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Sentient XR
Sentient XR is a browser-based civic XR framework that transforms digital twins into participatory public infrastructure by combining real-time environmental data with community-authored cultural memory. Accessible from any mobile browser with no app installation, the platform enables residents to experience and contribute to living digital twins of their cities.
PHOTO GALLERY
Civic Digital Twins
for Climate &
Cultural Memory
Climate Transparency as Civic Interface
Cultural Heritage
& Community Authorship
Sentient XR is a browser-based civic XR framework developed at Arizona State University’s MEDIAtedX Research Lab. It transforms digital twins into participatory public infrastructure by combining real-time environmental data with community-authored cultural memory.
Accessible from any mobile browser — no app, no headset — the platform allows residents to experience and contribute to living digital twins of their city.
Unlike traditional digital twins built for technical experts, Sentient XR is designed for everyday participation. Environmental conditions and lived experience coexist in the same spatial interface, making climate data legible and cultural knowledge visible.
Phase 1 is complete and publicly deployed.
In partnership with the City of Mesa, Ambient Weather Network, and Amazon Web Services, Sentient XR delivers a browser-based XR climate visualization layer powered by hyperlocal sensing data — approximately 8 million data points per month.
Residents can access real-time heat, air quality, wind, and humidity conditions directly from their phones.
This phase established technical feasibility, scalable cloud infrastructure, and municipal collaboration. Environmental transparency shifted from dashboard to shared civic experience.
Phase 1 proved that browser-based XR can function as durable public infrastructure.
Phase 2 expands the platform with community-authored storytelling and enhanced WebXR access.
Residents contribute multilingual stories tied to migration, care, work, heat, water, and home. Contributions are consent-based and embedded directly into the digital twin as spatial threads.
New production includes:
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Browser-based authoring tools
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Consent and moderation systems
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WebXR optimization for low-end devices
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Accessibility for shared civic spaces
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Deployment across libraries, community centers, transit hubs, and cultural institutions
Sentient XR becomes a spatial archive of intangible cultural heritage — preserving memory within a live environmental system.
Toward Replicable Civic XR
Sentient XR is currently in production (Stage B).
Phase 1 is deployed. Phase 2 is underway.
Anticipated completion: June 30, 2027.
Current work includes system expansion, advisory board governance, and community participation workflows.
The final deliverable is not a single installation, but a modular civic XR framework — documented, deployable, and adaptable to additional cities nationally and internationally.
Sentient XR positions browser-based XR as public infrastructure — connecting climate literacy, cultural memory, and equitable access to immersive technology.
A Civic XR Ecosystem
Sentient XR operates through an integrated public, academic, and technical network:
Arizona State University (MEDIAtedX + MIX Center) — research leadership and stewardship
City of Mesa — municipal deployment partner
Ambient Weather Network — hyperlocal environmental sensing
Amazon Web Services — scalable cloud infrastructure
ASU Cloud Innovation Center — Smart Challenges framework development
Leonardo ISAST — early seed support
Mesa Arts Center — cultural engagement and activation
Together, these collaborators form a complete pipeline: sensing, cloud systems, XR authoring, governance, and public deployment.
