anti-racism extended reality studio
(UA – ARXRS)
The Anti-Racism Extended Reality Studio, or UA-ARXRS hopes to test the capacity of immersive and interactive “extended reality” tools, including volumetric video capture, virtual reality and digital narrative.
“Knowing the power of immersive education and knowing that the national conversation is about racism and inequality now, we’re looking at leveraging this new technology to help with that dilemma,” said Carter, an associate professor of Africana studies. “By creating these scenarios, we’re hoping to engage people differently and help people step into the shoes of others by being an actual first-person observer. You’re within a space and observing things that are happening around you and to you.”
Designing scenarios to deliver extended-reality experiences “can alter perspectives and make possible more honest, concrete and productive discussions about racism than similar discussions initiated without the assistance of immersive technology,” Carter said. “The invisibility of systemic racism can be uncloaked,” he added.
The project centers on creating two scenarios. The first, a fully immersive experience, created with a high-resolution 360-degree camera. Wearing a headset, the participant will be placed as a first-person observer in an immersive video setting, such as a department meeting or classroom, with actors carrying out scripted interactions that convey common experiences of racism, such as snide comments and hostility.
“Those are the kinds of micro-aggressions that typically go unaddressed. They’re difficult to track, and we want to take people into the world of someone who experiences things like that so they can differently understand what that experience is like,” Carter said.
The second scenario is an augmented experience, designed to be viewed through a mobile device or tablet. Geolocation software will allow the environment to play into the experience. For example, participants will be able to scan their physical area and, through augmented reality, view and interact with a police officer, to re-create a common interaction. Different responses will guide different interactions, and the first-person perspective will show what it’s like to be treated unfairly, Carter said.
The project combines elements of culture, art, community engagement, accessibility and research on immersive technology as a medium for personal transformation.