Memory Palace Hackathon

Objective: To develop the core software that will allow individuals to build memory palaces in virtual reality or a 3D modeled environment on a 2D screen. 

Concept

Human memory is significantly better adapted to learning spaces and images than it is to learning textual and numerical information. For millennia, memory techniques have been developed and leveraged in oral cultures to store huge amounts of information in human memory through association with space and image. While the core principles of memory palaces can be learned quickly, their application to specific subjects and disciplines remains elusive.

By creating a means of building memory palaces in virtual reality, the entire process can be transmitted and demonstrated faster, more effectively, and with digital – as well as human – memory storage. Users will be able to see their own and other people’s memory palaces, as well as be able to create their own memory palaces with built-in guidance and step-by-step instruction.

Impact

Remembering new or foreign information is a struggle well known to many, including children and adults alike. Textual information presents particular challenges for those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other special needs. Memory techniques provide an alternative means of learning, allowing all users to master the same new material with greater retention, recall, and accuracy.

As an open platform, Macunx will allow teachers and professionals to create modules to guide learners through the process of creating memory structures for specific subjects. These modules can be optionally monetized.

Requirements

The aim is to use existing tools wherever possible to create an open-source platform for building 3D memory palaces. Google’s Sketchup, with its impressive library of 3D images and models, is a natural starting point. We will need developers familiar with Ruby programming language and preferably with Sketchup itself. Our goal will be to code the steps and functions that allow teachers to create instructional modules and students to add their own associations and build their own memory palaces. 

http://www.sketchup.com/intl/en/developer/docs/faq

 Learn More

To learn more about memory techniques and building memory palaces, please visit Linguisticator's existing memory course.