Project Overview
A VR interactive dining experience that explores diaspora food influences and cultural convergence in a multicultural society.
Through this project, users will explore the origins of ingredients and interact meaningfully with food elements, symbolizing how different cultures come together to create new culinary experiences.
Includes a multi-sensory approach, using essential oil diffusers to engage users’ olfactory senses along with visual and auditory cues.
Proof of concept for a tech ecosystem of digital dining experience.
Project/Concept Description
The project's core narrative about food, culture, and community is that the foods that we eat are a product of globalization. Geographical exploration and immigration brought ingredients like spices, fruits, vegetables and livestock to new homes where they are treasured and celebrated. These ingredients can interact with our culture and identity in the following ways: 1), they represent the core cultural heritage of the diaspora community; 2), they are used to create entire cuisines or integrate into existing recipes, transforming the palate of the people in their new home; 3), they shape and infer our identity through food; and 4), they bring people from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds together.
The room will feature a sound installation of voices in multiple languages speaking the phrase: “民以食为天”[food is the sky to the people], interlaced with snippets of music inspired by the food experience. The experience will start with inviting the user to sit at a custom-designed table featuring projection mapping and a responsive, mechanical table design. On approach, the projection will prompt the user to put on the headset, start the essential oil diffuser, and stop the ambient sound installation.
The VR experience will feature a simple introduction to the VR environment, as well as two main modules.
Module A:
Users will be taken to the places where the food ingredients that they are originally from, and to places that they have traveled to.
Imagine this to be a VR film with narration.
Module B:
Users will be able to play VR games with the ingredients.
It will be fun. In a restaurant setting, this will be for the guests to spend their time while waiting for food to be delivered to their table.
The room will be responsive as motion detectors will be installed above the table. When motion is detected close to the chair and the headset, the projection will prompt the user to put on the headset to start the experience.
In the headset, users can choose to watch a 360 narrative video or engage with ingredients virtually, such as selecting items or preparing food, learning about their cultural roots and significance.
The use of olfactory engagement through essential oil diffusers will deepen the immersive experience by associating different smells with specific ingredients or dishes. Overall, the user experience will be smooth with attention to making the interaction easy while reducing barriers due to the lack of familiarity with using VR.
Below are some screenshots documenting the current progress.
Strategic Plan/Goals and Outcomes
The project aims to foster a deeper understanding of how cultural diversity influences our shared culinary experiences. Promote social connection through food, a universal experience, in an interactive and immersive setting. Highlight cultural education and the globalized nature of modern culinary arts.
Primary Audience
Target audiences include food enthusiasts, VR and tech aficionados, cultural institutions, and diverse communities interested in cross-cultural experiences.
Exhibition Plans
The project will be showcased at food festivals, cultural events, VR exhibitions, and museums. Possible pop-up installations at restaurants, universities, and community centers.
Note: Overall, the project is a light-hearted and humorous narrative (the shape of a cookie is like the shape of our planet) that uses VR and story design to mediate an immersive experience. Yes, it is just a cookie, but a cookie has a big story to tell. And yes, users of the experience will get to try the cookie featured in the experience. As a work in progress, the challenge lies in managing all the elements necessary parts to be complete for the final installation. Thanks for reading this documentation.