Bridging the physical and virtual with mobile media

<p>This thesis examines how mobile technologies can contribute towards bridging physical and virtual space through interactive, and location-specific, media experiences. Building on a research analysis of contextual discussions and precedents, it is noticeable that there is a discord between physical and virtual space usage as they are often utilised in different situational settings. This thesis therefore develops a mobile application as a wider investigation into how the physical setting and live data can be used to achieve a better link for contextualised content between the physical and virtual in urban areas. It explores this by making a location specific media experience, where the limits of the physical space are incorporated as boundaries in the virtual environment. Further to this, live data is used to influence the dynamics of the environment so that conditions are reflective of the physical world. These investigations are utilised with Augmented Reality, providing an end application that allows the viewer to physically explore urban space within an interactive mobile media experience. This approach offers a new perspective in urban space exploration and mobile media design, highlighting that contextual significance in media experiences are important aspects to consider and design for. Ultimately, such approaches may lead to larger narratives and experiences encompassing entire cities, or other diverse geographies.</p>