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Immersive Photography

Gigalinc was an exhibition that allowed exhibition participants to interactively explore large-scale panoramic images. High-definition gigapixel images (1000 times the information captured by a 1 megapixel digital camera) were digitally projected onto a large screen that allowed viewers to navigate using kinect based hand-gestures, zooming in and out of areas of particular interest. Surround-sound audio accompaniments added to the multi-sensory experience.

I was interested in exploring the world of immersive photography and the possibilities it offers for changing the way we look at and use photographic images. I did this through digital technologies that allows the viewer to ‘step inside’ and move around large panoramic images, presented in astonishing levels of detail. As the perspective changes, the viewer feels as if he or she is actually ‘immersed’ in the scene. Participants also had the opportunity to print out their own image of what they found interesting/appealing and add to a pin board to create a collage of interest.

The technology used consisted of several features. The hand tracking utilized Xbox Kinect (Open Exhibits MT-Kinect) to input gesture based commands. Open Exhibits is a great enabler for these types of projects and worked brilliantly. Arduino was also used to allow the participants to select their image just by tapping one touch-pad on the floor. Arduino was also responsible for allowing the participant to print out his or her own image. By using these technologies and others, I was able to build an ‘immersive framework’. See the results in the video below.