A new patent granted to Disney describes a projection mapping system that can use smoke or other drifting materials as the screen. The system would track the ever-changing material in real time, adjusting as needed to project images on anything including firework residue or mist.
The patent title is “Opportunistic Projection Onto Dynamic Light Reflective Material,” and was published on August 20th. The abstract reads:
“A system may include a camera configured to capture an image of a light reflective material in an area, and a controller configured to detect, based on the captured image, a dynamic characteristic of the light reflective material, and determine, based on the detected dynamic characteristic, content to be projected onto the light reflective material. The system may include a light source configured to emit nonvisible light in the area and a projector configured to project content onto a dynamic light reflective material in the area. The system may include a sensor configured to detect a characteristic of the light reflective material based on a reflection of the nonvisible light off the dynamic light reflective material. The controller may be configured to modify the content based on a change to the detected characteristic of the light reflective material.”
The system would be able to adjust the projected image based on the material’s changing density. Possible applications described in the patent include projecting images on firework residue, smoke, and low-lying clouds. Disney also mentions the possibility of using the technology in stage shows, with cast members having the ability to interact with the projections in real time.
