Our characters explore how to change Self-Perception to foster inclusive behavior, effective diversity approaches, equality, non-discrimination and how to create bounds with nature and those who protect it
While virtual inclusiveness can provide a sense of wider representation of society, it is less effective in experiencing in-game virtual empathy (reading the emotions of the other) . Adopting Cultural and mythological characters can open new routes for empathy and bonding. Artificial Intelligence voice characters and AI face tracking do the rest.
Under the theme of ‘Future Human’, we presented our videogame simulator "A.I Beatboxer" at the Manchester Science Festival ‘Family Zone’ (21-30 October 2022) to a record-breaking audience of 22.000 people in 10 days. Young visitors select their favourite avatar (a theater mask) and interact with their voice with an Artificial Intelligence creating a dialogue as if they were two professional beatboxers.
Power-up: close the lips and surrender the devil. Their Beatboxing tone is sonically dominant
(D.Banakou, P. D.Hanumanthu and M. Slater)
Accepting and acknowledging alternative views of the world, while being able to sing together and have fun can unlock inclusive behaiour and mutual belonging among players who never met beforeExploring how individuals can self-experience equal opportunities in a virtual world where every player looks the same, to make the most of their Real-Self
Creating a video-game with all citizens looking alike is very rare. Most multiplayer video-game franchizes heavily rely on principles of individualism and players enjoy the feel of self-differentiation. However, in Timbiworld every player is embodied in a 'calabash', they are relatively small and communicate via sound constantly beating the wooden bar above their prominent heads
Embodying a tree character (i.e. a mangrove) can increase levels of nature relatedness (Spangenberger, P., Geiger, S.M. & Freytag, SC). Urbanisation has become a major factor pushing people to live removed from nature. Meaningful interventions embodying nature-like characters can create new bounds with nature and those who protect it.
When embodying a Mangrovite in Mangrove World, players become Stewards of the ecosystem for which they depend for living and survival. Nature create bounds with humans protecting communities from deadly typhoons.
A moment of contemplation from the viewpoint of nature.
'Is it not a beautiful world? I wish humans could feel the same I feel now.'
Ready to save your local village by restoring Mangroves in saline waters? Yes, become a 'leggy' Mangrove tree yourself to protect people from ferocious storms and provide a rich ecosystem for fisher people to do their job. But... hurry up before the typhoon is back and be cautions, Mangroves do not grow everywhere and need to be planted during the right lunar cycle! Plant a digital twin and we will figure out again how to make it real.
Team: KiH • Imago • Oceanus • Innovation Factory