title: Envisioning VR theatre: Virtual reality as an assistive technology in theatre performance

authors: Srinivasan, Saikrishna

subjects: Virtual Reality

abstract: This research project focuses on exploring the potential artistic advancements provided by the inclusion and incorporation of Virtual Reality (VR) within theatre. The incorporation of VR technology into theatre performance ultimately aims to alter a theatre experience by adding spatial presence for audiences and adding new production considerations for theatre practitioners. This project investigated the conceptual nature and practical aspects of using 360-degree cameras placed on stage to enable virtual teleportation onto the stage from the audience or remote viewing.
This thesis constitutes a PhD ‘with publication’ and includes reprints of quality assured peer reviewed scholarly articles produced at different stages on the project. The first study examines the early development and use of three-dimensional theatre prototyping to identify the technical requirements for VR theatre. A digital theatrical prototype was designed, along with mathematical calculations to determine the optimal placement of 360-degree cameras on stage. The study reveals multiple camera angles that can be utilized to capture a 360-degree/VR theatre experience.
Building upon the findings of the first study, the second study focuses on practical and technical factors such as visibility, sound, lighting, and visual intensity to enhance audience access and proximity to live performances. Different camera positions were found to be suitable for different theatre styles. The study suggests that the application of VR technology in theatre stages can yield highly satisfying results, as reported by participating actors.
Following initial prototyping and planning, the PhD then experienced the impact of COVID-19 that prevented planned collaboration with local theatre practitioners that would have enabled a substantive practical application of VR, technical refinements and, user and audience testing. However, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the theatre industry, the third study investigated the use of virtually designed spaces and the inclusion of 3D avatars/characters or real actors in performances. It explores the creation of photorealistic virtual worlds that mimic real-world environments and examines audience perceptions of virtual theatre experiences. The study presents a modernization of theatre performance by incorporating 3D virtual spaces, akin to VR games, but with limited interactive freedom for the audience.
The fourth and final study involved the development of a post-pandemic experimental theatre performance based on the insights and data collected from the previous studies. It focuses on the virtual teleportation of an audience onto the stage during a performance, facilitated by VR headsets and a 360-degree camera mounted on the actor. Within the experiment participants experienced the performance through VR headsets. The audience and theatre practitioners were then invited to participate in a post interview session, to note their feedback and comments regarding the experience. Despite the limited number of participants due to COVID-19 restrictions, the study highlighted the positive nature of the VR experience pointing to the possibilities for increased virtual access to live theatre beyond this research.
Overall, the results of these studies shed light on key practical considerations involved in the integration of VR into theatre performances. The approaches taken in each study support and guide best practice but also opens up VR-assisted theatre to grass roots level community and local theatre so that VR can become a common consideration and tool for all forms of theatre.

text: Envisioning VR theatre: Virtual reality as an assistive technology in theatre performance This research project focuses on exploring the potential artistic advancements provided by the inclusion and incorporation of Virtual Reality (VR) within theatre. The incorporation of VR technology into theatre performance ultimately aims to alter a theatre experience by adding spatial presence for audiences and adding new production considerations for theatre practitioners. This project investigated the conceptual nature and practical aspects of using 360-degree cameras placed on stage to enable virtual teleportation onto the stage from the audience or remote viewing.
This thesis constitutes a PhD ‘with publication’ and includes reprints of quality assured peer reviewed scholarly articles produced at different stages on the project. The first study examines the early development and use of three-dimensional theatre prototyping to identify the technical requirements for VR theatre. A digital theatrical prototype was designed, along with mathematical calculations to determine the optimal placement of 360-degree cameras on stage. The study reveals multiple camera angles that can be utilized to capture a 360-degree/VR theatre experience.
Building upon the findings of the first study, the second study focuses on practical and technical factors such as visibility, sound, lighting, and visual intensity to enhance audience access and proximity to live performances. Different camera positions were found to be suitable for different theatre styles. The study suggests that the application of VR technology in theatre stages can yield highly satisfying results, as reported by participating actors.
Following initial prototyping and planning, the PhD then experienced the impact of COVID-19 that prevented planned collaboration with local theatre practitioners that would have enabled a substantive practical application of VR, technical refinements and, user and audience testing. However, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the theatre industry, the third study investigated the use of virtually designed spaces and the inclusion of 3D avatars/characters or real actors in performances. It explores the creation of photorealistic virtual worlds that mimic real-world environments and examines audience perceptions of virtual theatre experiences. The study presents a modernization of theatre performance by incorporating 3D virtual spaces, akin to VR games, but with limited interactive freedom for the audience.
The fourth and final study involved the development of a post-pandemic experimental theatre performance based on the insights and data collected from the previous studies. It focuses on the virtual teleportation of an audience onto the stage during a performance, facilitated by VR headsets and a 360-degree camera mounted on the actor. Within the experiment participants experienced the performance through VR headsets. The audience and theatre practitioners were then invited to participate in a post interview session, to note their feedback and comments regarding the experience. Despite the limited number of participants due to COVID-19 restrictions, the study highlighted the positive nature of the VR experience pointing to the possibilities for increased virtual access to live theatre beyond this research.
Overall, the results of these studies shed light on key practical considerations involved in the integration of VR into theatre performances. The approaches taken in each study support and guide best practice but also opens up VR-assisted theatre to grass roots level community and local theatre so that VR can become a common consideration and tool for all forms of theatre.

year: 2024

title: How life uses sound to reorganise matter: The role of anharmonic phonon exchange in enzyme catalysis

authors: Batterton, Christopher

subjects: enzyme catalysis

abstract: Biological enzyme catalysis is the name for life's ability to rapidly invoke coordinated rearrangements of molecular structures using highly specialised, relatively-large functional proteins called enzymes. It is well established that enzymes reduce the activation energy barrier, which vastly accelerates the rate of reaction, however the specific dynamics and quantum mechanics are largely uncharted. Recent experimentation and modelling hints that there is a phase transition dynamic that is fundamental to enzymatic catalysis. The hypothesis that I explore in this thesis is that a mathematical model of a substrate molecule based upon anharmonic quantum vibrational modes (molecular phonons) will predict phase transition dynamics due to the presence of the appropriate enzyme. A molecular phonon is one particular individualised wave pattern in the locations of atomic nuclei from the total molecular dance that spans the low-frequency bulk swaying motions, mid-frequency bond stretches, to the high-frequency oscillations of the hydrogen bond network. 


In this thesis, I derive a generalised set of equations of motion for the anharmonic response behaviour of molecular phonons to enzyme stimulus via a dissipative quantum master equation, and I explore the phase transition dynamics by determining the stability bifurcation of the steady states. I then determine the critical minimum stimulus required for a molecular vibrational mode to exhibit a phase transition. The primary catalytic reaction of focus for this thesis is the cleavage of the glycosidic carbon-oxygen bond of the complex sugar isomaltose into two individual glucose molecules via the action of the enzyme MalL. Prior to this thesis, the atomic structure of MalL was obtained experimentally via X-ray diffraction crystallography of prepared MalL crystals, then digitised into the Gromacs software package and energy minimised in a simulated water bath to approximate the vibrational modes of the in vivo configuration. I obtain the substrate molecule's harmonic frequencies and anharmonic shifts via molecular dynamics performed using the Gaussian 09 normal mode analysis and simulated anharmonic infrared spectroscopy packages, respectively. I construct a generalised coding package in Matlab to extract the molecule and enzyme data, perform a quantum anharmonic analysis of the molecule--enzyme complex and their interactions, and then simulate the response of the molecule to stimulus from the enzyme. 

 
I determine that the vibrational modes of isomaltose that significantly contribute to stretching the glycosidic carbon-oxygen bond occur within the 21 to 35 THz (700 to 1,170 cm^{-1}) frequency bandwidth, and the dominant stretching modes are contained within 28 to 33 THz (930 to 1,100cm^{-1}), which is in agreement with the experimental literature of polysaccharides. In the final chapter, I perform numerical simulations of the equations of motion to compute the energy response spectrogram for a proxy substrate (benzene) under conditions that are informed by literature and the theoretical findings of this thesis. In lieu of anharmonic isomaltose data, I selected benzene as it is a small molecule with a high degree of symmetry which has several bond stretching modes within the aforementioned bandwidth. The results show that while the stimulus from water is insufficient, there are vibrational modes pertaining to glycosidic bond stretching that can be selectively excited to phase transition behaviour due to a reasonable stimulus from the supply of phonons from the MalL enzyme.

text: How life uses sound to reorganise matter: The role of anharmonic phonon exchange in enzyme catalysis Biological enzyme catalysis is the name for life's ability to rapidly invoke coordinated rearrangements of molecular structures using highly specialised, relatively-large functional proteins called enzymes. It is well established that enzymes reduce the activation energy barrier, which vastly accelerates the rate of reaction, however the specific dynamics and quantum mechanics are largely uncharted. Recent experimentation and modelling hints that there is a phase transition dynamic that is fundamental to enzymatic catalysis. The hypothesis that I explore in this thesis is that a mathematical model of a substrate molecule based upon anharmonic quantum vibrational modes (molecular phonons) will predict phase transition dynamics due to the presence of the appropriate enzyme. A molecular phonon is one particular individualised wave pattern in the locations of atomic nuclei from the total molecular dance that spans the low-frequency bulk swaying motions, mid-frequency bond stretches, to the high-frequency oscillations of the hydrogen bond network. 


In this thesis, I derive a generalised set of equations of motion for the anharmonic response behaviour of molecular phonons to enzyme stimulus via a dissipative quantum master equation, and I explore the phase transition dynamics by determining the stability bifurcation of the steady states. I then determine the critical minimum stimulus required for a molecular vibrational mode to exhibit a phase transition. The primary catalytic reaction of focus for this thesis is the cleavage of the glycosidic carbon-oxygen bond of the complex sugar isomaltose into two individual glucose molecules via the action of the enzyme MalL. Prior to this thesis, the atomic structure of MalL was obtained experimentally via X-ray diffraction crystallography of prepared MalL crystals, then digitised into the Gromacs software package and energy minimised in a simulated water bath to approximate the vibrational modes of the in vivo configuration. I obtain the substrate molecule's harmonic frequencies and anharmonic shifts via molecular dynamics performed using the Gaussian 09 normal mode analysis and simulated anharmonic infrared spectroscopy packages, respectively. I construct a generalised coding package in Matlab to extract the molecule and enzyme data, perform a quantum anharmonic analysis of the molecule--enzyme complex and their interactions, and then simulate the response of the molecule to stimulus from the enzyme. 

 
I determine that the vibrational modes of isomaltose that significantly contribute to stretching the glycosidic carbon-oxygen bond occur within the 21 to 35 THz (700 to 1,170 cm^{-1}) frequency bandwidth, and the dominant stretching modes are contained within 28 to 33 THz (930 to 1,100cm^{-1}), which is in agreement with the experimental literature of polysaccharides. In the final chapter, I perform numerical simulations of the equations of motion to compute the energy response spectrogram for a proxy substrate (benzene) under conditions that are informed by literature and the theoretical findings of this thesis. In lieu of anharmonic isomaltose data, I selected benzene as it is a small molecule with a high degree of symmetry which has several bond stretching modes within the aforementioned bandwidth. The results show that while the stimulus from water is insufficient, there are vibrational modes pertaining to glycosidic bond stretching that can be selectively excited to phase transition behaviour due to a reasonable stimulus from the supply of phonons from the MalL enzyme.

year: 2024

title: Understanding the potential exposure of coastal marae and urupā in Aotearoa New Zealand to sea level rise

authors: Bailey-Winiata, Akuhata Patrick Stephen

subjects: Marae

abstract: In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori are Indigenous and have inhabited these islands for the past 700 years. They have an intricate physical and spiritual connection to places and the environment. This is reflected in the Māori creation story, where Ranginui (sky father) and Papatūānuku (Earth mother) are the ancestral parents of Māori. Between these two gods is the marae, the Māori meeting house. Marae are where the domestic life of Māori traditionally ran its course, with marae being an overarching term to illustrate multiple buildings which each have a specific role to play within the community. Often, marae have an associated urupā (burial ground). Historically, marae and their associated urupā are positioned along the low-lying coast, providing easy access to kaimoana (sea food), transport and trade. However, coastal marae and urupā are at an increasing threat of inundation and erosion from sea level rise, and will also be impacted by other effects of climate change such as drought and other changes to weather patterns such as storms.
Many coastal marae and urupā are already experiencing the impacts of coastal flooding and erosion, however, little is known about the exposure of coastal marae and urupā to sea level rise nationally. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to explore the potential exposure of coastal marae nationally, with a particular focus on the Bay of Plenty coastal marae including coastal urupā. This aim was achieved by addressing three objectives. The first of which was to investigate the potential national exposure of coastal marae to a 100 year annual recurrence interval extreme sea level event, with the addition of sea level rise. Second, I conducted a nationally-focused assessment of the local coastal geomorphology surrounding coastal marae to determine the potential response of the coast to sea level rise. I also undertook a case study on the BOP which included a more detailed assessment of the geomorphology around the coastal marae and urupā in this region. Third, findings from these two objectives are brought together to consider the next steps to determine how to move forward with planning to manage coastal marae and urupā with sea level rise.
A spatial mapping approach using Arc GIS and existing datasets was used to address these aims, combining the Coastlines and Islands polygon, marae and urupā locational data and the Aotearoa New Zealand coastal hydrosystem classification system proposed by Hume in 2016. This showed that 191 marae around Aotearoa New Zealand are within 1 km of the coast and in the Bay of Plenty 41 urupā are within 1 km. I then used the bathtub modelling approach to get a national first-pass assessment of the potential exposure of these marae and urupā to a 100 year extreme sea level event at current mean sea level, with 10 cm increments of sea level rise up to 3 m. Six coastal marae were potentially exposed to a 100 year extreme sea level event at current mean sea level, with 41 coastal marae are potentially exposed to a 100 year extreme sea level event with a 3 m rise in mean sea level. The most common type of coastal geomorphology nationally and in the Bay of Plenty was shallow drowned valleys, with 72 coastal marae in this category. The response of these systems to sea level rise manifests as changes in the tidal regime and sediment transport dynamics which will affect inundation and erosion of low-lying areas, where many coastal marae and urupā are positioned.
Thus, it is clear that marae and urupā are nationally at risk to sea level rise, and their responses will be highly variable with geomorphology. But what are the next steps? There are many legislative documents such as the coastal climate change and hazards report by the Ministry for the Environment which suggests that the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways strategy to address the uncertainty surrounding climate change, recommended as a method for future planning. Another is the pending reform of the Resource Management Act which will introduce a climate change adaptation act where support for managed retreat will be made available. However, any management strategies for marae, hapū and iwi will need to be cognisant of the tapū and māna that these places hold, and there will be no one size fits all approach.

text: Understanding the potential exposure of coastal marae and urupā in Aotearoa New Zealand to sea level rise In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori are Indigenous and have inhabited these islands for the past 700 years. They have an intricate physical and spiritual connection to places and the environment. This is reflected in the Māori creation story, where Ranginui (sky father) and Papatūānuku (Earth mother) are the ancestral parents of Māori. Between these two gods is the marae, the Māori meeting house. Marae are where the domestic life of Māori traditionally ran its course, with marae being an overarching term to illustrate multiple buildings which each have a specific role to play within the community. Often, marae have an associated urupā (burial ground). Historically, marae and their associated urupā are positioned along the low-lying coast, providing easy access to kaimoana (sea food), transport and trade. However, coastal marae and urupā are at an increasing threat of inundation and erosion from sea level rise, and will also be impacted by other effects of climate change such as drought and other changes to weather patterns such as storms.
Many coastal marae and urupā are already experiencing the impacts of coastal flooding and erosion, however, little is known about the exposure of coastal marae and urupā to sea level rise nationally. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to explore the potential exposure of coastal marae nationally, with a particular focus on the Bay of Plenty coastal marae including coastal urupā. This aim was achieved by addressing three objectives. The first of which was to investigate the potential national exposure of coastal marae to a 100 year annual recurrence interval extreme sea level event, with the addition of sea level rise. Second, I conducted a nationally-focused assessment of the local coastal geomorphology surrounding coastal marae to determine the potential response of the coast to sea level rise. I also undertook a case study on the BOP which included a more detailed assessment of the geomorphology around the coastal marae and urupā in this region. Third, findings from these two objectives are brought together to consider the next steps to determine how to move forward with planning to manage coastal marae and urupā with sea level rise.
A spatial mapping approach using Arc GIS and existing datasets was used to address these aims, combining the Coastlines and Islands polygon, marae and urupā locational data and the Aotearoa New Zealand coastal hydrosystem classification system proposed by Hume in 2016. This showed that 191 marae around Aotearoa New Zealand are within 1 km of the coast and in the Bay of Plenty 41 urupā are within 1 km. I then used the bathtub modelling approach to get a national first-pass assessment of the potential exposure of these marae and urupā to a 100 year extreme sea level event at current mean sea level, with 10 cm increments of sea level rise up to 3 m. Six coastal marae were potentially exposed to a 100 year extreme sea level event at current mean sea level, with 41 coastal marae are potentially exposed to a 100 year extreme sea level event with a 3 m rise in mean sea level. The most common type of coastal geomorphology nationally and in the Bay of Plenty was shallow drowned valleys, with 72 coastal marae in this category. The response of these systems to sea level rise manifests as changes in the tidal regime and sediment transport dynamics which will affect inundation and erosion of low-lying areas, where many coastal marae and urupā are positioned.
Thus, it is clear that marae and urupā are nationally at risk to sea level rise, and their responses will be highly variable with geomorphology. But what are the next steps? There are many legislative documents such as the coastal climate change and hazards report by the Ministry for the Environment which suggests that the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways strategy to address the uncertainty surrounding climate change, recommended as a method for future planning. Another is the pending reform of the Resource Management Act which will introduce a climate change adaptation act where support for managed retreat will be made available. However, any management strategies for marae, hapū and iwi will need to be cognisant of the tapū and māna that these places hold, and there will be no one size fits all approach.

year: 2021