Virtual World Society, MIT Reality Hackathon, 2024
Helsinki XR Lab Fosters Sustainability Awareness
Green Roof Helsinki City Model, Immersive Sustainability Lab (Beta), Meta Horizon Worlds
Problem
I was invited to join the MIT Reality Hackathon, the Virtual World Society Hack, and Helsinki XR Center with a team challenge to create more global awareness and community while preserving Finnish values of trust and nature. The problem was to ultimately form an innovative solution that could establish a permanent foundation for dialogue, research, and positive impacts.
I realized that the world needs a model of what an ideal aspirational future city could be today and as a model for the future. The team ultimately believed that we needed to create a platform where organizations, museums, and companies invested in making a better world could come together and collaborate toward sustainable development goals.
Solution
Our team proposed an Immersive Sustainability Lab that would showcase how technology can be used for sustainable development. The lab would include edible gardens with AR games, AI, space simulation, and data-driven interactive art exhibitions. It would provide a unique experience for visitors to learn about sustainability in an immersive way with interactive and participatory experiences.
The Immersive Sustainability Lab would host organizations from around the world who are working towards sustainable development goals. It would become a permanent foundation and hub for dialogue, research, and positive impact. By creating this platform, we aimed to establish a global community invested in making the world a better place.
Impact Goals
Establish a global community and foundation invested in sustainable cities and making the world a better place
Inspire visitors to think about and participate in sustainability in new ways
Increase awareness and activity about sustainable development goals by 2027
I cant wait to play in an AR Sustainable Strawbery Garden; I want to make art, score points, and create real climate impact! --MIT Reality Hack Participant
Team
Team Member #1 - Executive Director of Immersive Sustainability Lab, Tiina Vuorio
Presented the objective for creating more global awareness for the Helsinki XR Center at the MIT Media Lab's Reality Hackathon
Created a case for why Helsinki is ideal for an Immersive Sustainability Lab
Oversaw the formation of a team of core members and advisors
Team Member #2 - Creative Director, Paige Dansinger
Presented a solution for Helsinki XR Center of an Immersive Sustainability Lab
Initiate a prototype using Shapes XR
Create relationships with MIT Reality Hackathon event sponsors, winners, and teams to use their immersive platforms in the implementation of creative use cases
Team Member #3 - Project Director, Maya Polackal
Leading the project from ideation to execution
Cultivate partnerships with organizations invested in sustainable development goals
Guide fundraising for stakeholder and community impacts
Advisory Team
Robin White Owen, Michael Owen, Mary Anne Powers, Leslie Shannon, Casper Harteveld, Jeremy Dalton, Alvin Graylin, Tessa Kriesel, Damon Hernandez
Supporting members
Dan Blair, Angelina Dayton, Onur Tupal-Sumer
AI Prompt LED Wall, Garden Towers, Garden Orb, Interactive Dandelion Sculpture. Immersive Suitability Lab (Beta), Concept World, Meta Horizon Worlds, 2024
Joni Apple Skater, Presence Platform Hackathon, Meta, (2023)
Joni Apple Skater, Team: Paige Dansinger, Elena Piech, Ash Madre, Charles “Al” Baker.
Problem: We wanted to create a Mixed Reality game to teach people how to skateboard, as well as bring attention to neglected urban spaces by creating green-edible garden.
Women of Reality Hackathon Interviews, MIT Reality Hackathon, (2023)
As a Judge and Mentor, I spent timeamplifying the voices of participants with interviews of women about their expereince, projects, and advice for young and diverse women emerging in immersive technology.
Media Lab Future. MIT Reality Hackathon, Hack the Hack, (2022)
Media Lab Future, Hack The Hack, MIT Reality Hackathon (2022). Paige Dansinger and Anne-Elise Chung for MIT Reality Hackathon / Hack the Hack 2022.
Creating a future Reality Hack in Space! Future Metaverse explores how people may gather to solve problems together today and the future in Social VR. an external view of the future MIT Media Lab in Horizon Worlds. Garden Hacks, Script Examples, and Interactive Shapes offer visitors and groups opportunities to Hack together. Future Hackathons may happen across multiple platforms and worlds in the Metaverse.
MIT Reality Hackathon, (2020)
February 17, 2020
Inspiration
Our inspiration was to engage members of the community at the MIT Reality Hackathon and Public Expo in creative ways to engage and identify edible and medicinal plants to build individual, group, and community resilience through drawing together.
Over 65 people drew a dandelion at the MIT Reality Hackathon and the Public Expo
What it does
This art installation invites participants to plant AR Seeds, watch AR Plants grow, and pollinate the plants with an AR Bee. People propagating and pollinating plants using AR creates a deeper connection to the plants in inhabited environments. Discovering edible and medicinal plants empowers the public. Creating and recognizing a dandelion, or other flower one created in a VR Dandelion Patch makes people feel awesome! They see their work with everyone else's and know they are in an inclusive and more equitable shared space; this is Utopian.
How We Built It
We used Unity, Vuforia, Tilt Brush, Oculus Quest, and Procreate App for the Hackathon. I also added all AR images to the ARize App. AR Dandelion Patch was created by participants of the MIT Reality Hackathon.
Try it out: https://arize.page.link/Y4ek2H4sZaGozsBn9
We built by practicing listening to our partner's skills, voices, and experiences while supporting new growing opportunities. We also built it by having a strong mission, perspective, and ability to edit unnecessary elements. Our team each had a purpose and was able to combine our work. As an XR Artist, I loved drawing in Tilt Brush with over 50 people at the Hackathon. I wanted to include diverse people from all over the world. For some, it was their first time drawing in Tilt Brush. I would instruct them their right hand was Hand of Infinite Power, that by pressing the button they can create anything in the world. And their left or non-dominated hand was their Hand of Infinite Choices, with tools, nibs, and brushes. Each participant felt super-empowered to create something that expressed their joy and individuality. By doing this I created new friends, connected people in a group activity that created deeper connections, and took the opportunity to add XR public art practice & XR Social Ed community resilience-building in simple pleasant ways.
What's next for AR Community Garden
A single dandelion https://arize.page.link/o2E1rVeqZyWo27uz9 will be included in the XR Art Show in San Diego. Additionally, being exposed to VIVE Eye and hand tracking inspired me to learn how to use them for future projects, and to import my work into Nreal through friends at FXG.
Built With
SUBMITTED TO
XR Brain Jam, Games for Change (2021)
LuckyAI, XR Brain Jam. Honorable Mention Award, Games for Change Festival (2021). Travel to an enchanted land to find a young boy who showcases and teaches humanity and compassion through gesture and verbal communication (experiential learning). We used AI, Unity, and Tilt Brush. Inspired by Rinpoche, a boy who lives in the Himalayas. Team Lucky13's Prototype for the G4C's XR Brain Jam 2021.. Built for the Oculus.
Team 13: Ayisha R. - Designer-Dev, Researcher, Aylish T. - Designer, 2D Artist, Fabián G. - Designer, Engineer, 3D Artist, Jan R. - Subject matter expert, Designer, Paige D. - Designer, 3D Artist, Music, Parnika S. - Producer, Designer, Engineer, SoundSnap - additional SFX
Climate Hackathons hosted at Horizon Art School. Meta Horizon Worlds, 2021