IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2016 - 34

KELECHI
by Ruslan Akun
How and where do you watch the equivalent of a 'film'?
I'm not a hipster, so I don't like watching old 20 films on a flat screen. That's too boring. When it comes to movies, I enjoy
immersive movies where I can actually participate, witnessing the story from my own perspective. It also gives me an
opportunity to experience a dangerous roller-coaster, yet be safe in my seat.
How do you have a shared Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality experience?
I can't afford the new contact lenses from Oculus. However, old VR goggles work just fine for me. l'm finishing my passion project,
an anti-corruption platform using soft power. I hacked old goggles and adjusted them to Makoko's reality. Now everybody can put
on these goggles and see how Makoko can be different if everyone in this village abides the rule of law.
What tech is your character carrying on them every day?
My goggles. Apart from a completely VR experience, my goggles can also deliver AR experiences. When you sail in Makoko, my
software overlays improved images of Makoko on the real world. For instance, if there is a dirty hut in front of you, through my
goggles you see a beautiful floating house instead.
What is the smallest piece of tech that you own?
My ring. l don't like it but I must wear it. It has a geolocating function.
What is your favorite piece of tech?
My goggles. I never take them off.
How is your favorite piece of tech powered?
My goggles don't consume much power, so I charge them for 15 minutes every morning.
Ruslan Akun is a USC School of Cinematic Arts Production Graduate Student from Kyrgyz Republic, his film "Herding." has been
selected for over 50 film festivals around the world. His feature films were boxoffice hits in Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan.
ruslan.akun@gmail.com
Figure 5. Ruslan Akun's character, Kelechi, and his answers to the six questions regarding the future of media in Makoko.

A VISITOR TO MAKOKO 2036
Observations from the Field by Josh Dawson
How and where do you watch the equivalent of a 'film'?
I walked into the water-taxi port and observed people watching films on their watches. The people pulled/stretched an LCD
screen from their watches. The screen extended into the palm of their hands. It was really cool.
How do you have a shared Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality experience?
I found myself in a large room where people would line up to get into immersive gear. We were immersed in an experience that
was simultaneously shared and individual. VR and AR seemed most common in festivals and raves rather than proscenium
experiences. It was never a single narrative, but always a combination of multiple experiences within the same space at the
same time. Some were longer than others. The spaces had a combination of online and offline spaces.
What tech is your character carrying on them every day?
I observed that the watch had become a technological extension of the body: an appendage, a prosthetic.
What is the smallest piece of tech that you own?
The smallest piece of technology was a watch.
What is your favorite piece of tech?
The multifunctional watch was my favorite piece of technology.
How is your favorite piece of tech powered?
Most technology was powered by a near-field reactor. Near-field technology was a common source of energy. This city on the
water had a scarcity of electrical wires.
Joshua Ash ish Dawson is an architect from Bangalore, India pursuing his Masters in Advanced Architectural Studies at the
University of Southern California. Joshua aims to implement interdisciplinary design thinking in re-imagining the built
environment as a crystallization of narrative experience. daws554@usc.edu
Figure 6. Josh Dawson's answers to the six questions regarding the future of media in Makoko were given in the form of
observations by visitor there in 2036.

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DECember 2016

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