The Raven
Partners
Columbia University’s Digital Storytelling Lab
Microsoft
Bose
Responsibilities
Experience Design
Creative Coding
Physical Fabrication
Tools
Unity, Javascript, Node.js, Microsoft AZURE, Raspberry Pi
Exhibited
New York Film Festival 2019
Overview
Imagine a show that has no audience, only characters and an invisible thread that guides them through the story in real-time. This is the premise that drove the storytellers behind The Raven, a first of its kind tech-empowered immersive theater experience. Each guest is given an IoT lantern paired with a Bose frame used to produce AR sound.
The narrative chronicles the epic life of famed Gothic author Edgar Allan Poe, and weaves his fantastical works into an interactive plot line that all participants play a part in. The team collaborated to create “something that is beyond an immersive show, it’s an intimate human experience.
“The author’s legacy, his ghosts, and even the mysterious circumstances of his death are examined in this immersive theater experience that blends, elements of game play, cutting-edge audio technology, and first-rate storytelling.”
AR Sensory Experiences
Using Unity, a powerful gaming engine, we created a virtual map of the site and audio sources. Using __ data generated from guest movement from the glasses, an AR soundscape is overlayed onto the guest experience.
IoT Devices
The magic behind triggering interactions lies within the hardware of the lanterns. The Raspberry Pi microcomputer embedded in each lantern runs a Node.js application with a beacon scanner. A grid of bluetooth beacons are laid out on site. Using RSSI data, the location of the guest is approximated triggering certain narrative actions including AR sound cues and eerie lighting effects within the lanterns.
Azure State Machine
The state machine served as the secret script for the show. Stored on Microsoft’s AzureBased on data sent through the local proxy, the state machine kept track of the current state of the show, the current scene and tracking character location. The state machine also served
Storytelling Elements
Roaming Mode
During this time of the show, guests are encouraged to explore the site. New discoveries are unveiled in AR sound when bluetooth beacons are magically activated.
Actress Scenes
Before key scenes, important characters are guided into placement through the narrative by the ghost of Poe. As the story unfolds, they engage directly with the actress.
