neonascent

The video above shows the work of artist Pablo Valbuena; working with projective augmentation of space:

This project is focused on the temporary quality of space, investigating space-time not only as a three dimensional environment, but as space in transformation.

For this purpose two layers are produced that explore different aspects of the space-time reality. On the one hand the physical layer, which controls the real space and shapes the volumetric base that serves as support for the next level. The second level is a virtual projected layer that allows controlling the transformation and sequentiality of space-time.

The blending of both levels gives the impression of physical geometry suitable of being transformed. The orverlapping (sic) produces a three-dimensional space augmented by a transformable layer suitable to be controlled, resulting in the capacity through the installation of altering multiple dimensions of space-time.

The overall effect is to give a fantastic sense of the dynamism of volume. Mapping the physical space in this way invites one – or me at least – to explore the possibilities of that space.

I’ve been inspired to experiment (using my Augmented Reality resources) with abstracting real buildings into their volumetric footprints; removing the fascias, the textural materiality, and leaving just the space. God knows there’s a movement towards “digital buildings”, with projected faces – it should be interesting to turn the tables and privilege the walls themselves, and then perhaps begin to bring the possibility of projections and materiality back in.

On a technical note, the object-size to marker-size ratio necessary for these volume projections makes the Augmented Reality marker alignment very sensitive to error. Effectively the far edges of the object act like the needle of a gauge amplifying motion, and it’s very easy to notice when they are out of “whack”. I’ll have to tweak the matching code, or capture using a bigger marker, before I can upload some video. Alternatively, I could use edge-detection from the initial stage of markerless AR to detect the wire-frame structures outright.