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3D projections turn trees into divinities
That is not a photoshop, it's the work of French photographer Clément Briend. Shot for the series Cambodian Trees, the image was created by using multiple projectors to turn trees in Phnom Penh, Cambodia into light sculptures. Briend's 3D projections are created quite organically. He starts with an idea, and then slowly works on the projection points by hand until what you see above takes shape. The sculptures (the whole series is available on his site) depict divinities and other supernatural beings. Animism and magic are part of Cambodian -- and much of South East Asian -- culture, and Cambodian Trees plays with those themes. By casting these forms onto trees within urban landscapes, Briend connects the natural with the magical, and the city to the spiritual. The Big Picture is a recurring feature highlighting beautiful images that tell big stories. We explore topics as large as our planet, or as small as a single life, as affected by or seen through the lens of technology.
NHL team projects Nintendo-esque 'Bolts of Steel' game on ice
We've seen 3D projections on basketball courts and arena floors before, but the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning just took the game up a notch. Before the team's Eastern Conference Finals game on Tuesday, it used the playing surface to project a "Bolts of Steel" (get it, lightning bolts) game simulation inspired by the Nintendo classic Blades of Steel. We surmise they opted for another name not just for copyright purposes, but because the franchise didn't exist until 1992. While the video you'll see after the break is a render/demo, a Deadspin reader caught the thing on tape during the pregame festivities, so you can have a look at was it was like for those in attendance. Perhaps if the Bolts advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, they'll let a couple of fans duke it out for some nachos.
Apple granted patents for glasses-free, multi-viewer 3D system, colorful keyboard backlighting
We've seen a few Apple 3D patents before, but this latest IP portfolio addition shows Cupertino has clearly been thinking differently. At its core the system involves a screen, projector, sensor, and a 3D imager, which work together to allow multiple viewers to perceive 3D images from nearly any position in a room without glasses. This flexible autostereoscopic 3D effect is achieved by tracking user's positions and projecting pixels onto a reflective, textured surface that then bounces separate images into the left and right eye. Virtual interaction methods with the 3D projections are also described in the document, implying the technology has aspirations beyond passive viewing. Speaking of aspirations, Apple's approach clearly seeks to fix many common 3D issues at once. The most obvious is literally taking 3D glasses of the picture -- which we firmly support. On the flip side, the design addresses common faults with current glasses-free options too such as: ghosting and narrow viewing angles, while still keeping commercial viability in mind. That sounds magical to us, but considering the patent was filed back in 2006, we still expect 3D to be handled the old fashion way for quite a while to come. While we're on the subject of patents, a handful more popped in by way of Apple related to keyboard backlighting. Think multiple colors, individually lit, customizable by the user or automated based on environmental conditions and you get the gist. Hey, if it means a return for the Bondi Blue late 90's iMac design (with bright, matching keyboards), then we're excited. But it doesn't.
Optoma adds HW536 and EX762 DLP projectors to the 3D party
If 3D monitors aren't doing it for you, here are a couple of larger display options -- our lucky pals over at Engadget Chinese witnessed the birth of Optoma's two new 3D projectors in Taiwan yesterday. Pictured on the left is the HW536 cinema DLP projector (NT$36,900 or about US$1,150), which has HDMI input and projects a 1,280 x 800 image at 2,800 lumens with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. Next up is the EX762 business DLP projector (NT$79,900 or US$2,490) that also sports HDMI input and a network jack, while delivering a 1,024 x 768 resolution at 4,000 lumens and a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. Just to add a tad more burden to your overdraft, each pair of ZD101 shutter glasses -- not bundled with either projectors -- will cost you a further NT$4,000 (US$125), in return offering a wireless range of up to eight meters courtesy of Texas Instruments' non-directional DLP Link technology (so no need to position any external emitters). A couple of close-up photos after the break.
Video: life-altering 3D projection gets splashed on German building
It's not often that we take time to highlight the creativity and innovation involved in an artistic projection, but this one excited a few too many nerve endings to pass up. The latest in a long line of fantastical wall splashings comes to us courtesy of Urbanscreen, who has designed a downright mesmerizing 3D projection to "dissolve and break through the strict architecture of O.M. Ungers' Galerie der Gegenwart. The project is entitled "How it would be, if a house was dreaming," and it's without a doubt one of the most amazing spectacles you'll see in the next six to ten minutes. Hop on past the break to have your skepticism put to rest, your world view changed forever and your hope in humanity temporarily restored.[Via freshome, thanks Hale]
