“‘Become a Guardian of Al Wasl’: Developing productions for the world’s largest real-time interactive projection experience” by Joy
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- ‘Become a Guardian of Al Wasl’: Developing productions for the world’s largest real-time interactive projection experience
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Interactive dome projections are an underdeveloped medium; one that holds impressive potential across entertainment and education. Yet there has been limited research on – and indeed implementation of – the design and development of these experiences. As part of World Expo 2020 Dubai, S1T2 was commissioned by the Dubai Government and Artists in Motion (AIM) to design, develop and deploy the world’s largest immersive interactive experience on the stunning Al Wasl Plaza – a 25,380 sqm canvas involving over 250 projectors. Set amongst a dazzling array of immersive cultural attractions, the resulting experience – “Become a Guardian of Al Wasl” – was unique in its ambition to combine immersion and interactivity, aiming to realise the affordances of the medium like never before. Designing, producing and deploying an experience at this immense scale required an integrated approach bringing together research, prototyping and testing across user experience, interaction design, technological solutions and systems architecture. Indeed, challenges arose at every stage of the project – from real-time rendering, projection-mapping, redundancy, and content synchronisation. In addition, budget constraints, Covid-19, and remote deployment motivated the exploration of innovative solutions at every stage. As a result, the experience was not just a hit for audiences at the event, but a valuable case study for practitioners into the possibilities of dome projections, real-time rendering and digital interactivity at monumental scale. This course harnesses our experience in creating “Become a Guardian of Al Wasl” to give attendees first-hand insight into the enormous potential for interactive dome projections, and the mechanics of bringing this potential to life. Through the lens of this project, attendees will gain a reference for what is and could be possible in this medium, supported by practical learnings and technical insights to push the industry towards its impressive potential.
