome

Portable Planetariums, Art Exhibits Events, Tradeshows, Festivals

Fulldome Theaters Worldwide

700

600

Number of Theaters

500

400

LF Film Theaters IMAX Theaters Digital Domes

300

200

100

0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year Opened

Fulldome Programming

Immersive Cinema Digital Planetariums Live Art and Music Performances Video Game Tournaments Special Events

Immersive Cinema Productions

Top

Front

Right

Back Left

Digital Planetariums
Fulldome Planetariums allow Navigation through a Scientifically Accurate Model of the Known Universe

Carter Emmart, Director of Astrovisualization at the American Museum of Natural Historys Rose Center for Earth and Space

Images Courtesy SCISS AB www.scalingtheuniverse.com

Live Immersive Performances

Bridge Dance League Bella Gaia Kenji Williams

David Arkenstone

Two Voices, One Vision C3 Vision Lab

Bella Gaia

A Non-Narrative SciArt Experience

Features NASA and NOAA Earth Science Datasets Music and Immersive Visuals create Powerful Experience Cognitive Goal: Earth Science Understanding Affective Goal: Overview Effect

Vortex Dome Los Angeles Center Studios

Next-generation immersive cinema events venue and development studio

Venue Specifications: Diameter External: Internal w/video screen): Floor Area: Standing Capacity: Theater Seating Capacity:

50 45 9 1,963 sq. ft. 280 130

Projects at Vortex Immersion Media

Next-Gen Cinema

Interactive Lounge and Restaraunt

Premium Cinema

Digital Immersive Dome

Personal On-Demand Spaces (PODDS)

Live Performances

Video Game Tournaments

Projects at Vortex Immersion Media

Mobile Dome Productions
Push4Peace Dome Tour

2012: The Awakening

Projects at Vortex Immersion Media

Digital Spa

Aroma Composer

Vibrasonic Chair

Media Experiences Are Becoming More Powerful

Multisensory immersion

Enhanced realism

Consumers are Increasingly Co-Creating Media, Not Just Consuming It

Amplification of personal creative expression

Customization of user experience to personal preferences

Experiences are Increasingly Extending Across Multiple Media Platforms

From immersive cinemas to home theaters

From desktops to PDAs

From interactive games to real-world experiences and attractions

Industrial Economy: Goods Agrarian Economy: Commodities

Experience Economy: Experiences Service Economy: Services

Differentiated

Experiences: ??? Goods: Computers and Data Centers Commodities: Data

Competitive Position

Services: The Cloud

Undifferentiated Market Pricing Premium

Differentiated

Experiences: ???

Competitive Position

Goods: User-Owned Applications Commodities: Algorithms

Services: Multi-Platform Cloud-Based Applications

Undifferentiated Market Pricing Premium

Thank You!

Ed Lantz
President & CTO, Vortex Immersion Media, Inc. Co-Founder & Director, IMERSA, Inc. ed@vorteximmersion.com www.vorteximmersion.com www.imersa.org