Cognitive interaction management

DJ Spooky, headliner for our “Plutopia 2010: The Science of Sound” and FutureMusic Summit 2012, once stated, “Creating audience interaction is about hooking into every format of memory we have, and then thinking about how we can describe the experience.” Engagement and interaction are key aspects of memory formation and expression, and can be created in a variety of methods such as distributed interactive video arrays, wearable computing, or simply by the introduction of robots and artificial intelligence (AI) stimulation into interactive space. In designing this type of engaged experience architecture, we are able to augment the participant’s personal narrative and sensation of the event.

Consequently, in our work it is not only imperative to embrace the interaction of physical sensation, affect and emotional intelligence, but moreover, we know how to design a framework that provides meaningful measurements and metrics for integrated experiences that achieve the goal of multi-dimensional engagement. In doing so, we have become context-sensitive experience designers, able to harmonize sensory energy and engagement. Our ability to map and model emotional responses, the sensation delivered and cognitive resonance achieved, allows us to better design both the individual and collective performance of our events.

We see the following points of relevance / interaction as pursuant to expanding the potency of the research into experiences:

Also, we monitor the potential for seamless movement from virtual to physical to virtual, which we have termed “experiensualism”. Our understanding of such experiences is being transformed even further by the fusion of experiential realism, communications, cognitive and neuroscience, ERP (Effective Radiated Power / Energy) and fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging). This is enabling us to develop more comprehensive attendee profiles and more personalized experiences.