This project explores the use of the “pepper’s ghost” effect to create engaging content. I created a design for a viewer, and build out animations to play through it.
This project explores the use of the “pepper’s ghost” effect to create engaging content. I created a design for a viewer, and build out animations to play through it.
The viewer itself is composed of a 7” display, a sheet of clear and reflective plastic set at 45 degrees, and a housing made of laser-cut bamboo. The diagram above shows the basic process by which an image is project and viewed.
The housing itself was designed in Cinema 4D, and refined in Illustrator. It was then cut using a laser cutter at the PSU Electronics Prototyping Lab. It assembles into a base box and lid that attaches loosely.
While the design of this viewer may have broader applications, currently there is only one piece of animation for this device. This is a short video, originally made for my Type 2 course at PSU. It was animated in After Effects and C4D. The overall concept of this project was to consider light, and the role it plays in our lives. I felt it was fitting considering that this whole project relies on the properties of light.
The final result of these elements coming together is an experience that places type in our world, without actually doing so physically. The type floats in space before your eyes, and moves through your world. I can only wonder how true interaction would make this experience even more engaging. This a project I want to explore more, and I hope that some day I update this page with a more refined reflector and content.