Seminars, Workshops and Lectures

© ixlab@TUD

Foundations of Virtual Reality provides a broad overview of the foundational theories, concepts and technologies involved in virtual reality. Topics covered include:

• Definitions and history of immersive media
• Active and spatial perception - vision, hearing, touch, somatic senses
• Stereo, head-tracked images and head-mounted visual displays
• 3D tracking technologies - noise, filtering, drift
• Sonic and haptic displays
• Interaction, locomotion and navigation in virtual spaces
• Software and application design for real-time VR
• Embodiment, social presence, measuring immersion

Tutorials will provide hands-on introduction to these topics using WebGL, Threejs and Unity.

This seminar has two major components. The first is an introduction to academic research methodologies and tools, such as search strategies and tools, managing a bibliography, academic writing styles, citations and avoiding plagiarism. In short, you will learn how to find, read, analyze and write academic texts. 

The second part of the course explores the intersection of philosophy and computer science. We will examine philosophical issues in computing, such as philosophy of mind and phenomenology, computational realism, artificial intelligence and artificial consciousness, as well as sociological, political and ethical topics concerning computing technologies. We will discuss selected writings and films from such authors as Alan Turing, John Searle, Nic Bostrom, Stanislav Lem, Jaron Lanier, Stephen Wolfram, Thomas Metzinger, David Chalmers, Hubert Dreyfus and others. 

As students, you will gain familiarity with the nature of philosophical discourse and argumentation. You will perform your own literature review on a topic of your choice and present results to your fellow students in class. 

Seminar structure: 

• Weekly meetings 

• Student presentation, student-led discussions and close readings of research papers 

• Student-led "reading group" 

Tasks and assesment: 

• Write literature review paper on a specific research topic. 

• Class presentation. 

Enactive Mixed Reality Classrooms

In this Komplex Praktikum, we will explore the application of multi-user spatial computing to develop MR learning environments. Students will explore concepts from "4E cognition" (Extended, Embedded, Enactive and Embodied) and apply them to prototype pedagogical exercises. Students will work in small groups to build Immersive and interactive educational experiences in a chosen discipline. Towards the end of the semester, the students will deliver a spatial lecture as their final project. 

Prerequisites: This course is designed for students in informatics and educational technology. Prior experience in game design, computer graphics, and HCI is recommended. 

First appointment: 22nd October 3DS, APB E046

A particular challenge in the world of museums is the archiving, documentation and presentation of artefacts and objects whose value and purpose is only revealed when they are performed or used. For example, the purpose of a scientific instrument or a craftmans tool may only be apparent when it is in motion. The value and use of toys, ritual objects or kinetic works of art can often only be understood in terms of their dynamics and interactivity. This is particularly true for artefacts that involve artistic or playful performance, such as musical instruments, tools for artmaking, toys or puppets. Moreover, it may be that only when we use something ourselves, with our own hands, do we truly understand it.

© SKD

However, for conversation reasons, such objects are typically exhibited "dead", completely inert and beyond the audiences grasp. Like this, they often lose all meaning.

In this seminar, we will investigate methods for capturing, documenting and presenting dynamic and mobile artefacts. We will examine the state-of-the-art in museology, and then ask how emerging immersive and interactive technologies might be used to bring museum artefacts back to life. How can the performance of an artefact be captured for future generations, and how might we recreate long lost performances of historical artefacts? How might we let people use virtual replica of such artefacts?

In this studio based class, students will work in small teams to design and develop prototypes demonstrating the use of interactive and immersive technologies to breathe life into museum artefacts.

Immersive SoundScape

Beginn 23.10.24

Wir nutzen die 2.DS i.d.R. für Austausch und Feedback, sowie die 3.DS als generelle Arbeitsphase. Beide DS sollten daher eingeplant werden.

Audio Processing meint in diesem Semester insb. die Verarbeitung von Audiosignalen, um komplexere Klänge zu generieren oder im Raum für höhere Immersion zu spatialisieren.

Zusammen mit dem KP Artistic Interactiondesign wollen wir eine interaktive Klanglandschaft generieren, die uns immersiv in ihre drei-dimensionale Welt holt.

Interaction in Space

Beginn 23.10.24

Wir nutzen die 2.DS i.d.R. für Austausch und Feedback, sowie die 3.DS als generelle Arbeitsphase. Beide DS sollten daher eingeplant werden.

Artistic Interactiondesign meint in diesem Semester insb. das Tracking und Merging von Skeleton-Daten von Menschen (explizit deren Händen), sowie der Visualisierung als Projektion im Raum und VR. Wir nutzen moderne Tracking-Handschuhe für das feingranulare Erkennen.

Zusammen mit dem KP Audio Processing wollen wir eine interaktive Klanglandschaft erzeugen und darstellen.

IXLAB is offering a range of individual and group Research Projects in the field of immersive media. Topics include theoretical and perceptual factors, technical challenges, design and interaction issues and novel applications of different manifestations of virtual and augmented reality. Application fields include archaeology, architecture, data visualisation, geospatial science, physiotherapy or psychotherapy, museums and libraries, music and film production, journalism or education and training.

Projects are available for all levels: Bachelor and Master Theses, Großer Beleg and individual and team research projects in INF-PM-FPA, INF-PM-FPG, CMS-PROJ, CMS-VC-TEA

See here for example Research Projects