Interactive display environments and applications
Felt Lab is a public-private sector living lab, focused on the design, development, and commercialization of interactive display environments and applications. These lab activities operate within our research initiative, Research Entrepreneurs Accelerating Prosperity (REAP), supported by Centres of Excellence in Research and Commercialization (CECR).
We take state-of-the-art display technologies (e.g. projection, projection mapping, LCD monitors, and MicroTiles) and combine them with emerging interactivity technologies (such as touch, voice-activated, eye tracking, proximity, and gesture ), as well as custom content (animation, video, and simulations). To facilitate commercial research outputs, Felt Lab researchers and students mash up existing technologies into new configurations, extending their functionality and, consequently, their market potential.
We develop applications in a variety of sectors: arts and entertainment, retail, government and education, and medical. Some of our projects have included: a virtual, interactive art gallery; augmented reality applications for government and industry; point-of-experience transactional applications; and a multi-touch large display interface for brainstorming and meta-tagging for group discussion and research.
"Thinkering" events for clients/stakeholders and researchers (thinking and tinkering with display technologies), lab equipment rentals
- Arts and cultural industries
- Education
- Information and communication technologies and media
- Management and business related services
- Tourism and hospitality
Specialized labs and equipment
|
Equipment |
Function |
|---|---|
|
GestureTek Cube |
Turnkey Interactive Floor Projection |
|
GestureTek Illuminate Table |
Infrared multi-touch display and computer |
|
Screen Xtreme |
Infrared camera digitizes viewer and integrates image into projection to interact with display |
|
MicroTiles |
Projection "cubes" that allow for non-rectangular large display surfaces from Christie Digital Technology |
|
Thin Bezels |
Large narrow bezel displays that can be integrated into a single display from Christie Digital Technology |
|
Interactivity Kit |
Infrared frame designed to scale with MicroTiles and provide (x,y) interactivity coordinates from Christie Digital Technology |
|
DS+750 Projectors |
High performance projectors |
|
LCD Presentation Projector |
Standard LCD presentation projector |
|
Kommerz MRI |
Multi-display, interactive table that transforms 2D touch surface into 3D projection experience |
|
2 HP Envy Laptops, 1 MSI Laptop |
Gaming laptops installed with Unity and capable of rendering graphics and videos |
|
iPad and iPod |
Mobile iOS devices used for interactive apps |
|
Samsung Galaxy Tab II |
Mobile Android device used for interactive apps |
|
Google Nexus Tablet |
Mobile Android device used for interactive apps |
|
BlackBerry Torch |
Mobile device used for testing apps |
|
BlackBerry Playbook |
Mobile device used for testing apps and recording video |
|
BlackBerry BB10 |
Mobile device used for building and testing BB10 apps |
|
Livescribe Digital Pen |
Digital pen that transfers handwritten notes into digital and records audio linked to location on paper of written notes |
|
Oculus Rift Consumer Version |
Virtual Reality helmets that allows wearer to have immersive 3D digital experiences |
|
Windows Kinect Cameras (4) |
Kinect cameras with device drivers that can run without xBox or GestureTek controllers |
|
Xbox Kinect Camera |
Kinect camera with device drivers that requires xBox or GestureTek controllers |
|
Panasonic Camera |
Powerful digital camera with infrared sensors for interactive controls |
|
Asus 3D camera (2) |
Powerful digital camera with infrared sensors for interactive controls |
|
ShadowSense InfraRed Camera |
Infrared camera sensor used to interact with digital out-of-home signage systems displays to attract attention with motion |
|
Emotiv & Muse EEG Readers |
Emotiv and Interaxon Muse both read EEG brain waves for training, and application development |
|
Media Caster |
Video and sound mixer board |
|
Vista Spyder |
Large-scale projection controller with 8 video inputs and configurable display designs |
|
iMacs (3) |
Desktop computers with various creative suites installed to develop digital media & sound media assets |
|
FLOAT4 Realmotion interactive system |
Digital out-of-home signage systems display development and presentation platform provides procedural graphics manipulation based on interactive controls. |
|
Intel Audience Impression Metric (AIM) Suite |
Based on homeland security technology, AIM suite monitors and identifies general demographics of viewers in front of display |
|
Derivative TouchDesigner |
Procedural graphics processing software (multi-purpose - used for Projection Mapping) |
|
GestureTek Dazzler |
Software used to configure interactive projection experiences with images, videos and particles |
|
GestureTek HandTracker |
Software and controller that allows for integrating hand gesture controls into software applications |
|
Adobe Creative Suite |
Full Adobe Creative Suite software package for developing digital media assets |
|
Apple Final Cut Pro |
Video editing software suite |
|
Blender |
Open source digital media creation software |
|
GIMP |
Open source photo manipulation software |
|
Junaio |
Software development kit for developing Augmented Reality applications |
|
Layar |
Subscription service used to assemble Augmented Reality experiences for LAYAR app |
|
Aurasma |
Subscription service used to assemble Augmented Reality experiences for Aurasma app |
|
Unity |
Software development kit for developing Augmented Reality applications, gaming applications and interactive 3D experiences |
|
Wikitude |
Software development kit for developing Augmented Reality applications |
Private and public sector research partners
- University of Waterloo/Stratford Campus
- Centre of Business/Entrepreneurship/and Technology (CBET)
- Conestoga College
- University of Denver
- Daniels School of Business
- City of Kitchener
- Metamaps
- Christie Digital Systems Inc.
- Quarry Integrated Communications
- GestureTek
- Apptui
- POET Displays
- In-Touch Insight Systems
- Content Interface Corporation
Additional information
|
Title |
URL |
|---|---|
|
Description of equipment in the Felt Lab |
|
|
News coverage on Felt lab’s use of augmented reality |
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/3881122-augmented-reality-lab-tinkers-in-waterloo-region/ |
|
Accompanying news video on lab’s augmented reality applications |
|
|
Research Entrepreneurs Accelerating Prosperity website (showcase of Felt Lab work) |
|
|
AvaVox video (showcase of Felt Lab work) |
|
|
Student researcher launches company |
http://www.commercelab.ca/how-poet-displays-aims-to-bring-new-meaning-to-retail-experiences/ |
|
News coverage on Felt Lab’s digital display playground |
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2592718-felt-lab-is-a-digital-display-playground/ |