[-empyre-] AR hardware

[Tamiko Thiel]

Hi Y'all -

> Greg Ulmer wrote:
> "The goal is not to become mystics, but to learn from the sophisticated
> practices of these experts on epiphany something about how the
> imagination operates."

Thanks Greg for this wonderful formulation - I do feel that the VR and 
AR technology does not really give us a new KIND of imagination, but 
rather enables to communicate these imaginings in a different medium 
than what we have had before.

I wanted also now to toss out my next curve ball and address the 
discussion of AR hardware that has been going on: I think the whole 
REASON that AR has suddenly become popular is exactly because it has 
gotten away from the hardware prison of glasses and head-mount displays. 
The hype about AR comes exactly from the fact that a device that 
everybody enjoys and likes to have (smartphone, iPad), and is a symbol 
of being (let's face it) wealthy and hip, is ALSO capable of doing this 
new and cool technological thing.

Sorry, but only die-hard VR and AR geeks ever WANT to wear those glasses 
or head-mount displays! They hurt the bridge of your nose, they crunch 
your own (fragile, expensive prescription) glasses, they make you look 
like a complete idiot and the separation you get by wearing those awful 
glasses is much greater than the separation you get by staring at a 
smartphone.

We need to distinguish between two different types of separation:

- The discussions have been talking about the separation between the 
viewer and the augment.

- I'm talking about the separation between the viewer and the rest of 
the world.

Using a smartphone or an iPad to look at an augment allows me to share 
that experience with the person standing next to me, and that person 
will say, "Oh, you mean I can see that too on my OWN smartphone?" It 
allows everybody to possess the artwork and carry it in a chic accessory 
in their purse or pocket.

In contrast, wearing AR glasses separates my experience of the 
world+augment from the experience of the person standing next to me. 
Yes, I can also share this by saying to the person next to me: "Here, 
put on these incredibly ugly and uncomfortable glasses or head-mount 
display, so you feel like an alien and people around us stare at you."

Perhaps there will be chic custom-made AR glasses? Well, the lenses I 
need now (without AR) already cost me 700 Euros (without the frames). 
And then I will have to say to the person standing next to me: "Here, 
use my glasses to see the augment, which however are prescription and 
will make you feel sick and dizzy and you won't be able to focus on the 
augment anyway."

So wanting a large audience for my art, I am delighted that it is 
possible now to look at AR artworks on devices that are not so invasive 
of the personal comfort of my audience, and that they actually consider 
desirable to own and use.

Yours, Tamiko

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  Tamiko Thiel   tamiko at alum.mit.edu

    Media Artist
    http://www.mission-base.com/tamiko/

    Manifest.AR Augmented Reality Artist Group
    http://www.manifestar.info/
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