Spatial Intelligence: A Rock Legend’s Tech Transformation
By Claudia Fontaine
There he stands in his Marrickville garage-turned-tech-cave, wearing board shorts and thongs, clutching what appears to be a VR headset like it’s his beloved Fender Stratocaster. Barney Dawson, the 60-year-old frontman of legendary Aussie rock band “Thunder Down Under,” is about to blow my mind with his unlikely transformation from aging rocker to spatial intelligence enthusiast.
“You know what’s funny about spatial intelligence models?” he asks, his bald head gleaming under the LED strips that line his workspace. “Back in the ’80s, we thought spatial awareness was just knowing which pub had the best happy hour within stumbling distance of the gig.” He lets out that signature belly laugh that’s echoed through Sydney’s music scene for decades.
I raise my interested eyebrow (my signature move) as he launches into an unexpected comparison. “These days, with all this VR and spatial computing, it’s like being on stage at the Opera House while sitting in your dunny. Actually, that happened once in ’85, but that was more about dodgy Chinese takeaway than technology.”
Barney’s journey into the world of spatial intelligence began when his grandson showed him a VR headset last year. “The kid puts this thing on my head, right? And suddenly I’m standing in this virtual space, designing a stage setup. It was like that time in ’86 when I tried to draw our stage plan on a beer coaster – except this time, I could actually see if the drummer would fit through the door!”
In his home studio, a wall of screens displays various spatial mapping programs. His bandmates gather round, each taking turns with the VR headset. “Watch this,” says Tommy ‘The Tank’ Thompson, their drummer, as he manipulates a 3D model of their upcoming tour venue. “Remember when we had to measure stages with Barney’s footsteps? Three Barney-lengths by four Barney-lengths… which got real interesting after the second bottle of bourbon.”
The band has embraced spatial intelligence models to revolutionize their live shows. “It’s like having a roadie with a photographic memory and a degree in quantum physics,” Barney explains, while demonstrating their custom-built spatial mapping system. “We can virtually test every aspect of our show before we even plug in a single amp. Though it still can’t predict where I’ll throw my guitar during the encore – some things should remain a mystery.”
Their latest innovation involves using spatial intelligence to create interactive holographic performances. “Yeah, we’re basically turning into ABBA,” Barney chuckles, referring to the Swedish group’s virtual concert experience. “Except instead of dancing queens, we’re more like virtual bogans with better technology.”
The band’s tech journey hasn’t been without its hiccups. “Last week, the spatial recognition system tagged me as an ‘unknown object’ during rehearsal,” Barney grins. “Turns out my new leather pants were confusing the AI. Even artificial intelligence isn’t ready for these bad boys!”
As our interview wraps up, Barney’s grandson arrives with the latest update for their spatial modeling software. “See this beauty?” Barney points to a complex 3D visualization. “It’s like that time in ’86 when I lost my guitar backstage at the Enmore. Took three roadies and a psychic to find it. Now, the computer just says ‘It’s behind the amp stack, you drongo!'”
The band’s embrace of spatial intelligence has sparked a renaissance in their career. They’re now teaching other veteran musicians how to integrate spatial computing into their performances. “Who would’ve thought?” Barney muses, “A bunch of old rockers teaching spatial intelligence workshops. It’s like Keith Richards running a yoga retreat – shouldn’t work, but somehow it does!”
[Claudia’s Stand-up Corner]
“You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a group of aging rockstars debate the finer points of spatial computing while trying to remember where they left their reading glasses. Though I suppose if anyone knows about occupying space unusually, it’s someone who once attempted to crowd surf at a classical music concert!”
*Claudia Fontaine is still trying to verify if Barney actually crowd surfed at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She can be found at comedy clubs around Sydney, telling jokes about AI that make robots question their career choices.*
Note: This article is a part of an ongoing test of our Maxys Publishing System = a "humanity centric - Ai Enhanced Transformation" system currently in development.
