Every year, more VR and AR products and games are being seen at the festival. This year in particular, however, empathy technologies are taking a turn from just simply creative colors and scenery to a more political and serious atmosphere. One game, entitled Terminal 3 is a game in which the user is an airport security officer interviewing muslims. In this experience, users are prompted to ask different questions as an interviewer to ultimately decide whether or not to let this individual into the country.
The designer and writer of this game, Asad J. Malik, grew up in Pakistan and he claims that his game’s purpose is not to promote any one specific message in particular about Muslims and the way that they are treated in airports. Rather, he just wants to illustrate the tremendous difference in the personalities and backgrounds that most people do not realize. He says that there is such variety in the types of people that may or may not recognize themselves as Muslims, but “who the world would recognize as Muslims.” Malik is using his knowledge of empathy technologies and his credibility as a designer at the Tribeca Film Festival to create a change that he would like to see in the world.
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival uses AR and VR to explore music-making and empathy
Top companies American Express, Google and Amazon all brought different technologies to Coachella this past week. Coachella is a music festival in Indio, California. Each company promoted a different kind of technology and contributed a unique element: iridescence, exclusivity, and party. For example, Google promoted the Google Home Max, American Express promoted augmented reality, and Amazon promoted the Echo Look.
The goal of these companies is to shift the way we view technology’s impact on our lives. The companies connected campers to technology by taking advantage of all of the colors, filters, and Instagramable moments at Coachella.
Google partnered with VTPro and opened a Google Home Max backstage area. In the area, artists were able to play music and LED lights would follow the rhythm of the songs. American Express built an area where Amex Card Members were able to come in, relax, charge their phones, and fuel up on drinks. American Express also offered its members access to san Uber priority lane at the Ferris wheel and free merchandise through the festival’s app. In the app, users experienced AR. Lastly, Amazon did its annual “ZOEasis party” at a hotel close to the festival. At the hotel, people were able to take photos on the Echo Look and then receive fashion advice.
http://www.adweek.com/digital/how-3-brands-brought-tech-to-life-at-coachella/
Forgot to post my URL for my above comment.
https://www.emergingedtech.com/2017/06/real-uses-of-virtual-reality-in-education-how-schools-are-using-vr/
This article is an awesome example of how evolving technology can be connected with people. It was a brilliant idea for Asad Malik to create a technology that can be used to help people empathize with difficult situations. It was probably not an easy thing to do for Malik and the other producers of the game, but the game could show thousands of people the ignorance that Muslims can face while trying to travel.
It also goes to show how VR and AR can be used to make a difference not only in video games and other enterprises, but also in the educational field. This kind of technology could be used to help young students understand plenty of difficult societal world problems that we face today, and could introduce different types of ways to solve those problems.
An article I read gave a further description of how the educational system is using VR to help teach their students. Many schools use products like the Oculus Rift to introduce students to new concepts in a virtual reality setting. I think that this is awesome, and VR will be a large part of the educational future.