Science met art in a spectacular installation at the 2015 Glasgow Film Festival, where PufferSphere technology was connected to an IMAX screen for the first time ever to spectacular effect. Envisaged and delivered by the very clever team from the HCI (human-computer interaction) department at the University of Glasgow, the installation saw Dr Julie Williamson and Daniel Sunden connect their PufferSphere Touch to the giant IMAX screen at Glasgow Science Centre and invite members of the audience to explore the interaction between spherical display and IMAX screen.
Named ‘Sunken Ripples’, audience members interaction with the sphere propelled giant jellyfish creatures onto the IMAX screen above them, showcasing how even the smallest interaction on the sphere rippled out into huge proportions in the immersive underwater environment displayed.
A beautiful project, the playful installation is just one of a series of amazing and interesting pieces of work that Dr Julie Williamson and her team are undertaking with their interactive PufferSphere to gain more insight into the use of spherical displays in public. the team are excited by the possibilities the sphere holds for their research:
"The PufferSphere is such a compelling object in public spaces that designing attractive content comes very easily. For Sunken Ripples, we used very saturated colours and bright animations, which created an immersive experience in the IMAX setting. The PufferSphere draws people in and touch interaction on the sphere allows people to engage directly with curved content that simply isn't possible of a flat display." -Dr. Julie Williamson
Many thanks to both Julie and Daniel for the photos and great video, look out for more exciting updates from their continuing research.