[U39] - Wabi-Sabi

Inspiration

We were inspired by the joy of diorama exhibits at museums. It’s a delight to observe the crafted miniatures posed in a tableau as an aid to learning. We wanted to bring this element to home users as an MR teaser for an in-person exhibit.

What it does

The user can explore an evolving tabletop diorama of a Japanese Tea Ceremony and learn more about the process and traditions. Our project provides an interactive audio visual experience through the browser, offering a way of augmenting a website in a simple and immersive way. We can also envision expanded applications, for example use within an in-person museum exhibit itself as a multimedia installation. Additionally, as well as being useful for making digital dioramas we could use these tools to create a real-world scale interactive exhibit, filling the space with digital actors demonstrating the tea ceremony. This idea could also be adapted to any number of different experiences: A military war tent, Roman baths or ancient Greek temple.

How we built it

We were keen to try a new technology and software that neither of us had used. Without a dedicated developer on our team, Mattercraft provided an intuitive and lightweight option to realise our idea. There is a spatialised audio soundscape, with sounds made during the Hackathon heard and voice narration, provided by ElevenLabs A.I.

Challenges we ran into

Our greatest challenge was having a team of only two due to a conflict between two other other team members on our first day which led to some splitting and others dropping out. Regarding the project, given more time we would like to offer more interactivity and insight, for example allow users to select individual instruments (kettle, wash basin, etc.) and learn more about their use and craft. We would also like to offer animations for the miniature characters.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Despite our team's unexpected dissolution, we two remaining members quickly adapted. We were now a team comprised of a 3d modeller and audio designer, but we both stepped into the designer role and we’re proud of what we achieved. In just 24 hours, we ideated and produced a concept while learning how to use Mattercraft, a very intuitive piece of software. We're proud of our resilience, adaptability, and rapid learning under tight time constraints.

What we learned

We learned valuable lessons about team formation and planning. We had to learn to adapt fast and develop ideas as we were going, not to mention picking up a development software very quickly. Even after just a day and a half, we both feel conifident with Mattercraft, and hopefully we can take steps in the future make sure we have a strong and happy team.

What's next for Wabi-Sabi

Our unexpected turn of events could lead to interesting things. Mattercraft surprised us with it’s ease of use, and we could definitely see ourselves using it again. I think there’s a lot of scope for augmented web experiences, and this software removes many barriers to creation. We’d love to stay in touch with the Mattercraft team and will definitely cconsider what opportunities it might provide, once we’ve had a good nights sleep.

Built With

• ableton
• blender
• elevenlabs
• mattercraft
• maya
• metaquest
• reaper