Navigating in Place
Web installation, Educational
Role: Programmer, Researcher
STUDIO FOR NARRATIVE SPACES, HK CityU
Generative Art Conference, 2020
Summary
The space we inhabit influences our perception, constrains our thoughts, and shapes our behaviour. Larger spaces facilitate creative use of everyday objects, while arrangement of furniture affects the use of spaces for discussion vs. presentation. In this era of physical isolation, confined spaces are detrimental to mental health, stress and anxiety. How do we perceive space in these confining times, and overcome barriers to open up our minds to more creative environment?
Sketch of the system of cell interaction (place cells, gird cells, and head-direction cells)
Activation of cell firing serves as visual feedback to the player. Step by step interactive procedure.
The loop consists of place cells firing (orange) and chronological sequence replay while idle (cyan).
Interactive main loop
The grid is triggered by the player that leads to cell firing.
Rescale sample
Our focus is on cognitive maps that develop alongside generative spaces, as humans explore virtual environments to encounter diverse functional settings. Researchers in neuroscience have discovered place cells in the hippocampus that activate whenever humans approach a specific location within a room. As humans transition to new contexts, these cells remap themselves and adjust their scale when the room size changes. Additionally, place cells reenact their prior activity as humans gain knowledge from their navigation through space. To capture these insights from neuroscience, we present models of place cells as humans move through virtual spaces that transition from restricted areas to more complex, unexpected environments.
Replay sample