Media Sandbox Showcase Dazzles

by Emma_Chappel on 24-Feb-11 17:07

As supporters of the Media Sandbox since its inception, South West Screen has always followed the supported projects with a keen interest and we are always amazed by the imagination, boldness and variety of the ideas they come up with. Like the showcases of the previous two years, the class of 2010 didn’t disappoint.

In September 2010, seven companies were commissioned to develop projects under two strands, B-Open and Pervasive Experiences. The showcase saw the projects ranging from a digital route planner that avoids hills to a sculpture made entirely of scent come to fruition and allowed the audience to interact with both the project designers and the projects themselves.

The three B-Open projects used Open Data released by Bristol City Council (such as air quality, electricity use etc) to create digital applications or experiences. Each project was introduced with a short film and then the teams participated in a Q&A session led by Parameter’s Mark Leaver.

Overlay Media had used the data to create their route planner app, Hills Are Evil, which has been designed for and by people with limited mobility, but is intended to be added to by users to increase its appeal and application.

Mobile Pie’s Blossom Bristol is a game described as ‘Farmville meets Farmers Market’, in which players plant and grow virtual plants at different locations across the city, their health and success dependent on environmental factors . The game has been released on the Android platform and was downloaded by 600 people in just two days.

Finally, I heart my City by Delib, has used census data to create an online map presenting the correlation between council spending and quality of life metrics.

The Q&A discussed the pros and cons of using open data and explored the thorny issue of the commercial potential of the applications devised. All agreed that regardless of the commercial appeal of the individual projects on show, the learning undertaken for each one would generate commercial opportunities of its own and thus was invaluable R&D investment.

Four projects had been commissioned under the Pervasive Experiences umbrella: Mutant Labs’ Operation Sonic Boom, Moksha’s Sculpting with Scent, Biofeedback in Gaming by Remode and Alphasphere by nu desine.

All four projects had produce new and jaw-dropping ways of interacting with digital technologies using the senses. Mutant Labs’ Operation Sonic Boom allows users to use sound as a control mechanism for gaming and learning applications and has been described as potentially doing for audio input what the Wii had done for movement. Alphasphere also focuses on sound, being a new electronic musical instrument which allows players to trigger sounds through the use of sensors and smart materials. Remode’s Biofeedback in Gaming adds a new dimension to console gaming by incorporating a player’s heartbeat as a control variable. But the biggest stir was caused by Moksha’s Sculpting with Scent. Co-creator, Darius Pocha said that the 20^th century had all been about audio and visual experience and that sphere of experience is now saturated. Scent, he said, is an ancient sense, which can tell a story, provoke an intense emotional response and also give a distinct sense of place. As an underused means of communication, Darius speculated that scent has as yet untapped commercial application in retail and exhibition forums.

Commerce was never far from people’s minds as i-Shed’s Clare Reddington introduced the Q&A session, and questions covered development costs and business plans as well as the trickier aspects of marrying physical interaction with digital technologies. The infectious enthusiasm of the project teams meant that the audience was itching to go and test the prototypes for themselves by the end of the session.

The last words, however, went to Ogilvy’s Nicole Yershon. A dozen words, to be precise, set out on a slide to sum up why she continues to devote her time, energy and enthusiasm to mentoring the Sandbox scheme. And what positive words they were, sending the audience out with the message that whatever else Sandbox is about, it’s about commerce, innovation and hope.

Tagged:Media Sandbox, Watershed, iShed

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