Digital Starlight Memorial
An Online Memorial System with Tangible Interactive InterfaceMaster Thesis at the Harvard University GSD
Advisor: Krzysztof Wodiczko
AR/VR, HCI, UI/UX Design
Prize: Harvard Metaverse Hackathon 2022
Most Outside-of-Box Prize
Toolkits: A-Frame, 8th Wall, ARkits, Figma, Arduino
Year:2022
The Internet has created countless possibilities for commemorations dedicated to tragic or catastrophic events and for exercising collective memory, which has not only gradually hidden our physical bodies but is also changing the way we experience the death of those around us. People who died in some extreme events could not be buried well. Meanwhile, their relatives shared collective memories and trauma. Thus, I want to create a digital cemetery that collects the digital "soul". Besides, the digital cemetery could gather the people who have relatives who died in the same event and experienced the same trauma, forming a place that not only communicates but can heal each other.
I will create a website as the main digital platform for the community where people can bury their loved ones in a virtual Constellations system and build them a monument. Along with an Augmented Reality mobile application mobile application, people can see the exact location of their relatives or friends buried in the constellation and resonate in the community. What's more, they can have an additional physical interaction device. When someone visits a buried person, the interactive device will produce haptic feedback, and people can experience tangible visualizations from the device and comfort from those who have shared trauma. To join the community or merely to experience it, both strains and reinforces the mutuality of the “Collective memory” said to be in this together.
Final UI/UX Design for the Starlight Memorial Platform
Login - Scan a memorial item - Link to digital assets and identity - Find the group with collective memory
Choose a location among the constellation to bury the loved ones, and view the collective monument
Demo Video for the Digital Starlight Memorial in mixed webAR/VR formart
Physical Device 1: Rose Media Player
Device 2: Personal Sacred
The Mozart album is one's deceased grandfather's possessions. I create a web-based Augmented Reality application to represent the praying process as a daily memorial script. In this new normal, you can open the mobile phone camera and point it to the memorial items - the album, staring at the phone screen. After a while, based on your setting, some little stars will appear on the screen. When you click on those stars, you can hear a 15 seconds music piece each from the specific Mozart album. When the music pieces end, the stars disappear one by one, and your personal sacred memorial script is finished.
Device 3: Album Lantern
The album lantern is not only a drawer that stores your memorable items but also emphasizes them and reminds you of your loved ones occasionally.
Connected to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the lantern is normally served as a bedside lamp with an LED bulb, and the memorable items can not be viewed. However, when someone visits your loved ones in the virtual memorial space, the LED bulb will change color to remind you and the PDLC switchable electronic adhesive smart glass will turn to clear mode, so that you can see through the lantern to view your memorable items.
Connected to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the lantern is normally served as a bedside lamp with an LED bulb, and the memorable items can not be viewed. However, when someone visits your loved ones in the virtual memorial space, the LED bulb will change color to remind you and the PDLC switchable electronic adhesive smart glass will turn to clear mode, so that you can see through the lantern to view your memorable items.
Memorial Day Event
On Sept 11, 2022, tourists around the 911 Memorial in Central Manhattan are experiencing my mixed reality memorial script.