autodesk.i.lithium.com – via Iframely

This is a large collaboration between The Smithsonian, Autodesk, and 3D Systems. The goal of this collaboration was to create a 3D printed high resolution bust of the President of the United States. To accomplish this the group 3D scanned the President’s head using Photogrammetry and depth sensors. The 3D scans were combined in software, and cleaned up. Finally the bust was printed using a Selective Laser Sintering printer.

YouTube / Kotaku – via Iframely

The Microsoft Holo Lens has many interesting potentials, one of the most open ended is demonstrated by the Minecraft demo. The demo consists of a voxel based volumetric display sitting on a real world table. This is clearly a great way to play Minecraft, but it could also be a great way to visualize many other systems, games, stories, or data.

YouTube / Tested – via Iframely

Birdly is a VR experience that engages your whole body. Using a hydroponic platform, fans, and a VR head set, the folks at Somniacs have created a flight simulator like no other. This is a style of VR that has a lot of potential even though it takes a very different approach to emulation than the Star Trek holo deck.

YouTube / Dexta Robotics – via Iframely

The Dexmo is a new product that brings virtual reality to the palm of your hand. It’s a exoskeleton that can both sense your hand motions and physical hold your fingers in set positions. This allows you to reach out and “touch” virtual spaces.

Luminous Fields doesn’t project on to a sculpture, but it is a projection mapping project that could only work with sculpture. Simple designs are projected on the ground under and around the famous Chicago “Bean”. Because of the reflective nature of the Bean the light from the projections fill the Bean. This piece is a great example of using projection to add to an existing sculpture in a way that is deeply rooted in the intention of the original sculpture.

YouTube / cityofchicagotv – via Iframely

Vimeo / Buff Laser – via Iframely

This projection mapped Caterpillar is a centerpiece at many Music festivals. The projections are on all sides of the giant Caterpillar. What makes this projection different from others is that views are able to rotate the sculpture and the projections follow along. Most large scale projection mapping is a one way street, but this piece allows large numbers of people to interact with it as a group.

Vimeo / Bot & Dolly – via Iframely

Box was a video created by the production company called Bot & Dolly. The entire video was done in one take and there are no post processing effects. The effects in the video are created by projecting on to moving surfaces held by large industrial robots. Because the camera is also held by a robot the images are able to appear to pop out/in.

This was a augmented reality theatre piece based on the short story of the same name. The audience is guided from location to location by a voice in their headphones. At each location they hear a theatrical reading of a scene and see visuals overlaid on to the space though their phone screen. The project created using the Unity 3d game engine and used GPS, image targets, and 3D spacial audio.

The MR-808 is a larger than life physical and robotic recreation of the classic 1980s electronic drum machine the TR-808. Instead of each drum sound being created by a digital sound chip, the MR-808 uses real physical drums that are played by robotic actuators. The MR-808 has played in concert halls in front of live audiences. Geist says that he would like to continue this work by creating an entire band that plays music on physical instruments controlled by robots.

Vimeo / Sonic Robots – via Iframely

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Sea Odyssey was a massive piece of street theatre created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. There are three characters in this story, each one a giant Puppet. Over the course of three days the uncle, girl and dog wander the streets of Liverpool looking for one another. The uncle is bringing news of the Titanic’s sinking to the girl who’s father was on the ship. The little girl giant was 30ft tall and the uncle was 50ft tall. Each giant is controlled with motors, lines and as many as 31 human puppeteers called Lilliputians. Following the giants around were many large props as well as live music. This was not the first project set in Liverpool to include giants walking around the city La Princesse. Sea Odyssey was created by a french street theatre company called Royal de Luxe who have done other works of this type.

YouTube / diffangle1 – via Iframely