Anthropocentric: Real-time data for human centric architecture
This is thesis explores applications of Mixed Reality, commonplace technologies and representation techniques in embodied and interactive design, through the development of an airport wayfinding system. The proposition that airports can be difficult to navigate, struggling to foster social connections, along with the challenging notion of providing an interface for Big Data spatially to users, motivates the research. The development of personalised spatial way finding techniques aids methods for the use of location and big data to ergonomically and spatially represent users’ navigation of space. Through methods of connecting people virtually within a single physical location using a unified design language, social implications of space are enhanced and extended. Finally, space which functions efficiency provides real-time feedback. Key theory in Human Computer Interaction and Embodied Design informs the research, through mixed reality, technology and data-form translations. Research is done over two stages, the first explores data inputs from users and represents these in 2D graphics. The second develops three separate design elements to create a spatial way finding system, to allow user engagement. These are a virtual projection, a set of physical forms and a set of wearable device applications. Design development happens through iterations within each experiment, and are always informed by previous work. The result is an inhabitable data space with seamless embodied design exploring the localisation of large sets of data.