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Abertay University research and development project uses emerging technology to explore new audience experiences
A multi-sensory experience combining live performance and emerging technology was showcased at Abertay University’s CoSTAR Realtime Lab.
Chiasmic Play is the culmination of a research and development partnership between Abertay and Scottish Youth Theatre where performers and audience members are connected using ‘haptics’ – devices and special suits which allow the users to experience sensations through the sense of touch.
Funded through the XR Network+ programme, the project breaks new ground on how digital devices and systems can integrate physical response into theatrical performance, taking experiences beyond traditional sound and sight.
The collaboration uses Abertay University’s haptic suits along with its virtual production and motion capture facilities to deliver a unique experience linked to a short theatre scene.
Scottish Youth Theatre produced the performance, in collaboration with Multi-Reality Director Leonie Rae Gasson. Young performers Cieran Low and Rory Agnew enacted the various scenes which were recorded and recreated in powerful game engine Unreal Engine, allowing the actors’ movements to be tracked and analysed.
The haptic suits provide biometric data offering insights into the wearer’s movements and their linked emotions. Other haptics used by the audience, including holdable objects and beanbag chairs, allowed participants to be linked to the actors and their interpretation of the scene.
The project was led by technologist Dr Naman Merchant of Abertay University’s Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business and Jamie Steedman, Digital Media Producer at Scottish Youth Theatre.
Other collaborators on the R&D included:
- Jung In Jung – Lead Researcher
- Ecem Ince – User Experience Researcher
- Haocheng Yang – Virtual Production Specialist
- Andrea Szymkowiak – UX Supervisor
- Josie Morrison Young – Photographer
- Blair Dingwall – Videographer
XR Network+ is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and is led by The University of York in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, University of the Arts London, Cardiff University and Ulster University.
CoSTAR is a £75.6 million national R&D network of laboratories developing new technologies to maintain the UK’s world-leading position in gaming, TV, film, performance, and digital entertainment sectors. Delivered by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, the programme is supporting new innovations and experiences that will enrich UK’s creative industries, economy, and culture.
