Playing With Perception: Locative Narrative and Sonic Virtual Locations

Approaches to the development of virtual spaces range from fully rendered dynamically responsive simulations to spaces that exist in the imagination. While qualities of naturalism and liveliness may perceptually and intuitively differ, both hold the potential for a sense of presence, of being-there. Locative narrative can be thought of as audio drama heard on headphones, set in real-world locations. Building on research in outdoor settings, the development of virtual spaces for the museum in The Lost Index project combined four approaches: simulation, illusion, suggestion, and pretense, to evoke a phenomenal experience of presence. Virtual spaces were created in binaural sound that plotted sounds temporally and spatially over the actual dimensions of museum rooms. Recorded sounds heard on headphones in the context of ambient sounds can supplement, mask or multiply auditory cues leading to ambiguity, misattribution of sound sources and cross-modal illusions. iBeacons were used to introduce indoor navigation capabilities to The Lost Index. This ability, previously only possible in an outdoor setting using GPS, or through the installation of complex infrastructures, opens a range of possibilities for locative narrative apps within museums and similar contexts. These techniques were implemented within an app. Locative narratives that deliver a story through predominantly aural means still require some sort of visual (onscreen) feedback. Graphic elements that communicated necessary information and supported the aural experience, without detracting from narrative engagement, were developed. A science-fiction plot invited participants to engage in imagining and offered a rationale for the perceptual transformation of the museum environment. Participants, in the role of protagonist, moved within the storyworld and museum. Techniques to focus attention and narrative suggestion were further used influence participants’ interpretation of their environment. The adoption of stance of pretense or make-believe contributed to phenomenal experience.