Mercedes-Benz changed their perspective

Posted on by Jeroen van Belle

Chengdu – On August 30, 2012, the day before the Chengdu Motor Show (CDMS) in China, NuFormer performed another impressive interactive 3D video mapping projection. The interactive projection installation surprised guests as they were attending the introductory event of the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class. NuFormer proved again to continue the upward trend of innovations.

Adapting perspective

A regular 3D video mapping projection on a car creates the illusion of the projected images being displayed onto the car’s body. Using a new technique developed especially for this project, NuFormer went against this trend and created the illusion as if the video mapping took place inside of the car.

By projecting onto the front window from the inside out, the spectators could see several scenes being displayed in the interior of the car. A happy family watching butterflies flying through the car, a couple of teenagers having a water gun fight or a rock band performing a show.

Projecting onto the front window from the inside of a car is quite a challenging feat in itself, but NuFormer added even another layer to this experience. Specially designed programming allowed the spectator to change the perspective of the content inside the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class by using their body motions.

Setting-up

Projection onto windshield

Live 1

Live 2

Technique

The custom created software changed the perspective of the displayed content by motion tracking every movement of the spectator by using Kinect. The perspective of the projected content was determined by the position of the viewer’s eyes so that it corresponded exactly with what the viewer expected to see. When the viewer moved, the perspective of the content adjusted itself. From the spectator’s point of view, it looked as if the virtual front window was an extension of the real world!

Development

A lot of challenges had to be tackled to create such an innovative project. The difficulty did not only lie in the projecting from the inside of the car and finding the right material to project on, but also the tracking of the viewer’s eyes and adapting the perspective of the content in real-time took many hours of research and development. An earlier experiment called “The virtual living room” was executed in the NuFormer studio to investigate the feasibility of changing a perspective in real-time. This experiment formed the basis of this project.

Future development

The technique of adapting the perspective of the content to that of the spectator is very versatile and does not just lend itself for a car projection. Imagine a virtual window projected onto a wall that will give passersby a beautiful view over an imaginary landscape or a store window that displays endless shelves of the latest fashion in designer footwear. The possibilities are endless!

The storyboard and script were developed by Ogilvy Beijing in close cooperation with the NuFormer creative team. Our hardware partner CT Asia provided the technical expertise and hardware for this complex interactive projection installation.

NuFormer labs: The virtual living room

Posted on by Merel van Rens

NuFormer HQ – There are two main forces that drive NuFormer; creativity and innovation. The combination of these two elements has already fused a wide range of ideas that proved to be groundbreaking in the industry. Whether it is interactive video mapping projection using Kinect and iPad controllers or the highly interactive and versatile Mocap Mapping technique. One of the reasons this blog was created, was to share this passion for innovation and forward thinking.

The virtual living room

Here is a subtle NuFormer design that allows the user to experience new dimensions through projecting on walls or on objects. By using Kinect, the program tracks the movements of the user and steers the projection in such a way that the user will experience a 3D environment that corresponds precisely with his or her perspective, such as the living room setting in our example. Of course the design can be anything, from a space vortex to a rainforest and the projection can be branded or non-branded.

Mocap Mapping in the media

Posted on by Merel van Rens

NuFormer HQ – The launch of Mocap Mapping received overwhelming attention from the media. Here is a selection of some of the most striking ones.

CG Channel

 

“Forget video mapping: here’s mocap mapping” – CG Channel

“Just when you thought the medium had plateaued, along comes someone to add some new trickery to dazzle us anew and make sure the medium’s in constant flux.” – The Creators Project

 

InAVate

 

“Interactive 3D projection mapping gets lift-off in Netherlands” – InAVate

“I’m sure the integration of mocap will be looked back on as a big step in the evolution of projection mapping.” – Jason Sondhi, Vimeo staff member

“NuFormer strikes again with the alliance of mapping and live motion capture.” – Projection Mapping

 

MotionBistro

 

“Superb, certainly attention grabbing, it will change MALL parking lots forever” – James van Etten, Van Etten Clippings

“This is the future of live acting / animation. You will see this at every theme park soon!” – Mark Robinson

For more news on Mocap Mapping: