Christie and Microsoft boost creativity with interactive mapping projects

Both companies combined in two projects, presented during the celebration of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2015, Microsoft Kinect technology with Christie projectors and software to display real-time images of people and interact with a touch wall.

The multinationals Christie y Microsoft have added technological experience in collaborative projection mapping in two projects presented within the framework of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2015, in which the projectors and software developed by the former were combined with the Kinect technology of the latter during the Microsoft Beach Club event, an event held during this contest.

Inside a temporary pavilion, in the shape of a large white tent, set up on the beach of this French town, Christie and Microsoft launched two projects designed to showcase the potential of combining Kinect with Christie projectors to inspire creative spaces..

'Living visual posters'

Using Microsoft Kinect and a Christie Mirage HD14K-M projector, the first project, titulado ‘Light Marketing’, projected images in real time on the visitors as they entered the pavilion and moved around it.

Rick Barraza, strategic and creative design engineer at Microsoft partner Catalyst Group, explains that “Kinect is largely a technology designed to operate at the scale of a room.”. Its sensors allow it to recognize up to twenty-five different points on the bodies of six people simultaneously., a 30 frames per second, which allows us to turn people into authentic living posters”.

For your part, Chad Faragher, Senior Software Product Developer at Christie, adds that “the 'Light Marketing' project can be used to project content on people in real time in stores, concerts or installations. What it was about in this case was to turn that projection into a magical experience”.

When normal light becomes smart light

The second project, called ‘Light Mural’, It consisted of a scene of life on the beach (of 3×1 metros), animated with Kinect using a Christie DWU951-Q projector with an ultra-short lens. When you touch it, The interactive mural detected changes in depth and came to life with the images that were created.

“We were interested in mixing Kinect and projection to generate experiences based on perception,” explains Rick Barraza.. By mixing projectors with a camera capable of seeing and understanding reality, ordinary light and, let's say 'dumb', becomes smart. “That's why I like this partnership with Christie so much.”.

Mixed reality experience

The beginning of this collaboration between engineers and project managers from both companies dates back to when they met at a Microsoft hackathon. (a competition for developers) and from there they dedicated themselves for months to exploring the creative possibilities of combining their technologies.

Later, Christie technicians spent three months working with Microsoft on the 'Light Marketing' and 'Light Mural' projects, overcoming a large number of environmental challenges: heat, excess ambient lighting, air salinity, lack of a roof and a wooden floor that vibrated when walked on.

“Christie had to supply some high-brightness projectors, capable of competing with the high ambient light of the place -recalls Chad Faragher-. We also had to deal with very high temperatures. Besides, we were asked to confine the projectors in boxes. In summary, "We had to bring projectors that were capable of competing in a hostile environment without ever interrupting their operation.".

After overcoming these challenges, The heads of both companies talk about the success of these projects, which they describe as “a fascinating marriage of technology and creativity.”, with technicians working hard to overcome one challenge after another and artists creating content capable of using technology that inspires storytelling in museums, theme parks and shops”.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/143997265[/vimeo]