Immersive Media and Multisensory Perception

The Research Group on Immersive Media and Multisensory Perception focuses on the emerging uses of VR and AR technologies in a range of fields, from immersive journalism, to digital heritage, destination marketing, immersive learning and simulation, sound perception in animation, and 3D animation techniques.

The group is organizationally located within the Institute for Film and Animation (IFA) at the Faculty of Media (AMF), but membership is open to all HVO researchers working with immersive media and multisensory perception.

Through practice-based research, the group wishes to contribute to the development of concepts to describe the qualities and processes involved in immersion through media technologies. We are also interested in intersections between media aesthetics, media ethics, and studies of society and technology, as well as perspectives that focus on audience experience. The group also welcomes interdisciplinary research that explores multisensory perception in connection to the experience of presence.

Goals

  • Provide a collegial environment for researchers working with immersive media.

  • Contribute to project development in lab-based situations where bachelor and master students can collaborate with academic staff as well as with industry partners.

  • Support members in the publication of research outputs in high impact outlets.

  • Support basic research on multisensory perception as it relates to presence and immersion, with applications in a variety of fields.

  • Act as contact point between Volda University College and partners from commercial and non-commercial organizations wishing to explore novel uses of immersive media.

Group members

Mohammad Javad Khajavi, Associate Professor, IFA Animation, AMF

Jon Harman, Assistant Professor, IFA Media Production, AMF

Tormod Utne, Associate Professor, Journalism, AMF

Endre Eidså Larsen, Associate Professor, IFA Animation, AMF

Projects

2015 Establishment of Web Documentary course, a collaboration between MID (AKF) and JOU (AMF)

2015-2017 Immersiv journalistikk VRI prosjekt, Sunnmørsposten, Teknisk Ukeblad, Høgskulen i Volda

2016 Teaching of 360 video immersive storytelling at various courses in the MID media production program

2017-2018 Master projects using immersive journalism delivered as theses in the Master in Documentary, AMF HVO

2019 Project with museums in Møre og Romsdal about the use of immersive media for digital heritage dissemination and conservation

2021 Co-operation with Viti (Sunnmøre museum) and Hidden, developing gamifying AR application for young museum audience

2022 AR/VR workshop in Future Lab in co-operation with TekLab, formative evaluation of AR content by BA and MA Web Doc students

Publications and Dissemination

Utne, Tormod (contracted, due summer 2022). Teaching Immersive Journalism, Chapter 9 in "Insights on Immersive Journalism", edited by professor Ana Luisa Sanchez Laws. Part of the Routledge Journalism Insights series, edited by Richard Keeble.

Harman, Jon. (2021) Podcast, Ep 19: Immersive Content & VR Expert. Spotify Anchor.

Larsen, Endre Eidsaa. (2020). Abounaddara and the Concept of Dignified Images. I: Issues, Risk and Crisis Communication Themes in Issues, Risk and Crisis Communication: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective. Peter Lang Publishing Group 2020 ISBN 9783631816516. s. 195-210.

Sánchez Laws, Ana Luisa and Tormod Utne (2019), Ethics Guidelines for Immersive Journalism. Frontiers in Robotics and AI; Volum 6, s. 1-13.

Sánchez Laws, Ana Luisa (contracted, due summer 2019). Conceptualizing Immersive Journalism. Disruptions: Studies in Digital Journalism. London: Routledge.

Utne, Tormod (2018). Virtuelle muligheter og farer i journalistikken. Sunnmørsposten2018 (35) s. 22-23.

Utne, Tormod (2018). Hva betyr automatisering av journalistikken? Magne Soundjock Otterdal og Geir Terje Ruud: Autostory. Et essay om hvordan automatisering forandrer journalistikken. Norsk Medietidsskrift 2018; Volum 25. (1) s. 1-3.

Utne, Tormod and Ana Luisa Sánchez Laws. (2018) Å forstå "immersiv" journalistikk. Trondheim: Polaris Media, 5 s.

Sánchez Laws, Ana Luisa (2017). Can Immersive Journalism Enhance Empathy?. Digital Journalism, 1-16.

Utne, Tormod and Ana Luisa Sánchez Laws (2017). På søken etter nye horisonter: nordisk journalist- og medieutdanning experimenterer med 360-graders video.Nordicom Information 39 (2) 2017. VIDEO (KULTUR)

Erdal, Ivar John, Utne, Tormod, Sánchez Laws, Ana Luisa. (2017). Experimental journalism: Collaborative learning and students entering the newsroom.. Nordmedia 2017; 2017-08-17 - 2017-08-19

Utne, Tormod (2017). Følelsesmessig påvirkning med VR i medier.. Nxt Media Conference 2017; 2017-11-14 - 2017-11-15

Utne, Tormod (2017). Lab-basert undervisning i media. Slik lærer vi studentene webdokumentar og datajournalistikk. Journalistens jubileumskonferanse (100 år); 2017-03-09 - 2017-03-09

Utne, Tormod, Sánchez Laws, Ana Luisa (2017). Learning web documentary and data journalism through lab-based collaborative situations. Nordic Data Journalism Conference (NODA17); 2017-01-27 - 2017-01-28

Sánchez Laws, Ana Luisa, Utne, Tormod, Harman, Jon (2016) From sound to screen: a qualitative study of NRK P3 Dokumentar. I-Docs Bristol; 2016-04-02 - 2016-04-04

Bergsnev, K. (2016) Cross-modal correspondences between flavor and sound. Implications for learning. Poster. Neurogastronomy Symposium. International Society of Neurogastronomy, University of Kentucky, UK Healthcare Chandler Medical Center. 10-12 December.

Utne, Tormod (2016). På sporet av ny teknologi og nye medier. Rapport fra møter med teknologiselskaper og mediarelaterte startups i Silicon Valley. Fagseminar på Avdeling for mediefag; 2016-08-26 - 2016-08-26

Utne, Tormod and Ana Luisa Sánchez Laws (2016) "Digitale grenser? Skjeringspunktet mellom teknologi og media". Forskingsdagane 2016 ved Høgskulen i Volda; 2016-09-22 - 2016-09-29

Bergsnev, K. and A. L. Sánchez Laws. (2016). Timeless Time trap, a documentary about brain stroke. Futurescapes symposium, NTNU

Sánchez Laws, A. L. and K. Bergsnev. (2013). Representing Energy Efficiency at the Questacon Science Centre. Museums and the Web Asia Conference, Hong Kong

Sánchez Laws, A. L. (2013). Augmenting the Garden of Australian Dreams. MuseTech panel on the future of museum digital media. Museums Australia Conference, Canberra, Australia