Overview

Anchored Memories is a narrative-driven, haptic virtual reality (VR) experience that immerses audiences in a personal story of climate-induced migration. Centered on the lived experiences of individuals and families displaced by extreme weather events in Central Texas, the project invites participants to not only hear these stories but also feel them.

In this hybrid of immersive storytelling, documentary journalism, and sensory design, the audience navigates a memoryscape guided by a character, spatial audio, and full-body haptic feedback that activates emotional connection and embodied empathy. The experience challenges guests to reckon with the human cost of climate change while celebrating community resilience and personal strength.

Purpose & Impact

As climate displacement becomes an urgent global crisis, Anchored Memories responds by capturing and preserving the voices of those often left out of the climate conversation. The goal is twofold:

• Empathy Through Immersion: Use VR and haptics to create emotional proximity to real people’s experiences.
• Data-Informed Awareness: Complement narrative testimony with contextual data and geographic insights, bridging personal narrative and broader systemic understanding.

By engaging audiences in embodied storytelling, the project fosters deep reflection and community dialogue around climate justice, equity, and migration.

Technology

• Platform: Custom-built in Unreal Engine
• Hardware: Optimized for haptic vests and full-body suits (e.g., bHaptics TactSuit X40)
• Environment: Interactive 3D memory landscapes powered by spatial audio and sensory feedback
• Research Layer: Incorporates interdisciplinary design principles from media studies, psychology, and climate science. Biometric physiological feedback will be captured to study emotion and memory recall.

Prototype in Progress

We are currently in production of a working prototype that will serve as a proof-of-concept for expanded development and future deployment in festivals, museums, educational institutions, and community spaces.

Interested in supporting the project? Contact us! texasimmersive@austin.utexas.edu