We are showcasing a combination of our media server capabilities at InfoComm 2023, strung together for a pretty neat application that is 'Reactive Projection Mapping' - that allows media to be projected onto moving 3D objects and updates the position of the media at a very high frame rate using low latency camera position tracking.
We are tracking and projection mapping at up to 240 frames per second, using multiple projectors – keeping the media locked to the object as it moves around freely in a 3D space.
The system calculates the position of where each pixel should be on which output using a combination of:
Based on position and rotation data from the tracking cameras, Compere updates the position of a corresponding model (or “digital twin”) of the object in its 3D environment, up to 240 times per second. The Actor render engine draws the appropriate pixels at the correct position within each projector’s output, again updating up to 240 times per second, regardless of the frame rate of the media. It works equally well with moving images, stills, and real-time generative content.
Not only can we choose what to projection map onto, but we can define what we don’t projection map onto. Within a dark ride experience, for example, a ride vehicle moving through a scene with projected environmental content can have the vehicle be projected upon, but not the guests inside it, all from the same projectors.
What makes this truly unique is that the 3D object doesn’t have to be machine-led or programmed into the system. It can be entirely human-led, with nobody knowing what motion will occur next, and the object’s surfaces are still projected on accurately.
As a truly unique solution for projection mapping ‘on-the fly’ onto dynamic 3D objects, the opportunities are vast for highly immersive, engaging and interactive applications.