Confronting a near-death experience via virtual reality, with key life moments flashing before your eyes, is one of 16 student projects from Winchester School of Art on show in London this week.
Players lie on a couch wearing a VR headset that simulates a near-death journey, taking them through snippets of life moments in locations including a classroom, a city, the countryside, a wedding, a hospital and a funeral.
The 'memories' appear as floating bubbles and the life journey is determined by how long players gaze at different bubbles. The experience culminates in a fleeting journey through the memories the player has engaged with.
The experience, called Echoes of the Last Breath, has been created by arts and media technology students Veronica Zhang, Yimeng Li and Xinyu Zhang.
Veronica, 26, studying a PhD in art, said: "The concept was inspired by research on near-death experiences showing they can reduce death anxiety and foster empathy. We wanted to design a short VR encounter that helps young audiences reflect on life's meaning beyond extra lives or respawns in games. We hope it resonates with a wider audience."
The project forms part of Winchester School of Art's exhibition, called Tender Interbeing, at London Design Festival.
Other projects include a board game about financial planning and resilience, VR shopping, a VR experience to interact with stars in the night sky, and using artificial intelligence to support older people at home.
There is a VR immersive garden featuring plants that are threatened with extinction. Fashion management student Tiffany Chan, 24, led the project and said: "Setting our project in 2065, we imagined that technology will be in our daily lives, and we created an immersive garden to heal emotional stress."
Four creative computing and graphic communication students from different backgrounds have created a VR experience that brings different cultures together.
Qingzhou Cai from China, Jocelyn Eddy from England, and Lavanya Sharma and Nehi Ipplil from India have developed a collage of footage from their three homelands highlighting cultural events, geographical features and different foods.
Jocelyn, 19, said: "We wanted to explore multiculturalism and how this this could lead to a utopian future. We have portrayed aspects of our cultures, shown simultaneously in three windows."
Yuanyuan Yin, Professor of Design, who has curated the exhibition, said: "Tender Interbeing is all about how to use technology to create an inclusive and empathetic future. The main concept is looking at the future and how humans and technology will live together in harmony."
The exhibition is open from Wednesday 17 to Friday 19 September at White City Warehouse, Wood Lane, London, and admission is free. Visit the festival website
