Category: Representation S19

As Bret Victor mentioned in his talk, The Humane Representation of Thought, “the powerful medium is what powerful representations to be spread,” the medium is what determines how and to what extent the representation can be executed to its full potential.

I think that the medium of virtual reality allows the user to get indulged in an environment that the user cannot or is difficult to get exposed to. For example, the medium of virtual reality can allow an ordinary person to feel as if he/she is walking on the surface of the moon, which only skilled and selected astronauts can do. In fact, virtual reality allows the user to be an active participant rather than a passive observant. What I mean by this is that with the use of the hand controllers, the user has the ability to maneuver what is inside the virtual reality. From this essence of virtual reality, I think that a form of representation that I feel would be suited for the medium of virtual reality would be “thinking,” more specifically creating “dynamic environments-to-think-in.”

In a sense, the medium of virtual reality “treat[s] the human beings as sacred” (Victor). Virtual reality can give superpowers to the user by giving the user agency to see and alter the virtual world they are in. Let’s say that the user is placed in a lone island and the user can see the setting through the headset. This user, if given the option, can perhaps light a fire or cook food, using the controllers at the deserted island. More realistically speaking, the user can craft his own image of his house in his virtual space, which he can use it to execute his thoughts, and also come up with new ideas. Such interface would trigger different parts of the users’ brain and allow the user to think in a different manner. Because thoughts and ideas tend to arise when one changes his environment, the medium of virtual reality would be effective in providing that alternate space.

In “The Humane Representation of Thought,” Bret Victor discusses different modes of understanding mediums, specifically the use of different sensory channels and enactive, iconic, and symbolic methods. At the moment, virtual reality is most typically represented using different gaming systems, such as the Vive, which allow virtual reality to be relatively dynamic. The user navigates and understands the game through action, image, and language-based representations. These games also appeal to various sensory channels; they are visual because of the graphics, they are aural because of sound effects, they are tactile because of the use of controllers, and they are spatial because of the 360 degree aspect, complete with moveable depth.

What is perhaps lacking in this current representation, however, is how the user can understand the virtual reality medium kinesthetically. There are not very many games out there, to my knowledge, that involve movement of the user’s body in a way that matches actual reality effectively. The bow-and-arrow activity in the Unity example world, for instance, does not accurately match how you would shoot an arrow in real life. It takes into account aim, a small pull-back motion, and the push of a button in order to shoot the arrow. When shooting an actual bow, there are several other aspects that go into how the archer’s arrow will shoot. The position of the archer’s elbow, for example, is very important. There is also tension in the bow’s strings that you are not able to feel in your fingers and arms with Vive controllers.

A well-suited representation for virtual reality, therefore, would be one that better takes into account the kinesthetic mode of understanding without compromising other modes of understanding the medium. Sensors all around the body to better map body movements, for example, could be a possibility.

Blog about a form of representation you feel would be suited for the medium of virtual reality and what it creates an interface to.