Event overview

“GEMINI Laboratory Meetup” is a community where artists, creators, researchers, business people, etc. gather to fantasize about service ideas in the “mirror world” era, where the digital and physical are highly integrated and interacted. The theme of vol.02 is “People/Avatar”. Artists and researchers will discuss how to be freed from shackles.

[what happens when your body changes? ~Avatar unleashes my personality~]

Using Einstein’s avatar increases inspiration, using an avatar that expresses who you want to show makes it easier to make friends, and using avatars to experience people of different races reduces your sense of discrimination.

Research on embodied cognition using VR has clarified the various effects that avatars, whose appearance can be freely switched according to the situation, affect the characteristics of human thinking and behavior. What are the possibilities of avatars as beings that unleash the restrictions and shackles that we usually unconsciously impose?

At GEMINI Laboratory Meetup vol.02, we welcomed Associate Professor Takushi Narumi, who is conducting research on cognitive augmentation using VR as a starting point at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo. He will talk about what kind of transformation it will bring to our cognition under the theme of “Ghost Engineering”.

On the other hand, by moving the eyes to the tips of the hind legs, it transforms the physical self-recognition and searches for changes in abilities, thoughts, and actions, which can be said to be “extension by deviating from human norms”. Mr. Maki Hanagata, who presents works that straddle the transformation of humans and media art, such as the performance art work “still human”, will also provide a topic.

In the second half of the cross-talk, we will invite Ms. Mariko Nishimura as moderator and explore the state of society in which avatars have permeated.

▼Topic
・How will human communication change through the use of avatars whose appearance can be freely changed?
・What is ghost engineering?
・What kind of process will avatars be accepted by us, and what services and actions are necessary for that?

【The guests】

Takushi Narumi

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, University of Tokyo. 2006 Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Engineering, Department of System Creation, 2008 completed the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, the same University, 2011 completed the doctoral course of the University’s Graduate School of Engineering, and worked as an assistant professor and lecturer at the Department of Intelligent Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology. After that, he became an associate professor in 2019. Doctor of Engineering. By combining virtual reality and augmented reality (AR) technologies with the knowledge of cognitive science and psychology, we are working on research on human augmentation technology that changes human behavior, cognition, and abilities by working with the five senses. He has received numerous awards, including the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for Young Scientists, the Virtual Reality Society of Japan Paper Award, and the Good Design Award.

Hanagata Maki

Born in Tokyo in 1995. Graduated from Keio University SFC and completed the Master’s Program in Media Arts at Tama Art University Graduate School. Practices about the body that ceases to be “I” and “human” under the concern of the boundary between self and other, between human and non-human, which is changing in a technologically accelerated capitalist society. I do. Major works include “Uber Existence,” a fictional “existence representation” service that commercializes human beings themselves, and “still human,” which deviates from human body norms by moving the eyes. Major awards include the 25th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival Art Division Newcomer Award and the CAF Award 2022 Excellence Award.

【program】

Title GEMINI Laboratory Meetup
Date and time January 25, 2023 (Wednesday) 18:00~19:10
Venue FabCafe MTRL ＠Shibuya (YouTube Live streaming available)
[Organizer] Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. [Management] Loftwork Inc.

Timeline
18:00 – 18:05 Introduction (5min)
18:05 – 18:20 Guest presentation [Takushi Narumi, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo] (15min)
18:20 – 18:35 Guest Presentation [Maki Hanagata Media Artist] (15min）
18:35 – 19:10 Crosstalk (35min)

[Discord]

About the Audience Comments Discord Channel
Comments on viewing are on the GEMINI Discord server
Please use the [#OpenTalk] text chat.

Invitation URL：https://discord.gg/DvjHvKEGAh

In talk sessions and crosstalk,
The facilitator will also liven up the discussion at Dsicord, so please join us!

[GEMINI Laboratory Meetup Archive]

GEMINI Laboratory Meetup vol.01 was held on December 21, 2022.

Mr. Kanna Bansho and Mr. Kentaro Nakamura took the stage on the themes of Metaverse cities and spaces, “the right to repair”, smart city practices and reflections, and proposals. There was a lot of discussion about the architectural historical positioning of the Metaverse space and a sustainable Metaverse.
Watch the archive here.
https://youtu.be/qDJp6W9Sewg?t=286

[Information on participation]

・Participation details will be sent to the registered email address by the day before the event.
・The program is subject to change without notice.