I AM ROBOT

I wanted to experiment with social VR, what it means and how to make VR feel connected.

A project formed during FMX 2016 from a fusion of knowledge learned from Avengers VR and NYU’s Ken Perlins’ Holojam. Supported by Terrence Masson of SVA NYC, SIGGRAPH awarded us a large space at the 2017 VR village.

I first adapted my PIXIONARY project that I host at colleges used as a warm up exercise. This VR PIXIONARY concept got picked up on a popular chat show, so I decided to change it quicky. but along the way I observed peoples behaviour in the headsets, realised we could do more, so it became HOLO-DOODLE, a social party.

As well as hosting 1000 people over 4 days, we actually tapped into issues surrounding gender identity and social anxiety. We even got a write up in OUT MAGAZINE.

HOLODOODLE - TRAILER

"I’m a person with social anxiety and going out to clubs always renders me 'friend who watches people’s bags at a booth’. I thank I AM ROBOT for the best clubbing experience in my life! I put that headset on and I cut loose like never before.”

Paloma Rodriguez Volunteer Docent - SIGGRAPH 2017

"As a transgender male at SIGGRAPH I had found myself out of my comfort zone. Once I got into I AM ROBOT, I was really astonished by the very fluid concept of identity. As a robot I felt the most human compassion I'd felt in a long while."

Milo Christian Koleske Volunteer Docent - SIGGRAPH 2017

This project has now been reskinned to I AM ROBOT. With I AM... being the parent project, open to new iterations.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OUTLINING THE PROJECT HERE

I AM… in the future
The concept is now to open this up to I AM… so that companys with IP can adapt the party to their property. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS visited our SIGGRAPH show on multiple days and said quite plainly ‘wow, you’ve nailed social vr’ and invited me to their parks to see how I’d introduce new tech to Universal Studios. I pitched I AM... MINION as an after party once guests had finished the ride.