<p dir="ltr">While 2020 saw the cancellation of most in-person events, 2021 is seeing an explosion of interest in events that offer valuable programming for both in-person audiences as well as those that want to tune-in remotely. Marketers are predicting that the future of events will be a hybrid of online and in-person - the world of either is behind us. (<a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/the-world-of-either-is-behind-us-marketers-predict-the-future-of-events-will-be-a-hybrid-of-online-in-person/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Digiday 2021</a>)</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are a few different ways that your event or conference can take advantage of new technologies to create a successful hybrid event.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"></h3>
<figure style="margin:0px 0px 1em;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:16px;line-height:inherit;font-family:'system-ui', 'system-ui', '-apple-system';"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iakR6aENWbdQJnPPq3EvjAeWR2hp4poSxXdJ6Hh9FlDLUXDYgw4d-Cd1nIJ-GYBOxBXkPF38IdWGaq5dv2Q0Ijzg4QJn9iMGrsOfkRsWiOPZhe2eeaBDU-rabeKFuNnS60VTquMZ" width="624" height="315" alt="" /></figure><h3 dir="ltr">SMART BADGES</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Both remote and in-person attendees need to receive proper credentials in order to gain access to different event components. This approach to audience management helps to incentivize higher tiers of engagement.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">When planning a hybrid event, consider utilizing smart badges which can be integrated seamlessly with in-app profiles, preferences, settings, and status indicators. Equipped with features like touch reactivity, and color attendee preferences and status to bridge the gap in a variety of ways. They also allow the audience in a session to convey sentiment or interest during a keynote session, or showcasing status for networking preferences during social events (i.e., green means looking for new opportunities, orange means open to talk shop). When these simple indicators are seamlessly integrated into event schedules and experiences, they can become natural icebreakers and powerful web tools.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<h3 dir="ltr"></h3>
<figure style="margin:0px 0px 1em;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:16px;line-height:inherit;font-family:'system-ui', 'system-ui', '-apple-system';"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/F2IsQy8Yv8C8G5XA9LV9gQqdn_SNgWFWqpagUIl97QfZjg_pkLgaqLIxLCOJGB3w4WHDgnVVwOS-ppimrJqBfOoV8g6xJrz6pBsxktCW1QlSMwVkveEeLZxi9XvIg4E67xl7LaFQ" width="417" height="615" alt="" /></figure><h3 dir="ltr">VIDEO PORTALS</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Physical portals equipped with streaming technology can enable remote attendees to teleport into strategically placed locations around the venue, with live audio and visual presence. These help to bridge the gap through strategic timing and placement—for example, a livestream of remote attendees could be set up in portals at the entrance to welcome and greet physical attendees as they arrive. Throughout the week, these portals provide the ability for virtual and in person attendees to talk face to face in a more casual and accessible manner. Integrated features, such as the ability for in person attendees to tap their smart badge to share credentials with their virtual comrades, can add efficiency and ease to the connection. The view of, and from, the portal also provides a sense of scale for the magnitude of attendance to all parties involved.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<figure style="margin:0px 0px 1em;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:16px;line-height:inherit;font-family:'system-ui', 'system-ui', '-apple-system';"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b2cYPXBYozSZJNFkRxPQPigE5rw75b6KvpeaVUfmB9YUyumojWPw63LV3P3Wcbs6GiU-OrgOFwQpokg5fLvQDo5O-SCyH0vtHGgA7tG-a55sjkdCTK05rO663PMbn-z95A0f1hGK" width="497" height="746" alt="" /></figure><h3 dir="ltr">LIVE EVENT CHAT AND REACTION STREAM</h3>
<p dir="ltr">A live event chat stream allows remote and face-to-face guests to discuss speakers and topics before and after the ( meeting or main event ), visually presenting other people with similar reactions to stimulate conversations and network connections.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Live crowd reactions—in the form of emojis, custom icons or even speaker questions —could appear in the session visuals during presentations. These playful and dynamic animations could appear in real time in both the virtual viewport and on the large screen accompanying the main stages. This animated activity could then become a barometer of audience sentiment and engagement during the sessions to show how the crowd is feeling and allow all participants to get a sense of the energy present—whether they are in the same room or not. In addition, people with similar reactions could be notified about their shared interests with other attendees to help facilitate networking after the session. Crowd reactions could be shared quickly and easily through the online platform, while in person attendees could leverage either the app or “click” features on digitally enhanced badges to convey interest or sentiment.</p>
<figure style="margin:0px 0px 1em;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:16px;line-height:inherit;font-family:'system-ui', 'system-ui', '-apple-system';"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9_kQJaY-JrvE9dXgETmSADrztpZ1jPfp7fwjLp863-CtNp2nk3VINc7_XV8Rp-GNKJMTdz2SDPt1OUMi6lg21EAaeOYUs1Vlgda7v002wlrYzj4W7M2QfRWpBTMeIhlYXjWCDGXA" width="507" height="338" alt="" /></figure><h3 dir="ltr">TOPICS WALL</h3>
<p dir="ltr">The audience feedback and sentiment data generated during live meetings can be processed and displayed to obtain additional ROE. Cumulative data from each day will reveal trends and insights that can act as conversation starters and conference takeaways in their own right. For example, daily features—such as: “most voted for audience question,” “Top 5 most common phrases that appeared in today’s discussion comments,” or a video clip of the day’s “hottest moment” as measured by audience reactions—could be displayed on a giant interactive “wall” hosted on-site, and reflected on the digital platform. It’s information would act as both a daily recap and an indicator of “what’s hot” surfacing information that attendee’s could utilize, discuss, or even share with their network on LinkedIn or other social platforms.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">VIP ENGAGEMENT</h3>
<p>Facilitate an elite experience for VIP attendees by leveraging technology to surface novel in-app features and transform physical environments in a manner that generates buzz. These same features and upgrades can also capitalize on networking opportunities with power players, award winners and other VIP’s, or empower VIP’s to promote themselves and increase their own visibility by hosting digital fireside chats, panel discussions, or having their questions and comments given priority in the chat stream.<br /></p>
<figure style="margin:0px 0px 1em;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:16px;line-height:inherit;font-family:'system-ui', 'system-ui', '-apple-system';"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SAKUsnI-TMMtNu0RTU8UXlrYSHK0OAxEvzHeJPC7cqcDfZzRZXXE4rl3Xiq5uHVdFvHsk-Gqli8eoWGcVCArV7l8WNMpfWzDx2mGZD0O7shV-mQnqNDwrBbHrlwH5qvg98ubXQAE" width="624" height="416" alt="" /></figure><h3 dir="ltr">VIRTUAL GOODIE BAGS</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Every event needs to add some extracurriculars to keep the audience feeling stimulated and refreshed. Wine, whiskey, or chocolate tasting sessions can be just the ticket! Remote attendees could join in-person tasting sessions if they are sent goodie bags in advance that they can sample along with the host.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><br />There are an increasing number of technology solutions helping usher in the world of hybrid events. Now is the time to explore and invest in the best and most appropriate ways to further leverage your in person conference or event. More than 60% of SMBs and enterprise businesses have hybrid events in their portfolio (<a href="https://www.markletic.com/blog/hybrid-event-statistics">Markletic</a> 2021).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Don’t get left behind!</p>

Lucrezia carnelos IM Uwe p1yqs unsplash

Screen Shot 2021 06 24 at 12 56 16 PM

Shared Experiences Are Back: Hybrid Event Ideas

<h3><strong>Art + Technology as a movement has taken over the landscape of the art scene, architecture, advertising and more. Let’s look at the scope of digital art installations in 2021! </strong><a href="https://www.teamlab.art/e/asianart/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br /><br /></a></h3>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.teamlab.art/e/asianart/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">teamlab - San Francisco</a> </h2></td></tr></tbody></table><figure><iframe width="760" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nDlav2FTBmQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br />Exciting news!<a href="https://www.facebook.com/teamLab.inc?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWoBWJqqiEUQ-KLy0u41sgFZYB4yglcoyjtL5TXf_bFD7p0EqnxAZg2Z0WghCzi8cMJpEO4tCN2O1UShhybtncTRqG-JDKgfGn4PpCQhbiaq2q3vEY_sF6L5wtqldGWQZdqZKgQiLSK_aLz2iEVlHIRzC2fFISH3d5Mb25VFtvK4sh9L5REQ4z4kqsAPnWhy84&amp;__tn__=-%5DK-R" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> teamLab </a>has launched their newest installation in San Francisco, CA. The “teamLab: Continuity” exhibit is located at the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AsianArtMuseum/?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWoBWJqqiEUQ-KLy0u41sgFZYB4yglcoyjtL5TXf_bFD7p0EqnxAZg2Z0WghCzi8cMJpEO4tCN2O1UShhybtncTRqG-JDKgfGn4PpCQhbiaq2q3vEY_sF6L5wtqldGWQZdqZKgQiLSK_aLz2iEVlHIRzC2fFISH3d5Mb25VFtvK4sh9L5REQ4z4kqsAPnWhy84&amp;__tn__=kK-R" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Asian Art Museum</a> in San Francisco and newly opened to the public, since July 23. Tokyo-based international art collective teamLab is renowned for its interactive, and interconnected digital artworks. We already have a slack group dedicated to taking a field trip to this wondrous exhibit, so we can finally be immersed in a teamLab creation. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“At <em>teamLab: Continuity</em>, you will find yourself immersed in a wondrous ecosystem of lush imagery drawn from nature and East Asian art that dynamically evolves around you. Sumptuous images of inky crows and fluorescent flowers, fluttering butterflies and darting fish propel you to wander, to pause, and to marvel.” <br /></p>
<p><br /><br /></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.vangoghsf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Van Gogh - SF</a></h2></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><strong>It's Time to Gogh</strong><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">We have all seen the video of the immersive Van Gogh exhibit circulating social media...<br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="760" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gIc_533Uf54" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p dir="ltr">With the immersive social media sensation now landing in San Francisco, a tech hub, you can imagine we expected the best version of this installation. It’s 300,000 cubic feet of projections, 60,600 frames of video, and 90,000,000 rich pixels of Van Gogh art history delivered at a time when we needed covid safe entertainment in San Francisco. A great preview of the power of tech + art and the journey art is taking, it left us lusting for the original experience at Atelier des Lumieres. The whole experience really gets you thinking and that’s what propels ingenuity and creativity. </p>
<h3>"Experience the organic landscapes of Van Gogh’s imagination, and journey through his brilliance and madness. Astonishing in scale and breathtakingly imaginative, you will experience Van Gogh’s art in a completely new and unforgettable way."</h3>
<blockquote><a href="https://www.vangoghsf.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Van Gogh SF Website</a></blockquote>
<p><br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4nrYhRRZ2yMrooQbjxbNb_wk1dv3HqemnC7z7GuZ6MCl2ggvv8EWIgsnke52EOT-dw7izmdCDNbbuAVzsMUOVkRbZUGr4-M9vNMhZJRtBUDpppj5nyX_lvkflVcS3kFjbBJnoE6C" width="600" height="338" alt="" /></figure><figure><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iQNnb7R2a9tMpORUdqzKN9AsQrNg8coFJlCDGZNPlban9rvUHxBjx7WngujGBTzL0QP7akfe0zTqCy9jv_61lyJNebhddjOBK7p1YTiwyqsy4Tqgrnp1QeVzs0cx7QOqnrMa3F4L" width="636" height="477" alt="" /></figure><h3>“This experience has nothing to do with vases of sunflowers nor the story of a troubled artist; the real product is the format itself and the hijacking of the senses it provides.” - <em>The Stanford Daily</em></h3>
<p><br /><br /><br /></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.omegamart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Omega Mart </a>( MeowWolf ) - Las Vegas </h2></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="760" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fXmhf-6itUg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p dir="ltr">Recently we had the opportunity to <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/blog/meow-wolf-x-britelite-immersive-interview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview Vince Kadlubek, Co-Founder Of Meow Wolf.</a> It’s part of a new blog series, where we interview our heroes of innovation and creative technology. </p>
<p>“We have a social mission and we are all about supporting access to creativity and access to creative tools for marginalized communities.”</p>
<p>- <em>Vince Kadlubek, Co-Founder of Meow Wolf<br /><br /></em>With that, we obviously had to add Meow Wolf's recently launched 'Omega Mart' in Las Vegas. An international hit and a social media sensation, the new installation is filled nook to cranny with a textual, colorful, immersive and interactive walkthrough experience for the whole family. The surprise of every nook and cranny of the Las Vegas Meow Wolf space being artistically wrapped, makes us hope for more colorful uses of space and architecture in the future. </p>
<h3>“Meow Wolf’s second permanent installation, <em>Omega Mart</em>, is an interactive, mind-bending art experience. Participants explore an extraordinary supermarket that bursts into surreal worlds and unexpected landscapes.” </h3>
<blockquote>-<a href="https://meowwolf.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Meow Wolf Website</a></blockquote>
<p><br /></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://area15.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Area15</a> - Las Vegas</h2></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="760" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DfX4Ein5l8U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p dir="ltr">Described as a “district of immersive experiences”, you can see why Area15 Las Vegas made it onto the list. Pretty soon our downtown’s will be made up of Dune style projections, holograms, immersive and interactive experiences, but recently these installations are now hubbing in “districts”. This immersive district is home to OMega Mart, An immersive Van Gogh exhibit, an AR experience called Particle quest, A psychedelic art house called “Wink World”, the VR experience OZ, an emporium that has it all, and so much more. This is an all in one hub for anything and everything, 10/10 recommended. We only hope to see these ideas expand more into public spaces and these districts are an excellent starting point. </p>
<h3>“AREA15 is an immersive playground, all rolled into a vast and vibrant space. Throw an axe, wander through a bamboo volcano, race on a zip line, or explore other mesmerizing realms. From the futuristic to the thrill-seeking, there’s an experience for everyone here.”</h3>
<blockquote>- <a href="https://area15.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Area15 Website</a></blockquote>
<p><br /></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3hYdfR0%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR23JSgdpJk-tDqiIx4WMsp4m4k7PjuumlUMiVCSypgqfoUZyEHBt44wDzE&amp;h=AT00aeOV5bOtKpTyYpz6t_vymyniPNZhT6SPZHRY_9P7pF1SacQqhquyAqmT9w5Wk2GQv3J07K77A30m_vVs8Hfrm1LdvnMpXf4AMNCP4MvUSuvSlzIgShO-tJsEl1--1QR0w6VudQaH73ohu1pW1ZI&amp;__tn__=%2CmH-y-R&amp;c%5B0%5D=AT2id__zMAhgzuxuIsJ7foI_e1cDGg1DDDxXuSdxgENhxqqKuGXH_btTFgmG2RYSZ1YMXgEQyu3qG3s4m-Rqtc65zo-8Lb2WK83DxHBxQqoA32bpluAT5Aa4ISC-e6r3rR3iDNP5XibFxA3M2ZogMFetBj3vxC7ZZJF-JjNcr3iTaFlY64_COM49-KDb71HgNdvSRS-aaUS0HUPT30gd5Qku487Hyrwst7BYLbaGo_f3-TlRhPqQOqHlLsI4MIQI0QBJ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moment Factory</a> - Att Discovery District</h2></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>
<figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/577189227" width="740" height="460" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</figure><p><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MomentFactory/?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWPEc1EbB80Ci_bbV_7FBB4qSqchddTuB1vADwA8TKUW_5a-ol70yyCW9koQddvYc2p-X3crGOnTcZqYCMfk2RyGDbS3cbALXN9ZFKWckuo8ChesSRJH6GZCBMAoiZmN_2b3SBVVwDEaqYIOI_MvxdpuNA1JO1SLd8qFiWDTLlShcAWG4iWWVReuD9sMgK-gs_Zf0EHwoK2g_jqtxiEeLpehjz-9SyIknu3lfHDdfLg-A&amp;__tn__=kK-R" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moment Factory</a> did it again! Wow! This cinematic media wall climbs a building in the heart of the downtown district of Dallas. Moment Factory utilized a combination of tech to make this monumental piece of media architecture: Unreal Engine, 6K media wall, LED trellis, custom digital management system, and of course, a powerhouse team. Installations like this frame how we think about public space differently in our industry, and creates conversation around the future of spaces. Moment Factory’s monumental feat in tackling public art spaces with well thought out digital art Installations always inspires us here at Britelite. </p>
<h3>“Evolving over a 24-hour period, the media wall’s original cinematic capsules offer a wide variety of high-impact show features that provide moments of collective enjoyment while a collection of ambient capsules encourage pause and relaxation throughout the day.”</h3>
<blockquote>- <a href="https://momentfactory.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moment Factory Website </a></blockquote>
<p><br /><br /><br /></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.artechouse.com/location/nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artechouse</a> - New York</h2></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="760" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bUXZcPq6CcM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p dir="ltr">At the crossroads of art, science and technology, ARTECHOUSE is pioneering the creation and curation of innovative art forms that redefine audience participation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There is a lot to say about Artechouse, but most importantly -- there is a desire to go! This is one exhibition space we constantly see killing it, and we are huge fans of every artist they have worked with. The latest exhibit, Geometric Properties, is showing through September 6. The audio-visual installation created with artist Julius Horsthuis is described as the creative digital expression of the endless iterations and multiple dimensions of fractals. Visitors are taken on an exploration through the recent past and Horsthuis’s ideal future, one that returns to the intersection of nature and math as the source of inspiration. Artechouse’s mission to inspire, educate and empower is not lost, and in fact is present in every representation of works. </p>
<h3>"We are on a mission to stimulate interest in the limitless possibilities of creative innovation and to push the boundaries of what is possible."</h3>
<blockquote>- <a href="https://www.artechouse.com/location/nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artechouse Website</a></blockquote>
<p><br /></p>
<p>During covid we started watching districts, downtowns and permanent centers think about how to better navigate urbanism and people in communities with innovation. It is said that a downtown with no parking has a very small problem, whereas, a downtown with a lot of available parking has a very big problem -- these installations create walkability and activate story-telling in a unique and generous way. We are excited to see the growth, nurture it, and lead in it, as veterans of the future. If you are interested in creating powerful interactive experiences for your organization that go beyond the demo, please <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/">get in touch</a>!<br /></p>

Moment Factory Public Spaces ATT 6 D9 A8833 WS

6 Digital art installations to see in 2021

M Wcircuit

Meow Wolf x Britelite Immersive

<h2 dir="ltr"><br /></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Over the past decade, gaming has become intertwined with mainstream culture. From the rise of live streaming as a primary form of lean-back entertainment to the embrace of esports from ESPN and university programs, gaming culture has proven so strong that <a href="https://financesonline.com/number-of-gamers-worldwide/">two in five humans are gamers</a><em>.</em><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Insightfully, <a href="https://medium.com/ipg-media-lab/gaming-as-a-cultural-force-dc456f8a41ab">IPG Media Lab points out</a>, one reason for the rise of gaming may be that “the gaming industry has adopted the best parts of the media sectors that come before: it franchises the popular titles like movies, prioritizes long-term engagement like TV, and enjoys high replayability like music.”<br /></p>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>The rise of gameful design</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">With this new robust media segment comes an inevitable knock-on effect to other parts of the culture. Design elements of games are now commonly used in many experiences that go beyond gaming. The term for this phenomenon is <em>gameful design</em>, which refers to using game design elements in a user experience whose primary purpose is something other than playing games. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277288978_The_Lens_of_Intrinsic_Skill_Atoms_A_Method_for_Gameful_Design">According to Sebastian Deterding,</a> one of the pioneers of gameful design, “Practically, [gameful design] is almost always a form of design with intent that also has to support functional needs – like a printer that both allows printing and motivates users to print less. In short, gameful design attempts to design systems that serve specific functions and uses and facilitate both through motivating enjoyable experiences.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">In what can be described as a <a href="https://www.jvrb.org/past-issues/14.2017/4694">conceptual blend</a>, gameful design combines concepts from gaming with other domains to generate new interactions and experiences.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<figure><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KR1s6qSIIXh3Kz5XsAuzSqXv74gGujwN6WZHGICc1KTkSnJ1I6mWg9wV7qZhDt9uIoFgGS8NftFtq9g7UxH0If-vi7kCM7q9tJ4iwEFmAD0Eomz8Be4OUaWgJB5uxypkOf-dVN0" width="624" height="426" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr">Today, gameful design is integrated into products and services all around us. Whenever an experience includes elements designed to keep you motivated and engaged, whether it be through competition with others, mastery of a skill, or rankings and rewards, gameful design is being utilized. For example, take the recent rise of connected fitness machines that let you live stream workouts and compete with other users halfway around the world. People love to compete and to see a track record of achievements. <br /><br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ZVTnaZZZOQq4CQzj1AbKMafR1CUW_-rrwDFg6xkL8gtByFbGOtQLup7qNfFXPCRyHy92_JL2QqlNiGt5AqUmKwo_eJZ665I1HBoaf2M-hPmbUM-vrsCuotEOQKLqFMgyklFsuVI" width="624" height="426" alt="" /></figure><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Haptics: A game element whose time has come</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">As games go, so goes all interaction. As long as gaming remains near the center of culture, new design elements in games will always proliferate to non-gaming interactions and market offerings of many kinds. One particular game element – haptics – has been central to gaming for decades, but technology limitations have constrained its growth and application to new markets. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Haptics has always been important to gaming but has only recently achieved a level of fidelity and scale that will allow the sense of touch to be included in non-game contexts. The world is at the beginning stage of a new evolutionary step of haptic games, exemplified by HD haptics in smartphones and the Nintendo Switch and the new DualSense game controller from Sony.</p>
<figure><img alt="A close-up of a game controller Description automatically generated with low confidence" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tRROxfOHuOA3c0fC75KKbNGOAM5YI4FmaufZy_d3b1IIftHpsFLxkwI1eKGYrexiVGnLuG5AHaKn5Zu4qIgyZTaKKDAAzaOt6aB0yIEX-fTNB8ePT9pWo9nsIfPPNKPVN5SGNmU" width="600" height="338" /></figure><p dir="ltr">However, a broader convergence is underway that will have implications for gameful design. At roughly the same time that gaming graphics and audio have advanced to a level of fidelity that approaches sensory saturation, haptics has reached a threshold where high definition vibration and next-generation force feedback actuators are widely available as a part of gaming controllers and peripherals. This means that haptics will be a key innovation area for the gaming experience, and beyond, in the coming years.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This leads to a critical question. How will haptics be used in other fields that already take advantage of gameful design? Here are some interaction designs and current market offerings that have either integrated haptics or are primed to do so. As gameful design advances, look for haptics to play an increasingly important role in the evolution of these experiences. </p>
<figure><img alt="Graphical user interface, timeline Description automatically generated" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/64-mCQvSeMHdplVP7bcaoksJ0iY-yQpfwMIkfw2TC-g8aQfVsfm7zqAh_PlqghdTaJtY6jgkMlZPF470HY4gvLlYUwvbhGW2XDP3yPgs-CYH0JNcp-foZfTDQXAacvwXHKJj0uE" width="624" height="473" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><em>An example of an online Kahoot Game (that happens to be about haptics). Kahoots are used in educational and training settings to make learning fun. Natural roles for haptics in these interactions include alerts that trigger on wrong or right answers, ticking clocks that let you know time is running out, or feeling the subject itself, requiring the user to determine the correct answer based on the feeling of the haptic feedback. Discover Kahoots here: </em><a href="https://create.kahoot.it/discover"><em>https://create.kahoot.it/discover</em></a></p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Education</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">In lower education, gamified educational programs like Kahoot and Prodigy, along with Zoom lectures and other techniques, have been used extensively while schools remained closed due to the global pandemic. They will continue to play a role in how teachers engage with their students in the future. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128018729000065">Research indicates</a> that well-designed, multisensory learning environments may use visual, sound, and touch stimuli to reinforce each other, reduce cognitive load, and increase the likelihood that material will be retained. With remote education and e-learning set to continue growing even as schools reopen, haptic features in game controllers, mice, touchpads, and other devices will be used in creative ways to further enhance the efficacy of remote education.</p>
<figure><strong><em><img alt="A picture containing person, indoor Description automatically generated" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DOS7DLQHBLx9mOpPTq2HMWlyZvfJ9GY-cgrsSuzPD0sxsyOR1bP8YbXNRCnR02X-phtBY_yz8Qm6d2Tw4sNIDvmQYS0dgHxaIv1PaiWqTPBmWYl9KC0aYhi42r0e5jsTJFDAdFM" width="600" height="425" /></em></strong></figure><p><em>Laparoscopic Surgical Simulator unit with haptic feedback simulates a realistic experience of suturing and tying knots within the abdomen for training</em>. </p>
<figure><strong><img alt="A person in a lab coat looking at a x-ray Description automatically generated with low confidence" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_WQC771WJLFm2oehQ_9h1143SSuhgJQNXoesz3z7kVhxOkCeHwVRkY-U1NkCdPwrry5NNPYVB63Of_MOZgKnJBg9ZCl5kGZa1p963j1YfeRCAyuCpHGZVQBbf4D-PV-NI95QLY" width="600" height="425" /></strong></figure><p><em>An endoscopy surgical training unit with haptics provides tactile feedback to the user. The simulator provides a realistic experience for teaching and assessing motor skills and knowledge, enabling novices and experienced physicians to hone their skills in a safe way.</em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong><br /></strong></h3>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Training</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">Surgical and other medical simulators have been part of the training program for medical and nursing students for some time. Typically, these programs include a virtual reality headset with physical, tracked instruments that interact with mannequins or other physical training elements. This was because, until now, high-fidelity virtual haptics required a high-end, expensive technology stack. As haptic technology becomes less expensive and more capable, expect to see <a href="https://digitalhealthcentral.com/2020/10/26/how-haptic-gloves-are-changing-medical-training/">haptics integrated into more VR-based training programs.</a> That said, building muscle memory in haptic VR is not straightforward. In fact, we are so sensitive to tiny variations in haptic feedback that, if the tactile cues in a virtual training experience are slightly imprecise, <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/11/haptics-dont-always-pay-off/">haptics may reduce the value of training overall.</a> The key to ensuring the viability of haptic VR for training and simulation is high fidelity and robust haptic interfaces with carefully designed multimodal interactions.</p><figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/Screen-Shot-2021-06-29-at-2.42.18-PM.png" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><br /><br /><em>Materializer smartphone app simulates the feeling of grass, metal, sandpaper, brick wall in a mobile device.</em></p>



<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Retail</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">E-commerce will utilize haptics to convey the physicality of products, from their surface textures to their material qualities. One of the earliest successes for AR was the use of mobile apps for furniture shopping that let people see what new furniture would look like in their house. Another related use case is shopping for clothes, where AR lets you “try on” new garments digitally. The next step is to add haptic sensations to these interactions enabling people to feel the products. It is well known that when a shopper touches a product in a store, <a href="https://retailtouchpoints.com/features/executive-viewpoints/when-shoppers-touch-products-they-generally-purchase">the likelihood of purchasing skyrockets.</a> Haptics will bring the same phenomenon to e-commerce, radically changing consumer behavior online. </p>
<figure><em><img alt="A picture containing text, person, screen, electronics Description automatically generated" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LADX-OcnfN8kv-xqoc70guFY0NWbZeWyzg-kJxAkw0heAYZs_a2OQhq8ulNxJhM6iQVxLb31CKvuK9ZUBfVzTR9bNOvbVmZCGESjJwstsYrZXo0x1AsgDdjBeT3HaoLbkQipMOI" width="600" height="400" /></em></figure><p dir="ltr"><em>Online credit card transaction with haptics.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Financial services</strong>. When we think about immersion in a digital experience, financial services is not the first thing that comes to mind. Nonetheless, we want to feel confident and secure in our financial transactions. From its common use in touch screens and touch surfaces, we know that haptics is capable of providing unmistakable confirmation that a digital interaction has taken place. Visa has taken advantage of this with their <a href="https://developer.visa.com/pages/visa-sensory-branding">Visa Sensory Branding API.</a> Developers who create apps that interact with Visa may integrate any combination of branded visual animation, sound, and a brand-specific haptic pattern to confirm transactions. Going beyond branded confirmation, <a href="https://immr-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dbirnbaum_immersion_com/Documents/With%20the%20advent%20of%20widely%20available%20HD%20actuators%20along%20with%20gaming%20systems%20that%20feature%20next-generation%20force%20feedback.%20With">providing a sense of transaction magnitude through touch may encourage responsible spending behaviors.</a> Immersion has experimented with designs for tactile payment confirmation that convey the size of the transaction through intuitive tactile metaphors, such as the weight of physical money as it exchanges hands to confer emotions of confidence and solidity, while providing additional confirmation that the transaction has taken place and with the intended amount.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/grid.gif" alt="" /></figure><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>The future of gaming with haptics</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">With the goal of a game designer to immerse and engage gamers, haptics has always played a natural role in game design. As gameful design is applied to new use cases for technology, we can expect designers to utilize haptics for many of the same advantages it confers to gaming. Here’s to a gamefully-designed future, where human enterprise is playful, rewarding, and multi-sensory.</p>
<p><br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/avatar_small_1.jpg" alt="" /></figure><h5 dir="ltr"><br /></h5>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Author:</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>David Birnbaum, Senior Director, Technology Strategy at Immersion Corp.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Dave Birnbaum is a designer, inventor, and public speaker on the topics of emotional design, embodied communication, and immersive entertainment. He has been creating haptic experiences for over 15 years, in which time he’s been named as an inventor on over 100 patents in the fields of gaming, XR, automotive, mobile devices, and rich interactive media. Dave is a founding member of the Haptics Industry Forum, the leading industry group focused on standardizing and scaling haptic technology. Dave holds the position of Senior Director of Technology Strategy in the Office of the CTO at Immersion Corporation. He also hosts the INIT Podcast, where he interviews leading thinkers and innovators at the intersection of technology and humanity.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/White.png" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>About Immersion</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The leading expert in haptics, Immersion Corporation develops and licenses essential haptic technologies and software that allow people to use their sense of touch to engage with their digital environment. The company invents, accelerates, and scales haptic experiences by providing technology solutions for mobile, automotive, gaming, and consumer electronics. The company licenses its technologies to major brand manufacturers and is adopted in more than 3 billion digital devices worldwide. Haptic technology creates immersive and realistic experiences that enhance digital interactions by engaging users' sense of touch.<br /></p>
<p>Learn more at <a href="https://www.immersion.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immersion.com</a></p>

Image1

Esportsfinal

Gameful Design and the Human Touch

<h3 dir="ltr"><br /></h3>
<p><strong>Fashionista’s have likely already heard that Rebecca Minkoff’s new book ‘Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success’ has just been released. Considering Rebecca’s track record of retail innovation and experimentation, we thought it would be a perfect moment to have Britelite’s CEO, Daina Middleton, sit down with Rebecca Minkoff and chat!</strong><br /><br /></p>

<figure><em><em><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yHd-KmQMG6RVTMwiYnRqj9l3Kf85Bhnikut6P0_FwJk6YiLYxFJ1KYKUmgXmJAGLujQx7gPSJf_jsIn0U4lM4xYuCDlU00o2N86sds81lJPrMEo5tbZ7O-Zjw8phlMicXYn0Kup0" width="600" height="762" alt="" /></em></em></figure><p dir="ltr"><em>Where did your entrepreneurial gene come from? </em></p>
<p dir="ltr">I learned at an early age that nothing is ever handed to you, it only comes from hard work. I believe my Mom gave me the gift of not handing me everything. I learned how to figure shit out. Make your own food. Work your way through it. It wasn’t just me, my brother was also an entrepreneur at a very early age. He is a partner in her business today. Self sufficiency skills can drive innovation and creativity -- not just at a macro level, but in each situation.</p>
<figure><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pIs-TVMZo_Hi7aoHR5OPzFAYL2dYihKmR6jQVPWg1RxPt7Fc53FQaHw1DP1V4HjNCd8F5D8WMnE9t9OTO9IwIkDdCCfY3xo4OqMA60-8gd3rY-QeqotAIYZqiz-0Doo13-4mNttI" width="449" height="599" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><em>At Britelite, we consider ourselves Veterans of the Future. I know you often talk about your brand being “always first in” which is a really similar concept. The Rebecca Minkoff brand is truly a Veteran of the Future in the retail space. Tell me about this. </em></p>
<p dir="ltr">A long time ago we recognized that customers had an expectation of blended analog and digital experiences even though the analog spaces were providing most of the interactions. The Mirror experience and partnership with eBay was an acknowledgement of this as well as a nod toward the importance of truly understanding your customer. We wanted to preserve the effective analog engagements to connect with customers and use technology and a tech mindset to improve upon it. This meant using technology user experience to think through a fashion and analog retail experience. That was new and different, but it paid off for the customer and for us. Data is obviously a critical component. We are not a big company trying to gather data in a heavy handed way. We understand that the more data we have, the more ways we can better serve our customers.</p>
<figure><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/P9PRjqvTF2yH2-2NMFfW9P6ngjzr_O2JDCKOwtUNGfGfmZv1Zsa65MRnNXdYk7ikxqBUTGV0MqpUzt6gV0IdByieZ8nIu0N7wuKOht-nPxlKaNaDrK3b8_1rrP2eZOAFfv9nWwFF" width="624" height="416" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><em>Where will Connected Retail go Next -- Post COVID?</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">We recently launched a borrow button so that customers can try a product before buying it. We recognized that not everyone wants to rent just from one company or just for special occasions. Renting provides affordability and accessibility for individuals. We also understand that some of our customers really care about sustainability and renting satisfies this need.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/Screen-Shot-2021-06-17-at-3.21.00-PM.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><em><br /></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Let’s shift gears and talk about your new book, 'Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success'. I understand the labor of love and commitment required to write a book. Tell me what motivated you to write it?</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">I am not the crazy person who decided to write a book during the pandemic. I signed my deal at the end of 2019. I have 20 years of experience learning successes and failures that could be helpful to other women on their journey. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Working for yourself can be scary. Working for someone else can be scary. Unfortunately, we often let fear call the shots. Fear is a great emotion when you are being chased and need to escape, but it's a terrible emotion for following your dreams. It’s important to acknowledge there will be fear. You are going to have it, but don’t let it stop you.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/c7Ezyqdk.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><em><br /></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>You have been dedicated to helping women for a long time. Founding the Female Founder Collective, for example. Tell me about that.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">I am proud of the work we have done with the Female Founder Collective and we have made a big impact and will continue to do so. I believe in supporting other women entrepreneurs. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/Screen-Shot-2021-06-17-at-3.24.17-PM.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p><br /><br /><em>There is a quote of yours I found that I love: “Never set out to be a rule breaker, it’s just that the old rules weren’t really working for me, so I had to go out and make my own.” Tell me where this came from:</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Certain rules in life can be helpful. I operate in an industry ripe for change. For example, sometimes success is determined by who your family works with, or who you or your parents are connected to. I didn’t have any of these more traditional paths. I could fail, or I could go my own way and create my own set of rules. The key is to use those that work for you, and know when to create your own when they don’t. </p>

<p dir="ltr"><em><br /></em><em>What advice would you give to young women entrepreneurs today?</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Technology has made a lot of things instantly gratifying. But life isn’t about instant gratification. Your career isn’t going to provide instant gratification three months, six months or even potentially one year in. You need to take the long view and enjoy the journey. My book came out June 15th and I plan on enjoying every minute of the struggle. That’s what’s going to make it worthwhile. Seeing someone else’s success picture on social media doesn’t tell the story of their struggle to get there. My advice is to enjoy the journey. It's what’s going to get you through it.</p>
<figure><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ViIpxk7arEt8qo0ID8fPzsmcsaYoYCwRXAiPBh95ZVZOggzfovzSlbLVJ7HrUWKZBDL38jyUENKr8q83zNZZCtuqDZR1y-e50993BT3b3l8Iw0SIypc7l0hEwohZO_FQA431wGC3" width="600" height="542" alt="" /></figure><p><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Huge thanks to Rebecca and Daina for this interview! Be sure to check out Rebecca’s bestselling book </strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Unlocking-Creativity-Courage-Success/dp/1400220718"><strong>here</strong></a>!<br /></p>

DSC52912021 0527 rm 2

Screen Shot 2021 06 17 at 3 12 37 PM

Rebecca Minkoff x Daina Middleton

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Opportunity Knocks</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The global pandemic has forced a complete reevaluation of how to approach real world events. During 2020 every high occupancy in-person experience was either outright canceled or recalibrated with health and safety concerns prioritized. Hopefully, we have now turned a corner with regards to the pandemic, but the influence on the events industry will continue to be felt for years to come.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The truth is, in-person events have always had their own issues from weather dependency to the challenge of motivating attendees to travel and take part in scheduled activities at assigned times. With virtual and hybrid events, weather, travel and schedules do not detract from the event. In fact, there is tremendous opportunity to reach an even larger audience and continue to measure engagement in a more granular way with virtual and hybrid events.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/ryoji-iwata-IeV07y5UK3k-unsplash-1.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>Whether the Weather</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Inclement weather is one of the most frustrating factors that may significantly impact the success of an in-person event. Even indoor events can have attendance hampered by a storm or bad weather as attendees are known to be less motivated to negotiate unsavory travel conditions. Hybrid and virtual events allow attendees to participate in activities, attend presentations and explore content from the comfort of their home.<strong><br /><br /></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Traveler’s Travails</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">One of the most cited reasons for missed events is that attendees were unable to travel on the day of the scheduled activity. This could be due to weather, car trouble, delayed public transit or other factors as simple as fear of not finding a parking space downtown. Events that feature a virtual or hybrid component can be made available for a greater number of people by cutting out the need for travel.<strong><br /><br /></strong></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/greg-rosenke-1TjORT2dLOw-unsplash.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>Time Sensitive</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">In an era where teams often work across multiple time-zones, holding events and presentations during specific times and locations can limit attendance. With virtual and hybrid events, content can be shared at any point during the event or, sometimes, remain available after the event ends. The benefit of keeping content 'alive' for engagement can allow both new and old audiences to continue to view and connect with your content long after the actual event is over.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Welcome to the Phygital World</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">As the world slowly opens back up people are hungry for shared experiences. While many people will be ready to attend events by the summer there are many more that will prefer not to take any risks - hybrid events embrace both audiences and encourage their participation. Marketers agree that starting in 2021 every in-person event will need a virtual component to take advantage of both sets of attendees.<br /><br /></p>
<figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/358196341" width="800" height="450" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong><em><strong><em><br /></em></strong></em></strong><strong><em><strong><em>Britelite uses VR for every stage of projects from concept to design to delivery. Here are some highlights of how Britelite has used VR for hybrid events.</em></strong></em></strong><br /></p>
<p><strong><em><strong><em><br /></em></strong></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Indelible Images</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The conference or event floor can be overwhelming. Outside of a stack of business cards and some swag it is often hard to think back and remember specific encounters with people or vendors. Introducing a virtual reality component to an event offers an opportunity to create a memory with a referenceable touchpoint. It is often easier to recall an amazing digital content piece that can also be accessed after the event or by remote attendees.</p>
<p><br /></p>
<figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/358188491" width="800" height="450" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /><strong><em>Visiting Artist Chelsea America took a leap into #VR with HTC VIVE, creating a stunning Flower Garden in #VR with #tiltbrush.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>"It feels like I'm in infinity" - Chelsea America</em></strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Archetypal Avatars</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Virtual and physical audiences should be able to mingle and make organic connections as if they were both attending a cocktail hour. In order to facilitate this both sets of attendees should be encouraged (or required) to create virtual avatars. The digital persona could mirror an in-person attendee’s progress on the conference floor and have interactions and engagements tracked automatically. This opens up the possibility of the conference, or individual vendor, offering deals and incentives after the event. For their part, remote attendees should be able to explore and connect with both virtual and in-person audiences and vendors. A virtual ‘lounge’ and or ‘VIP’ area will help enable the intermingling of both audiences. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/h-heyerlein-BsWgMBfb208-unsplash.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Adding a virtual or remote component to an event can extend the lifetime value of your content by increasing its accessibility. Remote attendees will access this material to take part in the event and in-person audiences may also seek to continue their engagement after the fact via archived online content. Once built, the cost to continue to operate a website is negligible compared to the benefits of having an event that continues to engage and convert </p>
<p dir="ltr">Launching a successful hybrid event takes creative thinking, problem solving and quite a bit of technical prowess. If done properly, hybrid events create avenues of engagement, valuable experiences and provide information for both remote attendees and in-person audiences. The future may be unwritten but we believe that it will exist in both the real world and the virtual one.</p>
<p><br /><br /><br /></p>

183718977 4020327004723945 6199628048807906768 n

6 Reasons Hybrid Events Are Essential

<p>Shared experiences are coming back! What does that mean? It means we are opening back up. When we begin returning to work and public places, and having shared experiences, we will have a stronger need for social distancing, surveillance technologies and more. How will brands maintain connection with their audiences and continue to tell stories through experiences with new COVID-19 safety precautions in mind? </p>
<p>While there’s a mad scramble to get spaces open, long term thinking is key to ensuring you’re using this tech safely, effectively, and creatively. Consider a multi-phased approach — here are 8 tactics to think about for opening back up. </p>
<h2><br /></h2>
<h2>THERMAL IMAGING FILTERS:</h2>
<p><strong>Surveillance Technology can be fun too.</strong></p>
<p>By this point, almost all of us have enjoyed the pleasure of seeing our faces transform through an AR filter into a kitten face. Thermal imaging and contact tracing technologies can trigger apprehension and anxiety, but by incorporating the technique of transforming physical appearances or surroundings in fun or creative ways, you're able to transform what would normally be stress inducing to something that creates a comforting or calming effect, and may even get some smiles.</p>
<h2><br /></h2>
<h2>FACIAL DETECTION INTERFACES:</h2>
<p><strong>Initiate personal experiences from visitors’ facial expressions.</strong></p>
<p>Use sentiment analysis AI to trigger individual messaging, content and experiences based on individual visitor’s facial expressions and moods.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/facialrecognition-1536x864.png" alt="Facial Recognition" /></figure><h2>FUTURISTIC AUTOMATIC DOORS:<br /></h2>
<p><strong>Turn your space into a spaceship.</strong></p>
<p>Take inspiration from Star Trek while creating a safe way for people to move through spaces and activate doors. Sensors used to activate doors can also collect capacity and throughput data that can be used to create data-driven strategies for traffic flows and social distancing. </p>
<h2><br /></h2>
<h2>MOTION CAPTURE INTERFACES:</h2>
<p><strong>Leverage technologies such as Intel RealSense or Microsoft Kinect to create contact-less interfaces and experiences.</strong></p>
<p>Imagine navigating through a user interface using nothing but gestures, never touching a physical surface. Any exhibit, kiosk, installation or interface that was previously a touchscreen experience can be reimagined in gesture-based ways that are contact-free and just as engaging or effective. Sensor technology enables limitless interactions with content through skeletal tracking, proximity sensing, and depth sensing, and can analyze the utilization of a space to provide key insights.</p>
<figure><iframe title="vimeo-player" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/358190227" width="840" height="560" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2>VOICE COMMANDS:</h2>
<p><strong>Leverage technologies such as the Amazon Echo or microphones with custom infrastructure.</strong></p>
<p>What if your smart home followed you wherever you went? Custom skills for smart home devices, or custom audio capture infrastructure applied to intelligent systems, can enable us to navigate through content without touching a surface or lifting a finger.</p>
<h2><br /></h2>
<h2>BYOD:</h2>
<p><strong>Create app-less experiences to enhance visitor experiences.</strong></p>
<p>Mobile phones and tablets have extraordinary capabilities. Simple networking techniques can allow us to scan a QR code and control technology around us from our mobile device. Bluetooth tracking systems can be used to plot a personalized journey through a space and inform facilities staff that sanitation is required. We won’t stop touching our phones, but there are many uncharted ways they can be used to help us stay safe, be more comfortable, and have more fun.</p>
<figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/355412612" width="840" height="560" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</figure><h2>SHARED VR:</h2>
<p><strong>Custom display environments for 180°, 270° or 360° immersion.</strong></p>
<p>Wearing goggles previously worn by others has alway been problematic in public spaces and trade-show floors. From the spreading of germs to not wanting to mess up our hair, many of us have simply avoided it no matter how special the content experience. Immersive digital environments solve this problem by allowing us to collectively enter a virtual world, even while social distancing. Re-imagine your previous VR experiences as dedicated immersive environments, or consider this kind of form factor to deliver powerful, emotion-evoking experiences to visitors in your space. </p>
<figure><a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/creativetechnologyVR.jpeg" alt="Virtua Reality at Britelite" /></a></figure><h2>Use technology to create new forms of connection<br /></h2>
<p><br />Social distancing creates barriers between people that makes legacy forms of coming together or congregating impossible. We will not only avoid touching screens, we’ll also avoid being in close proximity to each other and feel uneasy being in larger groups. Networked devices and spaces kitted with presence detection and other types of sensing give us the ability to more comfortably live, work, or play in spaces that might otherwise be risky to inhabit.</p>
<p><br />There are many creative technology projects that are limited to a specific event or performance. At Britelite, however, we are building projects to last. Our clients expect our projects to run reliably for a long time, to be able to change content, and to integrate with other systems.</p>
<p><br />We have developed an extensive skill set and software library for integrating creative technology tools and techniques with classical software development platforms. For example, we can build a simple website that allows a customer to change the content that is shown on various different displays and installations. Another key capability is being able to deploy new versions of software to interactive installations, without having to be onsite. We can collect usage data to prepare analytics reports – very useful to show the impact of an interactive piece.</p>
<p><br />For a Gala Event — Britelite’s own proprietary infrastructure managed software for more than 60 separate computer systems, allowing deployment of software and configuration changes centrally. This software backbone allows to connect immersive and interactive installations with front-end and back-end software tools that make our projects much more robust and cost effective. Britelite was able to manage all the technology at the event with a very small and efficient team, and was able to provide the event organizers with detailed analytics almost immediately.</p>
<p>If you are interested in creating powerful interactive experiences for your organization that go beyond the demo, please <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/">get in touch</a>!</p>

2141 CPMC 190207 web

8 high-tech tactics to reopen safely post covid

<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/image19_small.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p><strong>The world of academia now boasts a number of newly-minted programs focused on immersive reality.</strong><strong> For this week’s post we reached out to Joseph Amodei, a professor of Immersive Media at Chatham University in Pittsburgh and asked them to share some insights and highlight student work.</strong><br /></p>
<figure><a href="https://musick.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JekqVk5KFdc7wbFRzlXKUZlz45fQ2QmcljkLJ-ki5of2kOemTExz23pIjkmi_Ga5iNIj0Ga5QRDW5CUl6Xeer6kv15pWk0i2m5Ku_gBo4tDdXCFeK9xEqbX9SwqwBhwdCfS1kBNG" width="533" height="349" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Augmented Reality work by Alex Musick</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>Thanks for joining us, Joseph! What have you been working on lately?</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">At the moment I am working on projects that tackle gerrymandering through game-based performance (<a href="https://www.packingandcracking.com/">Packing and Cracking</a>), Vaccine advocacy and Access through <a href="https://freethevaccine.org/">Free the Vaccine</a> and other local Pittsburgh-based groups, and stitching together archives of care in the AIDS crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic through a project called <a href="http://lyambgabel.com/dancefloor">the dance floor, the hospital room and the kitchen table.</a> The last project is still in early redevelopment and will take the final form of a browser-based VR archive and an immersive theater performance.</p>
<figure><a href="http://lyambgabel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EaJnX0QePoV3Wn1DuSasifXYmeVEantxTNHUOnJNF0fJYavQrsSHbsKcTFxY89p8rJ-GnsXwPgIpno_htdUb63_TM1vun76daTBGn6_egdUUCx-g1vE8S8FOevhK_Wqyo8zcFMWG" width="640" height="305" alt="" /></a><figcaption>the dance floor, the hospital room, and the kitchen table, Joseph Amodei and Lyam Gabel</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr">I teach in the <a href="https://www.chatham.edu/academics/undergraduate/immersive-media/">Immersive Media program</a> at Chatham University in Pittsburgh which is an interdisciplinary program equipping students with knowledge of virtual reality and augmented reality technology, architecture, 3D modeling, game development engines, writing, and design thinking to prepare them for careers in immersive media creation. </p>
<p dir="ltr">At Chatham I teach how to work with the above technologies and, just as importantly, how to implement them in many fields with a critical eye for how they can best be leveraged to produce a more justice-oriented world. I also collaborate with students for my research and arts practice to give them a lens into how I specifically interface with immersive media in the expanded field.</p>
<figure><a href="https://carsoncuster.cargo.site/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/z7u6vTQsuIiHgekFovlfJNUIkQP3f-T9J5phMM6bXvE1pObO3XDdAOw9uzCRmaPgBtA521tbcQTZ96dgyXfxDK0GFSA1SQTYhmyfIgikCw2koXGmQauJ7ZsGB4NZ-3onZ7G3GdrH" width="640" height="303" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Virtual Reality work by Carson Custer</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>That all sounds fascinating. How did you originally get interested in exploring the world through new media?</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">I never did anything in the art, performance, or technology world until my undergraduate years at UNC. There, through the help of some wonderful mentors, I learned to connect my ideas to creative and technologically driven artist-activist modes of production. The activist part has only become increasingly more important to me as time has gone on. I come from a low-income background and, as a result, ‘access’ in a broad sense has always been important to how I work with technology. I like working at the forefront of emerging technology because I can freshly explore these mediums before they become codified into the alienating capitalist cycles of commodification. I believe there is an often-overlooked opportunity to employ these technologies to create hope and joy via mediated surprises, outlets, and reformulations of tech within everyday life.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/image25.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>What are your students most interested in exploring these days?</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">My students are interested in all sorts of things! They are interested in using art, design, and technology to work toward social justice ends, and in thinking about where the field of immersive media can keep expanding into. They are also just excited about learning. The field is broad and we are always trying out new toolkits, techniques and modes of making across AR/VR/XR spaces. <strong><br /></strong></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/image28.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong>What are your thoughts about the increased adoption of VR/AR environments for education, vocation and recreational usage?</strong><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">I think it’s great! There have long been flight simulators used for pilots to learn to fly and I think AR/VR tech can eventually be used to help others learn to do anything. There is a lot of excitement around thinking about how safety can be improved in workplace training. For example, underwater welding will always be dangerous, but wouldn’t it be great if you could log a couple of hundred virtual hours before you had to go and give it a try in a dangerous real life situation. There is also great possibility for immersive media in healthcare. My insurance company already offers wellness training in a gamified application and it makes it much more engaging and fun! Although I never thought I would end up spending time playing a game about sleep hygiene I actually did and ended up walking away with some common-sense tips I may not have retained from simply reading an article. Of course these technologies are already being used in helping surgeons train, too and I think moving forward we will see AR/VR become more integrated into all sorts of new ways. On the personal health front we are even seeing AR/VR move into the recreational fitness space. Of course, there are fun workout/dance games like Beat Saber, but you also see exercise machines increasingly having something of an XR component. Here’s an example of an aerobic machine that was donated to the Immersive Media program, and it is a self-styled VR flying as exercise machine. It’s fun and also makes you engage your core.</p>
<figure><strong><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zTOB649BknIsGWxgJICmj38-IW3bSMK5dlR3lQfn6pRDgJgXT-W_xE_h28cXZ6JStv6VMSPXxDAHSfdSzvMBopV4XPAIEb9wJF7RYuQ7bm4wph68uJhF5fR2DSMi_hs_BUlcPQh5" width="640" height="319" alt="" /></strong></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong><br /></strong><strong>What are some of the most interesting applications of emerging immersive technologies you have recently come across?</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">I have long been interested in depth-capture technologies and photogrammetry. The new Ipads have a Lidar sensor that can capture reality in 3D in remarkably accurate and quick ways. While Ipads are still expensive it does mean I no longer have to develop a custom capture backpack that had a battery supply, waterproofing, a laptop, and a kinect to do the same thing. And before that I was able to use the front-facing depth cameras on iphones (often used as part of the security feature face-ID) to make collages of depth data. Like in my artwork <a href="https://vimeo.com/335437198">Point Cloud Gardens</a>. <strong><br /></strong><strong><br /></strong></p>
<figure><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Pr52efur6bsQomBHQ0mbHjLZMKbdkNl7AaeRWJOcq68AD4-vgoNWTH1si75NEJjRR1wLc_ayHcL9XjHz-O6HICH27m-wBizjyZEeTAeRgBU_ee4sXl7bAZR6FnSK6KQBAe-QKNa2" width="624" height="325" alt="" /><figcaption>Packing and Cracking: Joseph Amodei with Rachel Karp and Josh Kery</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong><br /></strong><strong>Super cool! Can you drill down a bit on the participatory part of your new project and introduce any collaborators?</strong><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Do we choose our politicians, or do our politicians choose us? Packing and Cracking is an interactive mapmaking event about gerrymandering: the pervasive practice of politicians choosing their voters rather than the other way around. Through participatory drawing and map-drawing games, Packing and Cracking uses critical cartography, gerrymandering history, and interviews with politicians and reformers today to show how easy and disenfranchising gerrymandering can be and ask what, if anything, we should do about it.<br /></p>
<figure><a href="https://www.rachelkarp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CuW5e3SgxZySv2nzYJbQFLTU2NCooUByuk2FwvR16u580uN7arUvHTC0qwKdio2SE0shSoZSNM4yBSXfPrdbPV-0B6oy13QbZYebHNbWaVTPlLdnvuWq5E618QDpVi_0k0QO79B2" width="543" height="266" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Packing and Cracking: Joseph Amodei with Rachel Karp and Josh Kery</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr">This was an in-person drawing game based theater performance that when the pandemic hit, my collaborators and I shifted it to an online performance. We translated all the in person games into digital ones through a combination of Zoom, a custom “game page” website, and projection design software. This piece and others are in this exhibition of all of our work: <a href="https://freethevaccine.org/exhibit/gallery/">Creativity vs. COVID: Ending the Pandemic for Good</a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><br /><strong>These are quite </strong><strong>civically engaged projects. What are your thoughts on the creative technologist's role when it comes to commentary and critique</strong>?</p>
<p dir="ltr">The creative technologists role ought to be one of responsibility. This means working in ideas of intersectionality to help audiences consider structures of power while actively trying to dismantle these established structures towards more justice-oriented ends. I think a lot about race, gender, and class disparities in tech and I think the patterns are established early. For example, it is important who exactly has access to these tools and platforms and who is encouraged to explore them. As a white, genderqueer person I try to understand where I have privileges and where I do not and do my best to listen, keep learning, and apply my knowledge to help those around me and in my various communities. So, in certain ways, the role of the creative technologist is not that different than any other responsible citizen, it just means I often work with unique skills and tools in varied contexts.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Thank you so much for speaking with us today Joseph! </strong><br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/image1.gif" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<figure><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/10OXLfZzJ__pbEKMkrQHGHTbVqEmmN7sLFxybWQG6FKRplU4i8rWiYlEcinBd0y3VuF-iha5WADWCatikDsPGgoa0SDTdyeE5mVakPadABLFDJHVKh4e-cRrafDmnF92pen2z5BH" width="384" height="576" alt="" /></figure><p dir="ltr">Joseph Amodei (they/them) is a new media artist, theater designer, educator, and activist. Joseph conceives of art as a powerful epistemic and emotional tool for examining assumed realities. Their work combines innovative technology, extensive research, and hope for alternate futures to invite audiences into a communal process of debriefing and re-learning. Joseph grew up in North Carolina, where they received a BFA in Studio Art from UNC-Chapel Hill. Joseph completed their MFA in Video and Media Design at Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama. Currently, they are a professor of Immersive Media at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. <a href="http://www.jamodei.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.jamodei.com</a><br /></p>

Amodei 6

Amodei 10

Immersive Media 101

<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/14show-1_2021-02-03-024524.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p><strong>Here at Britelite we are always on the hunt for art that engages audiences by creating mixed-reality experiences. Since 2006, the <a href="https://island6.org/liudao" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">island6</a> collective has been doing just that. We sat down with one of the founders to dig a little deeper. . .</strong><strong><strong><strong><br /></strong></strong></strong><strong><strong><strong><br /></strong></strong></strong></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/11island6.gif" alt="" /></figure><p><strong><strong><strong><br /></strong></strong></strong><strong><strong><strong>So, let's start at the beginning! Please introduce our readers to the collective and describe some of the ideas you are tackling.</strong></strong></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://island6.org/liudao" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">island6</a> or Liu Dao in pinyin, is an art collective of tech-geeks and creative talents driven by innovation and interaction. The original platform was established by Thomas Charvériat, Zheng Guoyang (a trained biologist!) and Kang Jingfang back in 2006. It started off as a Shanghai-based artist residency program which has now evolved into an art lab that draws on a network of local Chinese artists and international curators. The identity of Liu Dao was established with the belief that the best method for creating and experiencing art derives not from the success of an individual, but rather by collaborative effort and dialogue. The group places emphasis on interaction in order to engage artists, curators and technicians in the process of creating and experiencing art, with the direct aim of benefiting a young Chinese contemporary art scene promotionally and creatively. The collective works on a flexible open platform process that ensures all artworks are the result of synergetic thought between multiple collaborators. Liu Dao explores the cultural potential of the convergence of art, technology and science, and promotes cross-cultural dialogue through their unique collaborative philosophy. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/2f718ff4-f699-4b0f-8581-21e01d56eb72_rw_1920.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p> </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/18071fd9-e350-434c-b483-d111fa0477c9_rw_1920.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p><strong>Can you speak a bit about your interest in creating immersive and participatory environments for the public to view your work?</strong></p>
<p>It’s always fun to watch visitors engaging with and experiencing the art, as opposed to just looking at it. The move beyond merely being in conversation with an artwork to actually physically engaging with it is oftentimes delightfully startling to our viewers. You are not looking at art, you’re a part of it, and thus you’re also creating art. At island6 we always try to incorporate an interactive element in our shows with an emphasis on inviting audience participation. In the past we’ve had live phone numbers people can call or text like in <a href="https://island6.org/thecurvedshapeofaporcelainheart" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"The Curved Shape Of A Porcelain Heart"</a>, and artworks that react to clapping, like <a href="https://island6.org/allalongthewires" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"All Along The Wires"</a>. We also have a few like <a href="https://island6.org/redgreenbluefares" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Red, Green, Blue Fares"</a> that record the watcher via built-in cameras representing the idea of CCTV. The truth is, we always try to innovate with technology, this adds an exciting new range of possibilities that we’re all quite eager to work out.<br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/3island6.gif" alt="" /></figure><p><strong>How many people are part of the island6 collective?</strong></p>
<p>The number of collective members has ranged from 6 to 26 people in the past 15 years. The main group fluctuates rather often, and we frequently have guest curators and collaborators from places such as Singapore, Berlin, Budapest, Vilnius, Vienna, Barcelona, Taipei, Philadelphia, Paris, Hong Kong, etc. The collective is generally pretty indifferent to where people are from (as long as they have good ideas and love art). </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/thumbnail-1.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p><strong><strong>The idea of a modular, sprawling group of artists collaborating across borders is fascinating. With all of the various people involved how do you come up with ideas?</strong></strong><strong><strong><br /></strong></strong></p>
<p>Generally, at island6, all the work exhibited is made on-site and specifically for the theme of a exhibition The collective works on a flexible open platform process that ensures all artworks are the result of synergetic thought between multiple collaborators. </p>
<p>Whenever we come up with an idea for a new exhibition, we first brainstorm on the theme. This can be a motif - such as neon signs which became <a href="https://island6.org/brightlightsflashylifestyles" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Bright Lights, Flashy Lifestyles"</a> last year. In our current exhibition, <a href="https://island6.org/foodasartasfood" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Food As Art As Food"</a> we focused on exploring the intimate and unique relationship between food and people, as well as its cultural impact. This exhibition will end soon, and so we’re currently working on our next idea (hint: it involves fast cars!). When we figure out what the exhibition should be about, the curators elaborate on the intellectual background and the art directors commission the artists to make artworks for the exhibition.</p>
<p>Our artworks usually consist of paintings, traditional Chinese papercut (Jian Zhi) images, bamboo paper collages, electric circuits of LED/TFT screens, sound/motion sensors, speakers, controllers and media players. Everything is handmade and everything is created in our M50 Shanghai workshop by our artists and technicians. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to make an artwork from concept to finish. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/062K6024.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p>The paintings and papercut images are based on photographic research on the given themes, while the animations are video performances shot in a life-sized chroma-key stage in our studio. Our creative method is similar to film production where everybody has a special role - director, actor, cameraman, scriptwriter, costume designer, lights technician, editor, etc. Similarly, collaboratively producing artworks involves many individuals with various disciplinary skills and abilities, creating a multifaceted result. Here at island6, everybody does what he/she does the best, and even though each artist only makes a fragment of each artwork, the art directors and the curators are able to organize all the pieces of the puzzle together. </p>
<p> </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/5fde1f71-a6e1-4fd3-b807-9da7e8558ef2_rw_1920.jpg" alt="" /></figure><p><strong>Considering all of the steps involved that is a pretty speedy turnaround time from concept to execution! Over the last 15 years what sort of shifts have you noticed </strong><strong>as far as humans relationship to technology?</strong><br /></p>
<p>Looking at new media art from a broader perspective, it has developed from experimenting with the medium itself to experimenting with “each other”. Nowadays, it feels natural to be surrounded by technology. The question is: what is the most essential thing in art that technology changes? We think it’s that it invokes collaboration on different levels. Its multidisciplinary nature makes artists work together, while sensorial technologies engage the audience in interaction. One of our favorite art groups, the Japanese Team Lab collective creates non-object-oriented interactive experiences while Random International, another group creates interactive sculptures. We feel very close to us what these multimedia artists do, not only because they are groups just like us, but because this is the very nature of contemporary art: the artwork is not what you see hanging on the wall, but what happens between the object and the audience within a certain environment. Liu Dao uses interactivity in a similar way. When you enter our M50 space, you never know which artwork’s animation is going to change if you move closer, <a href="https://island6.org/sunnydaysuddenrain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Sunny Day, Sudden Rain"</a> or which sculpture is going to speak to you, <a href="https://island6.org/takemeout" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Take Me Out"</a>. This environment confuses the audiences, leading to awkward moments when they wave at non-interactive artworks or disassembling sculptures, not knowing where the artwork begins and ends, what you can do and what you can’t do. We can’t blame them for that.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/16island6.gif" alt="" /></figure><p><strong>Many members of island6 are based in China. What is your perspective on the</strong><strong> artists' role when it comes to activism and social critique?</strong></p>
<p>island6 is not political in nature. The best way to read the news is by reading the news. Seeing anything like that through the eyes of an artist isn’t relevant in China. We don’t need to be political for our art to speak. Not because we think it’s dangerous in any way in terms of censorship but because we don’t feel it’s the correct voice. We’ll leave that kind of thing to people like the Guerrilla Girls because they’re good at it. Social change can happen in other ways but we’re here to make art. We focus on intimate feelings and cultural phenomena. We are interested in combining and expressing the feelings of the past, the present, and the future. We approach art in an “art first” manner. We are trying to examine and express feelings and aesthetics that are more intimate and perhaps less obvious than politics. We’re exploring the relationship of things in regards to art, technology, and science. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/20island6.gif" alt="" /></figure><p><strong> <strong>In that case do you feel like it is significant that your members come from all over the world?</strong></strong><strong><br /></strong><br />There is something powerful in groups of artists working together to create one final product. There is a momentum in this process that expands the imaginative horizons of those involved. The cross-cultural elements of the process only strengthen this expansion of imagination.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://island6.org/allthethingsiwishwedlearned" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"All The Things I Wish We'd Learned"</a> is inspired by photographic references from many streets in Shanghai. In fact, our creative team shot each hanging garment separately from Shikumen Lane Houses off Changping Road. A Shanghainese artist hand painted the street scene. A Hong-Kongese performance artist was then video recorded walking a tightrope. An LED animation of that recording was then created by the art director. After, our technicians from Jiangsu province assemble all the components in our workshop, and the final piece was documented and a blurb was drafted by one of our creative writers who come from places such as Budapest, Shanghai, and Illinois. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/18island6.gif" alt="" /></figure><p>Looking at a seemingly familiar object as an outsider allows one to look with fresh eyes, and maybe realize that what was once a familiar object actually has more depth and nuance than previously thought. A perfect example of this is our vending machine inspired pieces like <a href="https://island6.org/sodadorinku" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Sodadorinku"</a> or <a href="https://island6.org/sweethanbaiki" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Sweet Hanbaiki"</a>, wherein the art collective take something from everyday life and transform it into something almost extraordinary. </p>
<p>It is important to note that the outsider perspective is not limited to an East/West dichotomy. Liu Dao tries to bring a versatile group of different artists with different styles together in order to create a wide arrangement of well-crafted artworks. Perhaps in this type of environment, everyone has a chance to be an outsider, and to look at their own work with fresh eyes. </p>
<p><strong>Thank you so much for taking part in this interview! We look forward to checking in again in the coming years.</strong><br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/2island6.gif" alt="" /></figure><p><strong><a href="https://island6.org/liudao" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">island6</a><br /></strong>The art collective <a href="https://island6.org/liudao" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">island6</a> produces cutting-edge art that constantly contemplates the future of Asia, engages sights and scenes from old and new China, and elevates the skills of new talents by working from a communal forum. Liu Dao's art is visual, interactive, conceptual, humorous, and somber - but always striking, always involving fresh takes on modern technology, and always the product of collaboration. Since Liu Dao's beginning, painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, new media artists, software and digital imaging artists, dancers, writers, engineers, and curators have worked together to produce original and intriguing shows. The island6 art collective (Liu Dao 六岛) has appeared in acclaimed art fairs around the world, including Art Paris, KIAF Seoul, the Hong Kong Art Fair, SHContemporary, Scope New York, Miami &amp; Basel, Art Stage Singapore, Art Dubai, Contemporary Istanbul, KIAF Seoul, and many more…</p>
<p>Special invitations for solo and group shows include Louis Vuitton Cultural Space in Taipei and Macao, The Andaz Collection and Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai, Opposite House and Green T. House in Beijing, Temple House permanent collection in Chengdu, The Arts House in Singapore, Chongqing Museum of Contemporary Art, Smithsonian Anacostia Museum in Washington D.C., Art Seasons Singapore, K11 permanent collection Shanghai, and the China Art Museum.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/f60b18f9-4b9b-471d-8a52-e3c9fae77289_rw_1920.jpg" alt="" /></figure>

10island6

9island6

An Interview with International Arts Collective island6

<p><strong>CES rises above 2020 and delivers this 2021! This year's Consumer Electronics Show took to featuring the future of tech online. The four day event with normally high-level high-tech presentations was virtual. CES often sets the tone for inspirations, insight into new tools, and reveals the scope of just how far futurist predictions have come. Britelite was in attendance at CES 2020 and we were struck by impressive inspirations ranging from LED screens, to VR headsets, to flying taxis. This year held the same excitement and inspiration, the only glaring difference was being able to attend in our pjs. </strong><strong><br /></strong></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h1><br />Sony Music Creates New Immersive Experiences</h1></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Every year presenters at CES put on a show, this year is no different. At CES on Monday, Singer songwriter <a href="https://madisonbeer.com/">Madison Beer</a> teamed up with <a href="https://square.sony.com/">Sony Music Entertainment</a> and <a href="https://www.verizon.com/">Verizon</a> to put fans in the front row of a groundbreaking virtual concert experience. It was executed using a virtual suit, <a href="https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/">unreal engine</a>, and so much more, but looked as if it was filmed live at Sony Hall in New York before a virtual live audience on a virtual stage . While it still looks like an ultra-sophisticated animation, it’s getting closer every year to looking like real life.<br /></p>
<p>Fans will be able to view Madison Beer’s Immersive Reality Concert Experience on PlayStation VR and Oculus VR, and as a captivating immersive 2D experience, which will be broadly available on streaming music video channels later this winter.<br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="860" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/REc-COqWMxY" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p>Sony Music expands creative opportunities for artists by harnessing emerging technologies including spatial audio and immersive video experiences<br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="860" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DmxHs5f0nWE" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><table><tbody><tr><td><h2><br />What about VR Glasses?</h2></td></tr></tbody></table><p>With Covid taking over the last year VR has become an important and prominent tool in entertainment, training, and more. The problem with VR headsets is that they still look like VR headsets. Panasonic has a solution with their new VR Glasses, debuted at CES 2021. The Panasonic VR glasses have a steampunk look and a more comfortable ski goggle feel and look for the user and — they also offer technical improvements over other solutions in the market. The glasses have micro OLED panels and support HDR, with almost no hint of the “screen-door effect” that plagues most VR hardware. They are also the first VR glasses to support HDR, which was particularly impressive during a CG demo of the interior of a Japanese temple, with light realistically bouncing off golden decorations.<br /></p>
<p> For audio, the product uses built-in headphones.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/960x0.jpg" alt="" /></figure><figure><iframe width="860" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VGs0dWl3lf0" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /></p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><h2>Do we have a crush on Samsung? Short answer: yes.</h2></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>A ‘Better Normal for All’</h2>
<p dir="ltr">At CES 2021 this year, <a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/explore/experiences/ces2021/?cid=global_ow_social_youtube_none_p3_ces2021_video_event-highlight-cutdown_for-wellness">Samsung</a> was not short on presentations and innovations. Samsung showed off its modular fridge, smart appliances, and robotics, including a new robot vacuum and concepts for a pair of robot assistants, and so much more. <br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Samsung built anticipation for their in-depth presentations at CES 2021 with a live-streamed press conference announcing the company’s new vision and some of their new innovations that are set to provide a ‘Better Normal for All’. The press conference opened with some powerful remarks from Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, who outlined how the company’s latest technologies have been informed by the changes brought about in recent times and developed to empower users to live more conveniently, intelligently and sustainably.<br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="860" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JKI600hKhWk" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><table><tbody><tr><td><h1>More cars take flight...</h1></td></tr></tbody></table><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>GM brings us closer to The Jetsons</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">After last year's showcase of flying taxis/cars we weren’t surprised to see it again. With robotics entering the home and flying cars on display for a second year, we have a real chance at a Jetsons future on the horizon. General Motors is helping us take a giant leap, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/gm-surprises-with-cadillac-evtol-air-taxi-at-ces-2021/">showing off its concept for a flying car</a>. It's called the eVTOL, or (electric) Vertical TakeOff and Landing droid.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"We're preparing for a world where advances in electric and autonomous technology make personal air travel possible," said GM design chief Michael Simcoe. GM now joins the likes of <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/archer-fiat-chrysler-automobiles-partner-to-build-evtol-flying-taxis/">Archer</a> and <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/aston-martin-volante-vision-flying-car-concept/">Aston Martin</a>, companies that are also working on flying vehicles. </p>
<figure><iframe width="860" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EQ5iJnctzLE" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><table><tbody><tr><td><h1>We went a little back in time - Infinity Game Table</h1></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr">Gaming isn’t usually something we touch on but we couldn’t help but reminisce over classic board games, and arcade games with the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/infinitygametable/infinity-game-table-by-arcade1up?ref=9mej8p">Infinity Game Table</a>. This intelligent setup takes classic board games and puts them in a designated hub on a large touchscreen table with wifi capabilities to connect with friends remotely. Will this replace stacking our board games wherever we can find space? Maybe! The price point is right for an at-home all-in-one gaming table. <br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="860" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b8LuO4llt-E" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p dir="ltr"><br />There is plenty more to write about from CES 2021 — AI and HUD are paving the way for smart cities, smart homes and smart cars, haptic technology in VR has improved, collaborative technologies are becoming the future instead of the hoaky upgrade of the same tech, and we will be featuring all of this in a series of upcoming blog posts. To keep up with our<a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/blog/"> blog</a>, check in with us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/briteliteimmersive/"> Instagram</a> where we post our latest updates!<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>This year’s CES took place over four days from January 11 - 14. The all digital CES is open for registered attendees until February 15th so that you can engage with exhibitors, replay programming on demand, and connect with fellow CES attendees. </strong><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">When we look to grand events like CES to navigate us towards what to expect in the future, many people expect what is on display to already be finalized, when in reality they are working concepts being displayed in technologically advanced ways.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">At Britelite that is what we specialize in: we transform how brands engage with their audiences. As a Creative Technology company we build immersive and interactive installations within physical spaces – from customer experience centers to connected spaces, commercial real-estate developments, retail spaces, live events, and more. We combine strategic design with large scale technologies to create experiences that have a powerful and irresistible effect. Most importantly, we transform how brands engage with their audiences by applying creative thinking to experience design, spatial engineering, and application development.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">If you’re excited by the combination of:</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Ambitious design and flawless execution</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Visual impact</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Alignment with an organization’s business goals</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Then check out our<a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work/"> work</a>, and<a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/"> contact us</a> page for a preliminary discussion on what we can do for you.<strong><br /></strong></p>

Welcome to the Darkside