Blurring the Boundaries...

I had the privilege of making the (virtual) acquaintance of the digital artist/ designer Mr. Muqeem Khan a while back, thanks to an introduction by architect Dr. Gisela Loehlein, who is heading the Development Office at AUS. Muqeem is currently a researcher and Assistant Professor at VCU Qatar, involved in some very interesting projects... The included clip above shows one of his projects he's been developing. What I find exciting about what Muqeem is exploring is how it provides a 'live' and dynamic link between the physical and virtual world. Also, with movies such as Avatar (which I haven't yet seen) and Gamer (which I have) currently on the movie-screens, which both provide suggestions for where research such as Muqeem's can eventually can take us, one has to wonder what impact this type of technology will have on our conception and realization of our built environments. From a more detailed perspective, This type of research (and the movies) also explore the, almost osmotic, transcendence of a more comprehensive perceptual merger of interfacing between the 'master-servant' (controller-controlled) roles, it's interesting to imagine how these types of interfaces will eventually affect and benefit the way we design, and theorize about experiencing, things...

This is a topic already explored a few years back by the author William Gibson (of Neuromancer & Johnny Mnemonic fame) in his book Spook Country, which seems now to be in the process of being actualized (a somewhat related topic was also explored a while back on the Kuwait School blog, debating a project by Dr. Pattie Maes, which can be accessed by clicking here).

I'm looking forward to the day (probably in the not too distant future) when, be it on a compact computer or a wide-screen mobile (cell-phone), one can get accurate and dynamic volumetric 3D depiction of a virtual object placed within a 'actual space' which responds and reacts dynamically (probably through GPS) to ones movements. In other words, say that you have designed a building and wish to gain a more direct (beta) experience of it before commencing with its construction. All you would have to do is download your design onto your mini-computer or mobile, and, once on site, view and 'walk around' and the even into your virtual building design in real time whilst observing (& snagging) its various spaces and features on the screen... Or it could also just provide a more direct guidance system (a better alternative to the plan-based , top-view, current GPS 's) for finding your way from point A to B (as seen in the image below)...

Just follow the (moving?!) arrows to your destination...

The clip below, particularly the last 30 seconds, touch upon the abovementioned, granted here through the medium of a photo-copy salesman (the first 3 minutes need only be watched by CAD-Heads). This example only seems to be able to apply 3D virtual objects to 2D images but, as said, I'm sure these will soon be interactive (a medium combining the responsive properties of the video above with the mobility of the clip below, seamlessly blending the qualities of both)... How these types of devices and interfaces, in combination with more logistical systems such as BIM and the various CAD/CAM fabrication methods will impact the way we design our environments remains to be seen. But the next decade or two will be interesting times to be practising design and architecture...