Creative Media Technology

In an era where art, design, and engineering converge, the Creative Media Technology studio invites students to explore how multimodal and embodied technologies can transform storytelling, cultural heritage, ocean exploration, and public engagement. Bridging creative practice with engineering innovation, this studio challenges students to move beyond conventional visual and auditory experiences, designing interactive systems that engage multiple human senses and create more immersive, meaningful, and embodied experiences.

In collaboration with our industry partners, the National Heritage Board (NHB) and OceanX, students will explore real-world challenges at the intersection of technology, culture, and ocean science. Through Extended Reality (XR), multisensory interfaces (e.g., haptics, olfaction, and spatial audio), AI-driven generative media, and interactive sensing technologies, students will develop novel experiences that connect people with cultural narratives, scientific discoveries, and physical environments. The studio emphasises hands-on experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and human-centred design, encouraging students to translate emerging technologies into engaging public experiences.

Students will have access to advanced facilities, such as Tri-fold screens or an LED wall at E5 for prototyping and evaluation. Selected projects will have opportunities to be showcased in museum exhibitions and at the OceanX Summit (https://oceanx.org/blog/oceanx-summit-day-1/), engaging audiences beyond the classroom. In addition, students may have the unique opportunity to board the OceanXplorer research vessel (R/V), gaining firsthand exposure to ocean exploration, marine research, and advanced scientific technologies to inspire their creative projects.

Outstanding projects may be featured in public exhibitions at venues managed by OceanX, including the ArtScience Museum's special exhibition on "Into the Ocean: Journey Beneath" (https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/exhibitions/into-the-ocean.html).

OceanXplorer research vessel

OceanXplorer’s Triton submersible

Problem statements:

Students may select or propose projects aligned with the studio's focus on multimodal, embodied, and immersive creative technologies:

  • Multisensory and embodied interaction: develop interactive experiences integrating touch, smell, sound, motion, and bodily interaction to enhance engagement and immersion.
  • Immersive storytelling and cultural heritage: design XR experiences, interactive museum installations, and digital heritage applications that bring cultural narratives and collections to life.
  • Ocean exploration and scientific engagement: create interactive media experiences that communicate marine science, ocean discoveries, and environmental awareness to diverse audiences.
  • Generative media and interactive installations: explore AI-driven content generation, 3D reconstruction, spatial computing, and real-time media systems for creative performances and public exhibitions.
  • Multimodal data visualisation: transform cultural, environmental, and scientific data into intuitive, interactive, and multisensory experiences.

Expected outcomes:

By the end of the studio, students will be able to:

  • Design and prototype multimodal and embodied interactive systems integrating sensors, actuators, and immersive media technologies.
  • Apply XR, generative AI, and computational media techniques to creative, cultural, and scientific applications.
  • Develop human-centred interactive experiences that enhance sensory engagement, accessibility, and audience participation.
  • Critically evaluate creative technologies in terms of usability, interaction quality, experiential impact, and cultural relevance.
  • Collaborate across art, design, engineering, and industry to deliver functional prototypes and public-facing interactive experiences.

Project partners:

Project supervisors:

Studio timeslot in Semester 2 AY2026/2027:

  • Thursday 1 pm to 4 pm