SBIR Phase II: Reliable, Scalable Projection Mapping Systems with Reusable Content

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project includes new ways to inform, educate, advertise or entertain through a technology called projection mapping. This technology uses commodity video projectors to augment the surfaces of ordinary objects; applications range from advertising, events, and entertainment, to educational experiences at museums or schools, healthcare applications for rehabilitation and visualization, and simulation (e.g. military or employee training). Through multiple deployments at retail locations across the country, the company's prototypes have demonstrated that these applications will benefit not only the brands and companies that employ the technology, but also the end-users (students, consumers, etc), resulting in better engagement and faster learning when compared to achieving these same tasks through other media such as videos. Research performed during the Phase II project will allow the company to develop a scalable product and fulfill many deployments, bringing projection mapping to new markets. A free version of the company's software will also be available for non-commercial and academic use, enabling interdisciplinary research in fine arts and computer science. The R&D results generated from the research will be published and disseminated to the public. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will build a commercially viable and scalable projection mapping system. While projection mapping has a long academic history, this captivating medium still remains out of commercial reach. As learned from over 50 customer discovery interviews, retailers are shifting towards location-based experiences to increase customer engagement and sales. Many other industries have a similar need to attract attention and convey information, but without a scalable product that can be easily deployed and maintained, they lack the means to provide these experiences. To address this need, the company will develop hardware and software systems to enable captivating and immersive projection mapping experiences. The core of this system is in software: the developed algorithms will robustly calibrate projection mapping systems comprising any number of projectors/cameras, automatically align projected content to the scene and perform color-correction when the display surfaces are non-white/textured. These algorithms will be validated through standard benchmarks, resulting in novel, state-of-the-art practices. Additionally, these methods will allow for reusable projection mapping content, a critical feature lacking in existing software, as well as cloud deployment and monitoring. New hardware configurations will also be developed to achieve new uses for projection mapping.