CHICAGO — SIGGRAPH 2016 will once again host fascinating presentations and installations as part of its Emerging Technologies, Studio, and Appy Hour programming. With the tagline "Render the Possibilities," SIGGRAPH 2016 will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, 24-28 July 2016.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
See, learn, touch, and experience state-of-the-art technology in human-computer interaction and robotics as part of the SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies program. The over 20 installations featured as part of this experience showcase work from many sub-divisions of interactive techniques, with a special emphasis on projects that explore science, high-resolution, digital-cinema technologies, and interactive art-science narratives.
"Attendees will have the opportunity to test-drive the latest interactive and graphic technologies before they transform the way we live and work. Each installation selected presents hands-on demonstrations of research from a wide variety of disciplines, including automotive systems, displays, input devices, sports technology, and wearables," said Emerging Technologies Chair Masahiko Inami.
On Wednesday, 27 July, Emerging Technologies will, for the first time, present a "Best of Show" for the project that best exemplifies the future of art, science, and human-computer interaction, and the role of emerging technologies as a force for positive advancement.
Highlights include:
Big Robot Mk.1 – This tall robot with two wheeled legs positions a human pilot five meters above the ground. The pilot controls the robot's movement with foot motions, as it follows the path of an extremely tall humanoid.
HALUX: Projection-Based Interactive Skin for Digital Sports – HALUX places phototransistors and vibrators on the body, and drives them with project light to eliminate latency derived from communications.
HapTONE: Haptic Instrument for Enriched Musical Play – HapTONE delivers high-fidelity vibrotactile sensations. The instrument can reproduce the touch sensations of a keyboard, stringed, percussion or non-musical instrument.
Perceptually Based Foveated Virtual Reality – This installation allows attendees to compare several perceptually based foveated rendering techniques running live inside a virtual reality headset with integrated eye-tracking.
ZoeMatrope: A System for Physical Material Design – This project introduces ZoeMatrope, a material display that can present and animate realistic material by compositing real objects.
STUDIO
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Studio will explore altered reality, the virtual made physical, and creations that cross both spaces. Attendees will get the chance to work in a hands-on environment and gain experiences with laser cutting, scanning, and 3D printing, among others. To accomplish this, the Studio program will present eight installations, seven presentations, and seven workshops.
Highlights include:
Feuding Cities Game – The Studio presents "Feuding Cities," a unique game comprised of both physical and virtual game play, concurrently. Up to 100 attendees can play the virtual game and an unlimited number can work and play together to create two actual "cities" named after real world ancient cities: Takal and Matusa. Prizes from Epson, Wacom and Roland will be awarded to the best t-shirt design, building design and the best cannon design. "Feuding Cities" will culminate with an epic battle on Wednesday, 27 July.
To learn more about "Feuding Cities," check out this brief video: https://youtu.be/QfebAKTCGWg.
Zushiki Light Art: Form Finding and Making through Paper Folding – This project demonstrates a practical application of paper folding (the art of origami) to seek innovative ways of form finding and product design. Attendees will use laser cutting and have the ability to create (and keep) their own paper lamps.
Lumii: DIY Light-Field Prints – Here, attendees can create a hologram-like 3D image of their own faces on a thin printed surface using a standard inkjet printer.
Gerry Derksen, SIGGRAPH 2016 Studio Chair, said, "We are so thrilled for the conference to begin and for attendees to experience and get involved with the all-new 'Feuding Cities' gaming experience, and cannot wait for the epic final battle. Just as equally thrilling are this year's incredible projects and workshops, which have been designed so that attendees can explore new tools, applications, and methods to create, craft, build, and share exciting experiences."
APPY HOUR
Appy Hour at SIGGRAPH 2016 is a techno-social soirée that celebrates innovation, creativity, and know-how. During Appy Hour, attendees can interact with developers and experience innovations in mobile technology. For 2016, the program features cool apps and content including:
Battle Z – This first multiplayer and customizable VR experience for smartphones allows players to enter medieval times with their friends to defeat zombies rising from their graves.
Motion Graphix – This app is an intuitive but powerful multi-layer 2.5D animation creator — and the first iPad app that can add titles and effects to stereo and VR images and videos.
Virtual Interior Stylization – Users of this app can dive into an augmented/virtual reality world by which they can enrich their daily lives with virtual interior stylization, using only their mobile phones.