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#6
Evolution of AR and VR: UX inspiration from history
If AR is extending, adding, or changing reality, we can find a lot of examples that eventually will lead us to AR invention. Of course, current AR is possible because of all the technology that is available right now, but I consider the human need to see more, and express more, to be what pushed this invention.
Shadow play
The origin of shadow play seems to be something that is quite hard to find. While thoughts about cave people playing with shadows would be logical there seems to be little or no evidence of that. In general, most sources state that the origin of shadow play is somewhere in Asia. But it’s safe to assume that playing with shadows is quite natural for people so it probably seamlessly grew into a way of entertainment. So there is no surprise that evidence of shadow play links it to the second century BCE or earlier.
Some evidence of shadow play suggests a religious beginning for some cultures, mentioning gods and rituals.
In general, this proved to be a quite shadowy subject (heh), with few available sources and hard-to-find artifacts. I assume it’s due to the material being fragile; not many older puppets have survived or it was hard to confirm their relation to shadow theater. Most suggestions towards shadow theater being ancient art are from mentioning different sources.
Indonesian indigenous performance art called Wayang(since 1500 BC) is a great example of shadow theater. On the picture, you can see puppets from the Late 1700s — early 1800s from Indonesia.
I want to consider shadow play one of many samples of AR in the ancient world. Using lights and figures to show the play, could just, in general, be considered a stepping stone to a projection of any kind, the same way AR projects images into the real world same way this ancient form of entertainment was showing a magical world within a real one.
