Spatial Computing Course Materials

Spatial Computing Course → Syllabus / Materials

Session 01 → 2026 Sep 10

What is Spatial Computing?

Lecture → Introduction to the Course
Intro Survey
Workshop → Urban Observation with Teachable Machine

Session 02 → 2026 Sep 17

What is space?

Discussion → What is space?
Demo → Claude Code
Lecture → Semantic Models (aka How to best communicate with a computer.)
Workshop → All the World’s a Game
Readings Due
- “The Japanese words for “space” could change your view of the world.” Quartz Magazine, Jerrold McGrath, 2018 January 18. (PDF, Link)
- “Spatial Computing” by Simon Greenwold. MIT, 2003. (PDF, pgs 8-46).
Optional Readings
- Space: A History. Ancient Greek notions of space. (PDF, pgs 11-36)
- Thrift, Nigel. (2003). 5 Space: The Fundamental Stuff of Human Geography. Key Concepts in Geography. 2. (PDF, pgs 96-105)
Assignment Due
- Teachable Machine Images
- Submission Form (day of class)

Session 03 → 2026 Sep 24

What is artificial intelligence?

Lecture → What is AI?
Workshop → Neural Network Playground
Readings Due
- “Generative AI exists because of the transformer.” Financial Times, 2023 Sept 12. By Visual Storytelling Team and Madhumita Murgia. Very nice scrolly-telling site on how transformer architecture works.
- https://academy.claude.com/courses/claude-code-101

Optional Readings
- Russell, Stuart J., and Peter Norvig. (2022). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Chapter 01, Introduction. (PDF, pgs 19-53).

Tech Prep Due
- Sign up for a Claude Pro account. (I’m working on getting SVA IXD to cover the charge, so hold off on getting a .)
- Sign up for a GitHub account (if you don’t already have one). This is free.
Assignment Due
- https://academy.claude.com/courses/claude-code-101

Session 04 → 2026 Oct 01

Location + Occupancy

Lecture → Location + Occupancy
Lecture → What is Generative AI?
Workshop → Location + Occupancy
Readings Due
- An Introduction to Machine Learning by Lisa Tagliaferri at Digital Ocean. (Link)
- But what is a neural network? | Chapter 1, Deep learning 18m39s.

Session 05 → 2026 Oct 08

Agents + Traversal

Workshop → Agents + Traversal
Readings Due
- Algorithms for Decision Making (Ch 1)

Session 06 → 2026 Oct 15

Distance + Proximity

Lecture → Definitions of Distance (Metric Space)
Workshop → Distance + Proximity

Session 07 → 2026 Oct 22

Position + Positioning

Lecture → Static Spatial Reasoning
Workshop → Position + Positioning
Readings Due
- Prepositions of Place and Movement
Watchings Due
- AlphaGo - The Movie | Full award-winning documentary 1h30min

Session 08 → 2026 Oct 29

Topographies (Hindrances + Affordances)

Workshop → Hindrances + Affordances
Readings Due
- Taxonomy of Computable Space for Spatial AI by William Martin.
- Newton from Archetype AI
Watchings Due
- Automata: The Extraordinary “Robots” Designed Hundreds Of Years Ago | Mechanical Marvels | Timeline 1hr

Session 09 → 2026 Nov 05

Spatial Perception

Workshop → Computer vision, spatial VLMs
Assignment Due

Session 10 → 2026 Nov 12

Connectivity

Lecture → Spatial connections, conditional connectivity, multi-modal connectivity
Workshop → Spatial Connections and Connectivity

Session 11 → 2026 Nov 19

Way-finding and way-signalling

Lecture → way-finding, way-signalling, routing, path-finding
Workshop → way-finding and way-signalling
Watchings Due
- The Fastest Maze-Solving Competition On Earth

Thanksgiving! → 2026 Nov 19

Session 12 → 2026 Dec 03

Project workshop.

Session 13 → 2026 Dec 10

Project workshop

Session 14 → 2026 Dec 17

Demo day!

Last In-Person Session
Assignment Due