What do you get when you cross a 3D volumetric display with 3D depth sensor? One very cool Kinect hack. Albert Hwang and Matt Parker have been developing their Lumarca display for a number of years and now they've combined it with Kinect to make miniature versions of themselves in abstract 3D.
Lumarca uses a grid of threads hanging vertically from a frame as a projection surface. The projector knows the exact location of each thread and projects an image composed of vertical lines that perfectly match the threads, giving the impression of a 3D object. The set-up used in this video is four foot wide, high and deep, but the pair have also built both palm-sized and room-sized versions. "One of the great things about this technology is that it's highly scalable," explains Hwang.
Once you've built a 3D display system, the obvious next step is to feed it with 3D data. The system can track multiple people thanks to a piece of software called OSCeleton, which converts Kinect's skeleton-tracking information into a simple data format for processing. The pair then use custom software written by Parker to turn this data into an image for projection.
The system currently has a low level of detail, and the pair are exploring ways to boost its resolution, but Hwang says this isn't necessarily a drawback. "What inspires me about the project is that it displays content that feels real despite the poor visual resolution," he explains.
So that's how it's done, by why create a digital Mini-Me? "This project appeals to my sense of space," says Hwang. "It places digital content in the same spatial dimension that my body happens to exist in. The miniature version of me is copying my every move, and the projected light is merely a visual window into its existence."