Immersion
and simulation
This refers to the lecture we had on Immersion and Simulation. Immersion
is also called as virtual reality. This means that you are not a part of the
‘real’ world. One gets immersed into something that may not exist in reality. The
best example could be gaming. There can be many reasons as to why people like
to be a part of it. One of the reasons could be that it gives a false sense of
achievement. This could be self-destructive. And not to forget, it is also
highly addictive.
There is a saying that the average man who does not know what to do
with his life, wants another one which will last forever. TRUE. Internet is a great
contributor to immersion. According to Ernest W. Adams, there are three types of immersions:
Tactical
immersion
Tactical immersion is experienced
when performing tactile operations that involve skill. Players feel "in
the zone" while perfecting actions that result in success.
Strategic
immersion
Strategic immersion is associated
with mental challenge. Chess players experience strategic immersion when
choosing a correct solution among a broad array of possibilities.
Narrative
immersion
Narrative immersion occurs when
players become invested in a story, and is similar to what is experienced while
reading a book or watching a movie.
Today we
have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many other forms of social media where
one can portray oneself as someone else. Who really has five hundreds friends
in real life? But in the virtual world you do. There is a thin line between
reality and virtual reality. And it is scaring how quickly it can fade away. Getting more likes, friends or followers has
become a competition not only on the internet but also in real life. This comes
in the category of simulation as well. Simulation is used to create alternate
solutions to reality. Consider the astronaut training. Outer space conditions
are created on earth using various aspects of physics for the astronauts. This
is one just one form of simulation. Immersion and simulation both are used in
many areas like computers, engineering, mechanics, finance etc. , healthcare and
also in entertainment like films, theme parks etc.
One of the
most important people to contribute in this field is Maurice Benayoun. This is
some of his work.
Le Diable est-il courbe? (Is the
devil curved?), 1995
Cosmopolis (2005), Maurice Benayoun's Giant Virtual Reality Interactive Installation
World Skin (1997), Maurice Benayoun's Virtual Reality Interactive Installation
