RESEARCH
1
VR Film Theory
PI: Tim Gruenewald
The release of several high-quality VR headsets since 2015 has pushed VR past the tipping point towards mass adoption, which has triggered an explosion of VR film production. This research project responds by producing a comprehensive VR film theory. We adapt the existing terminology of conventional film theory to VR where possible and develop new terms and concepts where necessary.
2
Memory and Narrative VR
PI: Tim Gruenewald
Memory and remembrance have played a central role in early narrative VR content. For example, several narrative VR experiences represented real and imagined events of individual or collective trauma. This project explores the potential impact of the new medium on the collective memory of painful past.
3
VR/ AR and Archaelogy
PI: Peter J Cobb
The Ararat Plain Southeast Archaeological Project (APSAP) is a collaborative fieldwork project between the University of Hong Kong and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Republic of Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences. APSAP is a laboratory for experimentation with advances in digital technologies applied to archaeology. Current experiments involve using augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) for data collection and use on site, as well as using virtual reality (VR) to remotely teach everyone about archaeology and ancient Armenia.
4
Human Imaginaries: Game Engines and
Virtual World Building
PI: Kal Ng
This project applies Giouliana Bruno’s Atlas of Emotion to virtual world building. We investigate the production of virtual world creations through game engines and AI to provide a map of human emotions related to imaginaries in virtual realities.
5
Publications
VR Film
Gruenewald, Tim and Cecilia Chan. "Virtual Reality as a Memory Machine." Forthcoming (under review).​
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​XR and Archaeology
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XR and Humanities Education
Cobb, P. J., E. Cobb, J. Liang, R. Kiyama, and J. Ng. (2024). “Theoretical Foundations for Archaeological Pedagogy with Digital 3D, Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Technologies,” Journal of Archaeology and Education, Volume 8, Issue 1, Article 1, Pages 1-29.
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Gruenewald, Tim. "Designing and Teaching a Virtual Field Trip in American Studies." In: Brian Beams and Lissa Crofton-Sleigh, Past and Future Presence: Approaches to Implementing XR Technology in Humanities and Art Education, New York City: Fordham University Press, 2024.
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