2022-2024.

This research explores the intersection of art, tech, and bat consciousness, emphasizing the role of soundscapes in bridging sensory divides. We developed Batopia, a research-driven VR adventure game, to enable players to experience the world from a bat’s perspective through sound-based interaction mechanics. We introduce Trans-Sensory Mapping (TSM), a design method that translates bats’ auditory perceptions into a richly textured, human-perceptible nocturnal world. Players navigate the environment using echolocation mechanics, encounter dynamic acoustic beacons through bat songs, and combat anthropogenic noise pollution that simulates realworld ecological challenges. Hybridizing art, science, and technology, Batopia reimagines bats’ spatial perception via echolocation and contextualizes their social and singing behaviors into multisensory soundscapes. The soundscape is designed with feedback loops that include echolocation-inspired active sensing and bat song-inspired visuo-sonic dialects. Batopia exemplifies the potential of soundscapes in morethan-human artistic approaches, reshaping cultural narratives to contextualize nonhuman agency.

— Abstract from “Soundscape as Multisensory VR Worldbuilding in Batopia”, ISEA2025: 30th International Symposium on Electronic Art, authors: Yiou Wang, Yujie Wang, Chuhong Wang, Shaoting Zeng, Full paper DOWNLOAD

A Concept Walkthrough, 2024

MOTH Presentation touching on TSM, NYU, 2025