An event titled ‘Immersive Experiences: XR Technologies and Art’ was held by the Department of Visual Communication Design, Faculty of Communication, Üsküdar Üniversitesi. Dr. Irem Çoban, faculty member of the Digital Game Design Department, Faculty of Communication, İstanbul Bilgi University, attended the event. Within the scope of the event, the concepts of AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality), which form the basis of XR technologies, were discussed in detail. Subsequently, an external stakeholder meeting was held with Çoban, and potential collaborations were discussed.
Prof. Dr. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department, moderated the event held in the Martyr Duha Beker conference hall of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication.
The Foundation of XR Technologies Discussed
Irem Çoban, who discussed in detail the concepts of AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality) that form the basis of XR technologies, spoke about the popularization process of these technologies. Çoban stated, “Today, film festivals have an XR segment, a category. XR film production or project production is now accepted as a real industry and an artistic category. Therefore, the technology where reality and virtuality come together may in the future become like what you see in science fiction movies.”
Individuals with Certain Ailments May Experience Negative Experiences…
Çoban, explaining why XR is not widespread today, said, “Today's headsets are not very functional. For example, people with certain ailments such as migraines, light sensitivity, headaches, anxiety, claustrophobia, or vertigo can have a bad experience when they wear a headset. Based on my experiences, I believe that the reason why XR is not widespread today stems from such negative situations.”
“You Experience the Immersive Experience by Deceiving Your Brain”
Çoban, speaking about how audience participation comes into play in immersive experiences, which are new forms of narration, stated: “As a tool that differentiates within the change in spatial perception and the form of socio-political expression, these have been the technological promises offered to us. With XR, new forms of narration involve audience participation. This is very important from this perspective. You experience the immersive experience by deceiving your brain. You are actually very aware; you can say, ‘I put on a VR headset, I’m not actually there, I’m not living it,’ but despite this, the brain does not give that reaction at that moment. It speaks to a different brain function regarding the events. Therefore, using the change in spatial perception, new forms of narration can become quite impressive.”
At the end of the highly-attended program, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Dr. Irem Çoban.
External Stakeholder Meeting Held with Çoban
Following the event, an external stakeholder meeting was held with Dr. Irem Çoban. During the meeting, plans were made for collaboration and organizing events to promote students' participation in XR technologies.