Last summer, I had the chance to attend SIGGRAPH, the world's largest computer graphics conference. While I was there I saw some of the coolest art and tech projects I've ever seen -- one that stood out to me was a projection art project called INORI-PRAYER (https://vimeo.com/209356195). A small group of Japanese developers from WOW collaborated with the University of Tokyo and two dancers, AyaBambi, to create this interesting performance, which uses real-time face tracking and projection mapping at 1000fps. The girls dance to the song, and dark, creepy images that reflect the sad themes of the song are mapped on their faces. I love how the images enhance the mood of the music, especially because the song doesn't have words. I think the software and scripts of the project were mostly custom-made, which is impressive -- they developed both the projection technology and the face mapping technology. Projection mapping is destined to become a very useful tool for both artists and scientists. It is helpful for AR, so it is a cool way to incorporate interactivity into pieces, especially when combined with a camera. It provides a new medium for artists, but it can also help with data visualization, and it is very popular in the advertisement industry.
