The future of projection mapping
Part I
We have all experienced the thrill and visual entertainment of projection mapping but what does the future hold? Panasonic’s immersive experience expert Thomas Vertommen answers some key questions.
In the future, how do you see projection mapping developing?
Until very recently, people were not used to experiencing projection at scale. So, tapping into our imaginations and using a well-known monument or building to project giant moving 3D images – changing our view of the world – has been a source of great entertainment. But in many ways, despite the complicated programming required for the content creators – this is just the beginning. There is an exciting future for projection mapping.
Imagine stepping into a room where the projection mapping surrounds you – not just projected onto a building in front of you. It would be a much more fun version of the Matrix movie concept, where an alternative reality is created 360 degrees around you.
Will that be possible without a headset, special glasses or viewing through a smartphone – like virtual and augmented reality today?
In theory, yes. And it may not be as far away as you might think. It’s a major focus for some of the big entertainment companies now.
For example, it was recently reported that Disney has patented its Virtual World Simulator. This could use projectors to create a 360-degree immersive world. Disney aims to use multiple projectors and simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) to “determine the moving perspective” of the user in the attraction. Thus eliminating the need for headsets or smart glasses.
What advantages would this type of projection mapping solution bring for the future?
Existing virtual and augmented reality solutions are great but they have restrictions. For example, in a theme park, it’s not so practical. The headsets are expensive and not easy to maintain and clean. In addition, it makes participation a very individual experience. There is a lack of emotional connection when you can’t share the looks of anticipation, excitement and laughter with your friends or family.
What makes this new type of 360-degree, immersive experience attractive is that it can be shared – in person with friends and family and on social media. That ability to share increases the power of the experience for the individuals.
It also helps from a marketing perspective. Experiences can be photographed or filmed as well as shared in person – increasing social media activity and as a result, spreading positive word of mouth about the experience.
What’s stopping this from happening right now?
Projection is making great progress in this direction for the future with increasingly higher brightness, fast mapping tracking capabilities and ever more compact and powerful units. But one of the biggest challenges will be the need for more computation power to create and maintain this 360-degree world of illusion.
I read that Nvidia has recently launched the new RTX4090 graphics card seriously improving the performance in virtual reality. A lot more of these performance increases need to happen on the computer side. Then we need content creation and video distribution capabilities to continue to step up.
How far away do you think this could be from becoming reality?
I don’t have a crystal ball. But I think we might be as few as five years away to see the first attempts. Often, we are only limited by our imagination. Once man has imagined something, we have a long history of success in making that vision a reality. From the first flights to landing man on the moon.
We have a vision for 360-degree projection. So, now our creative and technological thinking can focus on making it a reality.
Discover more about the projection technology behind some of the greatest immersive experiences in the world and what might be best for your location in the future.
Read more insights…
Case Study
Ephesus Experience Museum Brings History to Life with Panasonic DLP Projectors
Creating a modern immersive experience museum for the 3m visitors a year visiting the archaeological site of the ancient city of Ephesus was a major challenge. The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism wanted to ensure that the building was sensitively constructed at the UNESCO site while bringing to life the thriving ancient trading centre, one of the most important in the Mediterranean region.
blog
Making waves in immersive experience
An innovative Italian company is fast gaining a reputation for ground-breaking immersive experiences. We look at what drives Artled and the projector technology powering it to success.
blog
History Attracting a New Crowd: The Immersive Revolution in Museums
In an era where digital media dominates entertainment and education, museums are experiencing a resurgence, captivating new audiences by transforming historical narratives into dynamic, immersive experiences.
blog
Navigating Together Towards a Brighter Future: Our Commitment to Recognition2024
As businesses embark on a new financial year, now is a great time to reflect on the resilience and innovation that European organisations have shown over the past 12 months - in the face of unparalleled challenges - and to move forward with optimism.
Sorry there was an error...
The files you selected could not be downloaded as they do not exist.
You selected items.
Continue to select additional items or download selected items together as a zip file.
You selected 1 item.
Continue to select additional items or download the selected item directly.
Share page
Share this link via:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Xing
Facebook
Or copy link: