Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab unveils world’s first interactive physical 3D graphics
Berlin – October 15th. The Human Media Lab at Queen’s University in Canada will be unveiling GridDrones, a new kind of computer graphics system that allows users to physically sculpt in 3D with physical pixels. Unlike in Minecraft, every 3D pixel is real, and can be touched by the user. A successor to BitDrones and the Flying LEGO exhibit – which allowed children to control a 3D swarm of drone pixels using a remote control – GridDrones allows users to physically touch each drone, dragging them out of a two-dimensional grid to create physical 3D models. 3D pixels can be given a spatial relationship using a smartphone app. This tells them how far they need to move when a neighbouring drone is pulled upwards or downwards by the user. As the user pulls and pushes pixels up and down, they can sculpt terrains, architectural models, and even physical animations. The result is one of the first functional forms of programmable matter.
“Unlike 3D printing materials, GridDrones do not require structural support as each element self-levitates to overcome gravity. Unlike 3D prints, the system is bi-directional: you can change the “print” simply by picking up the pixels and re-arranging them”, says Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab and professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. “This is an important first step towards robotic systems that render graphics as physical reality, rather than as just light. This means users will have a fully immersive experience without a head-mounted display, one that provides haptics for free.”
More information at http://www.hml.queensu.ca/griddrones