Projection mapping is when a surface is used as a canvas or display surface for a projection. It can be done on many different scales and for a variety of different reasons.

A common purpose for projection mapping is purely for artistic purposes. In the video above, many children from across the UK were invited to Buckingham Palace where the queens jubilee celebration was taking place. They asked each child to draw a self portrait so that it could be projected on to bucking palace. Some of the images were combined to make one large image of Queen Elizabeth herself, and others were shown on their own.

Another example is during Sydney’s “Vivid Sydney” Celebration. Many locations around the capital of Australia we light up via lasers and large scale projections. The video above shows how to Sydney Opera House looked at night.

Buildings and other structures lit up like this is sure to grab the attention of passersby, so some companies are using projection mapping as a form or advertising.

Lexus Projection Mapping Advertising

The above link talks about an advertising campaign done by Lexus in 2011. Something I really like about this projection is how the video interacted with the environment. There was a part where it looked as if the building was filling with water, and when it was drained they showed water pouring out all the windows and flowing down the fire escape.

This is how I prefer to see projection mapping done and how I would prefer to use it. While the Buckingham Palace video did look good, I think thy could’ve interacted with their environment more. They treated the building as if it was one large flat canvas when they had a lot more to play with on the side of the building. Using your display surface in a way that incorporates the way the building is designed itself adds another level to the art which I really enjoy.

Lastly, projection mapping does not have to be used solely for artistic purposes; it has practical applications as well.

 

The bar in Lincoln, Walkabout, project a rugby match that was happening live on to the wall of the building opposite. This was so that it would be easy for someone to see what was happening rather than having to find a good location with a TV in sigh. It would also be good for smokers who would step outside for a while and instead of having to miss the match, they could still see what was happening.