NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Havas New York with NYC Media Lab is producing the Havas Fellowship: Prototyping the Augmented Island in collaboration with The Trust for Governors Island. The preliminary 12-week program has already granted five teams of local graduate students $5,000 and the opportunity to apply their skills in emerging technologies (such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality) to tell the story of Governors Island, allowing future visitors to better explore the Island’s landmarks, culture and history with new mobile and narrative-driven experiences. On April 10, the students will present their prototypes at a special Demo Day event on the Island. The winning team, chosen by Havas and NYC Media Lab, will receive an additional $10,000 to further their project.
“Governors Island has a rich and diverse history that is still undiscovered by many New Yorkers,” said Michael Samuelian, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. “Innovative media technologies have the power to bring these stories to life in a way that balances the sense of exploration and enjoyment of public spaces.”
Announced last fall, the Havas Fellowship saw prototype applications from graduate students across NYC Media Lab’s network of city-based universities, with students from New York University, Parsons School of Design and The City University of New York ultimately chosen to participate in the program following a competitive application process. In addition to receiving $5,000 in funding, Fellows were given access to the 172-acre island for concept development during the parks’ off-season, access to a range of documents from The Trust for Governors Island’s archives (including maps, data, photographs, visitor data and landscape plans), and ongoing mentorship from Havas executives in creative direction and experience design.
“At Havas, we are in the business of creating experiences for our clients,” said Marc Maleh, the company’s Global Director. “Now more than ever, these experiences live across mobile and connect to the physical world.”
“With experience design, innovation and data science at our core,” added Laura Maness, CEO of Havas New York, “Havas is always looking to create meaningful experiences and learn from the next wave of thinkers, innovators and leaders of tomorrow.”
“Augmented reality technology and its influence on civic engagement is a major area of interest for NYC Media Lab,” said Justin Hendrix, Executive Director of NYC Media Lab. “Story-driven applications of AR can help keep the rich history of our city alive for all New Yorkers, while creating new economic opportunities within the city’s industries.”
April’s Demo Day event on Governors Island will debut the five prototypes to an audience of media, technology, advertising and civic development professionals. To learn more about the Demo Day and to request a Press/Media pass, please contact Alexis Avedisian, NYC Media Lab’s Communications Manager, at alexis@nycmedialab.org.
Prototype details:
Team Name: Team Dandelion
School: NYU Integrated Digital Media
Team Member(s): Emir Fils-Aime, Gabriella Cammarata, Najma Dawood-McCarthy
Description: Team Dandelion imagines a hidden, shape-shifting future museum exhibit that when discovered users can contribute their own wishes for their vision of NYC as well as listen to the wishes of previous visitors.
Team Name: GLIMPSE: Inventing America
School: NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program
Team Member(s): Roi Lev, Anastasis Germanidis
Description: GLIMPSE: Inventing America is an AR experience that takes the user back to the 1620s and the arrival of immigrants in what is now New York City.
Team Name: See Level
School: Parsons MFA Design + Technology
Team Member(s): Lauren Malkani, Paolo Villanueva, Aarati Akkapeddi
Description: See Level is an augmented reality application that explores how Governors Island has been engineered to fight climate change. Visitors will experience rising sea levels first-hand, see the geoengineering inside "The Hills" and explore a new future for NYC.
Team Name: IslandAR
School: CUNY Lehman / EON Reality
Team Member(s): Cécile Ragot
Description: IslandAR provides mysterious puzzle pieces that unlock shared AR experiences, hidden characters and fun stories from past and present on Governors Island.
Team Name: GuideBot to GovIsland’s Past
School: NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP)
Team Member(s): Charlie Moffett, Gaurav Bhardwaj, Isha Chaturvedi
Description: GuideBot to GovIsland’s Past is a Chatbot that guides visitors and shares local history as they explore the island. The bot responds to users queries and learns from every interaction to improve the experience.
About Havas New York
Havas New York is one of three full-service Villages and the flagship agency of Havas U.S., a powerful network of creative agencies with the most modern capabilities and talented people in the business. At Havas New York, we are breaking tradition in our category to inspire and help progressive CMOs speak the modern language of advertising through culture, design and technology—creating a better, more meaningful consumer experience. Creatives are creators who deliver work designed to inspire conversation in the real world, not the advertising space. Learn more at our website, ny.havas.com, or follow us on Twitter @havasnyc, Facebook and Instagram @havasnyc.
About NYC Media Lab
NYC Media Lab connects digital media and technology companies with New York City’s universities to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and talent development. A public-private partnership launched by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, NYC Media Lab funds prototyping projects that foster collaboration across a range of disciplines core to the future of media; it also runs The Combine, an early-stage accelerator for emerging media and technology startups. NYC Media Lab is currently developing the city’s first publicly funded VR/AR Center in conjunction with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, following an investment from the New York City Economic Development Corporation and The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. More information is available at http://nycmedialab.org.
About Governors Island
Governors Island is a 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor nestled between Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront. Eight minutes by ferry from the energy and excitement of the city, the Island is a popular seasonal destination open to the public May 1 to October 31. A resilient new park is complemented by dozens of unique historic buildings, environmental educational facilities, a rich arts and culture program and a 22-acre National Monument managed by the National Park Service. Unlike anywhere else in New York, Governors Island offers peaceful settings with sweeping views of the Harbor, the lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. For more information, visit govisland.org. Contact: Sarah Krautheim at (646) 413-1547 or skrautheim@govisland.org.
