Monday Mashups: Virtual Activations Using Motion Capture Technology

What do pink butterflies, mouth bacteria, and human shadows have in common? Well, nothing, except for the fact they've all been the subject of motion-capture installations at recent events. According to BizBash, more brands have been elevating the motion-capture technology trend at events through custom, interactive installations such as LED pixel walls, Instagrammable tunnels with animations and music, and kinetic sculptures.

One of the latest examples is the Pandora Garden, a digital experience that jewelry company Pandora brought to New York’s High Line from March 27 to 29. The experience, which touted the brand’s new spring collection, involved a futuristic and whimsical butterfly garden, created by multimedia studio Moment Factory.

The multi-sensory tunnel invited guests to interact with digital butterflies, flowers, ladybugs, and four-leaf clovers. Yael Braha, multimedia director for Moment Factory, said the main guideline for creating the installation, and for the firm's projects in general, was to bring people together and offer connection.

After Pandora approved the idea, Moment Factory put together a team of interactive developers, designers, UX experts, motion designers, graphic designers, and a music composer. The project took about a month to complete, with the team prototyping, testing, and developing the visual and interactive elements in the Montreal-based company’s “proto room.”

Less visually appealing, but just as engaging, was Colgate’s digital interactive wall for the launch of the new Colgate Total SF toothpaste. The curved, LED wall—which launched at the Greater New York Dental Convention in November 2018 and appeared at a promotional event in January—gave guests a virtual tour of the human mouth, with the intention of demonstrating how the toothpaste can reduce bacteria.

The wall, made of 40 modular tiles and run by a backstage media server, featured a close-up view of the gum line, leading into visuals of bacteria clusters forming over the gums and teeth. Groups of guests were guided by brand ambassadors to reach out and “kill” the bacteria with their hand movements, causing the bacteria to disintegrate.

Other brands that have recently executed motion-capture installations include Sony and DirecTV. At SXSW in March, Sony’s third annual Superception exhibit featured the “Fragment Shadow” installation, a system using Sony CSL technology that enabled guests to experience changes in bodily sensations through visual changes in their own shadows.

And at DirecTV’s Super Saturday Night, held the weekend of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, the brand tapped Breakfast, a New York-based studio that specializes in high-tech art installations, to create a reflective installation made with customizable kinetic pixels that spelled out the brand name. The pixels were programmed to rotate when guests stood in front of the piece.

The element of surprise and familiarity are both reasons why motion-activated installations resonate well with event attendees. BizBash notes that those creating these types of installations need to consider the actual message and purpose of the interaction. It's great to have the technology to have interactivity in different ways but using it in a way that’s meaningful in the context of the experience is what makes it work.

Consider creating a virtual activation using motion capture technology at your next event and devour the details of an experience unlike any other!