Weightless Bricks Act II: Collaboration

A remote-access, co-op MR experience exploring how the home and the workplace may become blurred through long-distance space.

Description:

Details:

The project explores future roles of the freelance, remote-access workforce, where their home and workplace may become blended into one, as we gain the ability to ‘long-distance space’ through growing virtual technologies. The experience centres around one shared virtual space capable of being split over multiple physical locations, where access to the space has become embedded in two specialised MR objects. The project is concerned with how, through designing for mixed-reality, you can expand your perception of your body, and abstract banal working activities into something more physical and intuitive, which also taps into multiple senses. Together, by equipping a watering can and a rake, you can find fulfilment and comfort by conducting some virtual gardening, yet the real effect of your actions on the wider world remains veiled and remote, much like yourselves. 'Weightless Bricks & Other Stories About the Future of Virtual Work Spaces' is supported by the Stimuleringsfonds for Digital Culture NL.

By:

Paula Strunden &

John Cruwys

 

Project Type:

Research

 

Status:

Complete

 

Year:

2020

 

Partners:

- Stimuleringsfonds for Digital Culture NL

- Open City Docs

- MU Artspace

 

Prototype shown at:

 

Open City Docs Festival, London

05.09.2019 - 10.09.2019

 

Exhibitions:

 

Worlding Worlds

MU Artspace, Eindhoven

01.06.20 - 30.08.20

 

NFF Interactive Expo

Bibliotheek Neude, Utrecht

25.09.20 - 03.10.20

Credits:

UX Coding

Pelican Party

Sound Design

Kevin Pollard

Voice

Bodo Neuss

Fabrication

Bmade & MU Artspace

Production

Marie Walker-Smith

With special thanks to:

Angelique Spaninks

René Lavrijsen

Bram Snijders

Evert Klinkenberg

Sofia Strunden

 

Photography courtesy of MU/Hanneke Wetzer

Addressing your mental and physical well-being, the conscious consultant acts close to the roles of a life coach and therapist. A world of virtual work that requires continuous re-specialising results in individuals becoming isolated, at odds with their humanity. The Conscious Consultant acts as a personal guru to help you overcome your inner laziness and fears in unfamiliar digital environments. The job is seen as a shared responsibility, even a Conscious Consultant will often need a Conscious Consultant.

As A.I. systems become increasingly embedded in our environment, we will be required to communicate with them much more frequently. The role of the Empathy Educator is to imbue artificial minds with soft skills; emotional etiquette, gesture recognition, natural habits, good manners, and ethics. Our A.I. systems may be able to improve their intelligence independently, but they will need someone to parent them; allowing them to socially fit in and soften our interaction with them.

The Seed Simulator builds and leverages complex simulations to visualise intangible data flows and forecast financial futures. Here, the seed simulator understands the value of human interest and can build models that predict how ventures can grow if value is added through human effort.

Will it soon be impossible to hold back the overwhelming flow of our personal data? It may become much more of a necessity to actively curate a desirable digital identity for ourselves. The Cloud Cleaner can offer their client a way to navigate one’s hoard of personal data, and objectively re-organise it to maximum effect. Part stylist, part auditor; the Cloud Cleaner makes your virtual world reflect your best self – a space that you want to openly share with others.

The port of Rotterdam is known for seeking high-tech solutions when it comes to increasing efficiency. Consequently, the human presence in these sites of increasing machine labour is being drastically altered - could the port of Rotterdam be conceivably condensed into a small team operating from anywhere in the world? The Man-Machine Masseur allows human interaction with complex AI driven systems to become seamless; by taking on the role of a team builder to offer AI perspectives to human workers, and allow AI to understand human priorities, tendencies and needs.