A team of researchers in Japan claim to have developed a novel technique to tackle the negative effects of ambient light on projection mapping.
Researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Engineering published their findings in the journal IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.
The authors - Masahiko Yasui, Ryota Iwataki, Masatoshi Ishikawa, and Yoshihiro Watanabe – argue that ambient light issues restrict projection mapping to dimly lit settings which can create barriers to a natural visual experience as only the projection mapping target is properly illuminated.
While this is advantageous in many scenarios it limits the ubiquity of the approach. To tackle this the researchers used a mixed light field, blending traditional projection mapping with ray-controllable ambient lighting.
Researchers describe the combination as simple but effective, allowing the projector to exclusively illuminate the projection mapping target, preserving the optimal contrast. In a post on the Watanabe Lab website they say: “Precise control of ambient light rays is essential to prevent them from illuminating the projection mapping target while adequately illuminating the surrounding environment”
They also suggested the integration of a kaleidoscopic array with integral photography to generate dense light fields for ray-controllable ambient lighting.
[via Watanabe Lab / Tokyo Tech]