Hunting with the Ju/’hoansi in the Kalahari: A co-created VR gesture application
Freja B. K. Johansen, Thomas K. K. Kjeldsen, Mads Rosengren Jørgensen, Samkao Magot, April Magot, Shorty Kandjengo, Heike Winschiers‐Theophilus, Emilie Maria Nybo Arendttorp, Kasper Rodil
Abstract
In collaboration with members of a Ju/’Hoansi community in Namibia, we have co-created a gesture-controlled VR application of a hunting story, as told by an elder in the village, demonstrated in the field by an elder and youth, as well as 3D models and scenes described and designed by community members and interpreted by the researchers. The story has been implemented in VR using the Unity game engine. The application consists of a number of scenes, where the user progress in the story, either through object interactions, or through hand gesture interactions with the Non-player characters. The application was validated by the community youth and elders, in regards to expectation of cultural appropriate representation, gesture interactions and narrative immersion.