A STEP INTO AT THE 2015 SIGGRAPH STORY AND PHOTOS BY W. H. BOURNE
This 3D interactive skull that featured projectors using mapping technology was the centerpiece of the VR Village at the 2015 SIGGRAPH.
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rom the moment you hit the registration area at this year’s annual SIGGRAPH Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center, you could see wonderland waiting for you several hundred feet away. This year SIGGRAPH’s annual interdisciplinary educational experience, which showcased the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, was energized by the debut of the VR Village. Adjacent to Emerging Technologies, both areas of the show floor seemed to overlap. Unless you were looking at the signs, the whole area blended together seamlessly. The debut of the VR Village featured dedicated real-time immersion with the hottest Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) content. With Nomadic Virtual Reality, Tabletop Augmented Reality, Full-Dome Cinema, and live demonstrations in a 360-degree immersion dome, the VR Village let attendees explore the fascinating potential of VR, AR and Immersive Environments as a means for telling stories, engaging audiences, and powering real-world applications in health, education, design, and gaming. Emerging Technologies showcased the latest interactive and graphics technologies in the 3D, virtual reality, and projection mapping industries including practical applications such as the Ford Immersive Vehicle Environment utilized in phases of automotive design. This year’s Emerging Technologies Program was a true cross-section of science, technology, and art. Speaking of art, as I mentioned, when you entered the registration area, a large colorful skull was to your left. The skull is a three
This VR interactive technology is actually being used by the design team at Ford.
Epson’s VR prototype makes shooting while controlling drones a seamless process.
dimensional structure designed by Josh Harker, with projection animation developed by BARTKRESA design and projectors provided by Christie Digital Systems. With more than 30 perfectly mapped animations and an extensive set of real time looks, viewers were able to experience constantly changing artwork and interact via touch interface. It was interesting to see how VR/AR was being used in commercial applications. On display (and to test drive) was an Oculus experience used by Dreamworks to promote last year’s sequel to How To Train Your Dragon. Sony showcased their Morpheus prototype for their upcoming IMAX promotion for The Walk. Sylvain Chague and Clementine Lo from the Swiss company artanim was demonstrating a two person VR/AR that allowed you to explore a pharoah’s tomb, pick up objects and exchange them with your partner while keeping you totally immersed in the virtual environment. While it’s easy to see how VR/AR can revolutionize the video game industry, the entertainment industry as a whole should be thinking about how this technology can be utilized to enhance everything from theme parks to theaters. LFV ISSUE FOUR 2015
LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
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