STATEMENT
In a current scenario of video communication, the shared working space between the participants are physically detached. This discontinuity leads to many inconvenience and problematics, one of them is how to point or indicate physical objects between the remote participants. We were inspired by the phenomena that light can penetrate from one side of a glass and illuminate objects from the other side. In this case, penetrating light becomes a medium that facilitates a better communication.
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
For this assignment, we sought to re-create such experience in a remote communication scenario and demonstrate a vision of “light can travel through virtual world and reach out to the physical one”. In our system, user in video communication takes a flash light and points to any position on the screen. this 2-D coordination will be captured and transmitted to the remote side. A projector simulates a light beam on the same coordination. By doing so, participants are able to intuitively pointing and annotating contents in physical world.
APPLICATION
The metaphor of penetrating light can be also applied to other scenarios. We envisioned two potential applications.
1. Urp++
as a remote version of a previous project from Tangible Media Group, Urp, Urp++ allows user to use a phicon as light source to synchronize the environment light within the two workbenches. When the light source changes its position, the simulated shadow from both sides will response the the correct position. User can also pass the light source to each other remotely. (see the sketch below)
2. X-ray
In this application, the simulated light beam can not only point on the remote physical object, but also reveal some hidden information inside or behind this object. The simulated light becomes an X-ray.
Contributors:
Jifei Ou - Ideation, Presentation, Physical Prototyping
Sheng Kai Tang - Ideation, Presentation, Software Prototyping