1980k 9/22/14 1980k 9/22/14

Look Thru Box Empire State

Using transparent LCD technology, our custom graphics create this eye catching experience.

1980k 2/14/14 1980k 2/14/14

Materials & Methods developed integrated digital media installations within a new 12 story executive tower for the State Employees’ Credit Union located in downtown Raleigh, NC. SECU Executives wanted to find a dynamic way to engage visitors entering into their new office building, and to explore opportunities to incorporate digital signage on each floor of the building to provide wayfinding and reinforce their identity. SECU also desired to integrate state-of-the-art audio/visual systems into the building’s new conference and meeting rooms.

In the first floor lobby of the building, our team designed and managed the implementation of a gesturally interactive art video wall comprised of eighteen 55” Christie LCD displays. The staggered configuration of LCD displays was surrounded by diffused glass panels that are backlit with low resolution LED video tiles. The LED and LCD technologies were combined to create a virtual canvas where content would flow seamlessly between high and low resolution areas. Compared to other high-resolution options, combining these technologies allowed for a larger canvas area at a much lower cost and created a more interesting composition.

Materials & Methods developed 10 unique content scenarios for the video wall as a result of creative workshops conducted with SECU executives and the architectural team of O’Brien Atkins. The content scenarios include: Color Fields, Vistas, Ink and Water, Patterns in Nature, and State Employees of North Carolina. Painterly animations and abstract interactive art content is designed to engage and inspire visitors entering the building’s lobby, while evoking a sense of playful curiosity. Other content scenarios such as “Vistas” allow guests to move in front of the video wall to select images which then unfold to reveal sweeping panoramic photographs of some of the state’s most beautiful landscapes. The interactive content was produced and directed by Materials & Methods and then programmed through an ongoing collaborative partnership with Float4 using a RealMotion interactive server. Music arrangements and interactive soundscapes were developed for 5 of the pieces by composer Jason Crigler. Additionally our graphic designer team worked with programmers from the Whitlock Group to develop custom interface designs for the various Crestron touch panels that control audio/visual and lighting systems throughout the building.

In the building’s elevator lobbies, pairs of vertically oriented 46” Samsung LCD displays serve as digital signage directories. The background content for the directories is programmed to correspond to the large interactive wall and reinforce a sense of visual continuity between the lobby area and the building’s upper floors. Working with AV integrators the Whitlock Group, Materials & Methods also designed and managed the integration of audio/visual systems for a large multipurpose conference room and employee meeting rooms. Integrated technologies include: LED video displays, interactive content management systems, IR video cameras, audio/video conferencing systems, multiple 55”, 70” and 103” LCD and plasma displays, Crestron Control Systems for lighting, shades and audio/visual controls, floor and wall mounted media hydrants, and integrated microphone/speaker systems. Source

1980k 10/24/13 1980k 10/24/13

The m wall system is a permanently installed interactive media wall, consisting of 20 Full HD displays and a dedicated client-server system (11 computers). On the one side, a powerful in-house development tool for interactive installations, it can also be used to simulate and playback large format video content.

The system offers endless possibilities in the fields of generative and reactive content creation. External live feeds such as twitter, video streams and picture content from the web can be embedded into the content. The m wall system can be controlled through various interfaces, such as, e.g. iPads, Kinect Motion Control, or classic show control systems. Source

1980k 7/30/13 1980k 7/30/13

Multitouch Experience Cube. An eye-catching interactive trade show event installation. The walkable LED cube for the GRASS GmbH showcase has been the highlight at the Interzum 2011 trade show in Cologne, the international leading fair for suppliers to the furniture industry. 23 LCD displays attached inside the “Multitouch Experience Cube” formed a estimated 14 meter long multitouch wall. Inside visitors experienced a interactive product show controlled via iPhone app and moderated by a host. For this a interconnected real-time 3D rendering visualization including 3D Sound has been programmed in collaboration with “Realtime Department”. The application itself has been developed in Ventuz – a real-time 3D authoring software. As a final touch a custom designed LED ceiling has been fitted inside the interactive installation. The 3D visualizations created especially for the LED ceiling reacted upon the visitors interactions with the multitouch LCD displays and intensified the unique spatial sensations inside the “Multitouch Experience Cube”. Source

1980k 11/5/12 1980k 11/5/12

Japan's Spectacular Tunnel of Lights

Article: Source

If you happen to be in Japan from now to March 31, 2013, make sure to check out one of Japan’s most stunning displays of light called Winter Illuminations at Nabana no Sato, a botanical garden turned light theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana. Opened just yesterday, it’s been called one of the best winter light shows in all of Japan. The park really outdoes itself by using millions of sparkling LED lights all over the vast grounds including on the water and in the gardens. This year’s theme is “nature” and it promises gorgeous scenes including a beautiful sunrise inspired by Mt. Fuji at dawn, a rainbow across the sky, and even an aurora.

The stars of the show are the famous walk-through tunnels of light that completely envelop the viewer, making it seem as if they’re walking through bright, magical portals. As Joanna Tocher of Wide Island View said, “if you can shut out the noise of the hundreds of people around you it really does feel like you’re stepping into another world.”

Below are some photos taken in year’s past of the gorgeous light tunnels as well as on the grounds. (Bucket list!)

Photo via: Japan Australia blogspost