Cityscapes Projection | Interactive Spaces

Cityscape Stamp Projection | Interactive Spaces

Task: Build an interactive space that can be manipulated without a traditional screen/monitor & a keyboard/ mouse. Elements in the space must react (visually/ auditorily/physically) to human interaction in some way.

The Idea: For this project my initial goal was to create something using my hands and incorporate my favorite illustration styles. I also really wanted to try out projection mapping onto a diagram sculpture. Since I wanted to treat this as a passion project my main focus was bringing back in my love for pen and ink illustration while also illustrating things I’ve always loved drawing — which are architectural landscapes and cityscapes. The idea sprouted from that to illustrate popular cities from around the world. To add the an element of some kind of concept, I decided to incorporate my interest for stamps and somehow being able to put the stamp down to actually transport to any city like an envelope can through the mail. We came up with this idea of using Arduino rfid hardware and processing software to place the stamp down on a box that would project the city’s stamp on the sculpture and have them switch depending on the city stamp placed.

The Initial Sketch of the overall idea

Using photoshop, I layered the four chosen skylines on top of each other. From there on a new layer, I blocked out areas where all four meet to create a brand new skyline to fit all four skylines.

Taking the new ‘skyline’ and fitting it into each of the cities landmarks and identifying monuments.

Using black to block out areas where black will be project and using the varying grays to show what will be on each layer of foam.

After fitting each skyline, I used a cool toned color palette to block out colors of each building.

From there, I added shading, hatching, and texture to give it a unique look and feel that feels cohesive through all four illustrations.

This is the foreground piece that will stay consistent throughout all four skyline illustrations. This part will be projected the front most piece of the sculpture.

From there I took a 60x40 foam board and cut them into four 30x20 boards. Then I projected a finished illustration of the Paris skyline onto the board to make sure my dimensions were correct.

Next I took tiled tracing paper to fit the 30x20 boards and traced the template. I made sure to test each sketch to make sure each skyline still fit into the pieces.

I cut out each section from the tracing paper and taped it to the foam board to cut each piece out.

I projected the the illustration onto the boards and set the boards up to project on before glueing them down permanently.

Here it is projected from a small projector at home with all the pieces in place to see proportions and dimensions, as well as how far it should potentially be.

After that, I took the sculpture into the space it would occupying in the end to madmapper the final illustrations to make sure it’s as close to the projection as possible.

I also masked any tiny overlaps within the illustration

Taking the illustrations, I used after effects to make micro animations. You’ll notice some elements spinning, twinkling lights and some flickering window lights.

Here are the final projections with the illustrated gifs

I made stamps for each skyline

Each stamp would then have a sticker connected to the Arduino rfid and Processing code that would flicker through each skyline when placed on the Arduino touch thing

I made a box out of the left over foam board. The box itself was made to big enough to house the arduino but also to be the size of a small envelope. This will give an illusion “stamping” to send the letter off to the city the skyline is illustrated to be.