Lumiea
insights into new forms of interactive narrative experiences
Ailin Dong
Project Description
Have you ever, as a child, imagined a simple stick as a sword or a pile of leaves as a dragon’s lair? This project builds on that instinctive form of imaginative play, exploring how Mixed Reality (MR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can create a dynamic storytelling experience where digital and physical elements blend seamlessly. By integrating AI-generated content with real-world environments, this research examines how everyday objects can become interactive narrative components, enhancing user engagement and immersion.
The project investigates the interplay between MR spatial mapping, AI-driven content generation, and tangible interaction. Users interact with their surroundings through voice input, transforming real-world objects into AI-generated 3D assets that integrate naturally into the MR space. This approach explores how grounding virtual elements onto physical surfaces influences perception, spatial presence, and storytelling engagement. By combining real-time AI generation with MR’s interactive potential, the system allows users to shape narratives in an intuitive and participatory way.
While still an ongoing exploration, this work contributes to emerging discussions on storytelling in MR environments. It offers insights into new forms of interactive narrative experiences, where digital storytelling becomes more adaptive, spatially aware, and influenced by the user’s real-world surroundings.
BIO
Ailin Dong is a graduate student in the Digital Futures program at OCAD University and an interdisciplinary artist exploring the intersections of mixed reality, AI, and narrative-driven experiences. As the co-founder of Xdaeta, she experiments with wearable 3D-printed knitwear while expanding her practice through virtual environments, interactive media, and computational art. Her work investigates the fusion of physical and digital worlds, crafting immersive narratives that explore the evolving relationships between human embodiment, cybernetics, and intelligent systems. Through a hybrid approach integrating AI-generated aesthetics, spatial computing, and speculative storytelling, she creates multi-sensory experiences that challenge perceptions of identity, agency, and presence in an increasingly synthetic reality. Her innovative projects have been recognized by Nuit Blanche Toronto, UX Design Awards, Lancôme, and Shanghai Fashion Week.