Gabriel Lipkowitz

I am an incoming assistant professor at the National University of Singapore in the Division of Industrial Design (to begin Nov. 2024), having recently graduated from Stanford University. I'm passionate about leveraging new technologies to push the boundaries of interactive 3D design in applications ranging from spatial computing to 3D visualization to new media art.

Talk Title: Towards bio-inspired interactions: explorations in nature-inspired design of emerging interactive 3D technologies

Natural organisms and ecosystems have often provided fertile sources of inspiration for artists, architects, designers, and engineers prototyping products for the physical world. In the first part of this talk, I will provide a case study of one such project in this area, drawing on my academic background in biology to invent a novel approach to the computational 3D fabrication of physical objects. Using this project as a foil, however, I will proceed to argue that relatively less explored, but potentially just as consequential, is how a close attention to natural aesthetics can equally benefit our increasingly common interactions with purely virtual 3D environments, objects, and experiences, or those that blend virtual with physical interactions. Focusing on new experiences enabled by the emerging media of augmented reality and spatial computing in particular, I will present several past and ongoing works, from both design research and teaching, which illustrate and prototype bioinspired design systems for such emerging interactive 3D technologies.

Location: Morphing Matter Lab, Etcheverry Hall 5149, 2521 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA

Zoom: https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/93236529637?pwd=QSB9cHook3UuZzoyF6MW70Kq1vPY0C.1 Meeting ID: 932 3652 9637 Passcode: 440901