An interactive projection mapping that gives supernatural powers to passersby, transforming them into flying superheroes in real time.
Client
Ann Arbor Festival
University of Michigan
AT&T / Dumbo Arts Festival
Arista / EON Energy
Years
2011-2013
Type
Interactive Projection Mapping
Technology
Kinect
Computer Vision
Custom-Made C++ Software
FEATURED IN
WHY A projection mapping project that toured different cities and new media festivals through sponsorships and commissions.
WHAT Have you ever dreamed of flying? Superhero proved that with the right amount of technology, creativity, and enthusiasm, dreams can come true. Colorful animations transform the architecture into a massive comic-like canvas for participants to fly across, unleashing their superpowers.
An outdoors Kinect-controlled architectural projection that uses building facades as canvases to unfold an immersive reality that is augmented with superpowers, special effects generated in real time and surrounding cinematic sounds. When participants step into the stage, the Kinect cameras map the person’s body in 3D while our custom gesture-detection software translates their movements into a magical reality that evolves before them, all merged with 3D visual content that outlines and transforms the architecture. The live video image of the person is projected in real time onto the building façade, where she is invited to use her body gestures to obtain an array of superpowers to throw energy balls, become huge or tiny, move faster than light, paint the façade with her trace, and, of course endlessly fly.
SUPERHERO AT NYC
With sponsorship from AT&T, Wildbytes developed a new version of Superhero for the Dumbo Arts Festival in New York, as its signature artwork. Superhero was lauded at one of the city’s most innovative and technological festivals, one that attracts more than 225,000 visitors every year. During three days, more than 1,400 people interacted with Superhero’s stage, where they lived the experience of becoming superheroes and flying over the façade of Brooklyn’s Empire Stores.
SUPERHERO AT ANN ARBOR
Ann Arbor Summer Festival commissioned a new version of Superhero to bring Wildbytes’ cutting-edge creative technology to the acclaimed festival. The challenge: bring to life a 212-foot-high historical tower.
SUPERHERO FOR E.ON
E.ON Energy, one of the leading power companies in the world, was launching the Triple Energy campaign in Spain to encourage energy conservation. The campaign’s starting point was a picture of a family of superheroes. We brought this image to life at the Santander City Council, giving super powers to the passersby.
