One of the themes explored at the international festival of animated film Animafest (6th – 11th June) this year is the exploration of the future of animation, including site specific animations and virtual realities. One public exercise in the possibilities of VR animation will take place today from 5 pm at Octogon, the art nouveau passage that connects Cvjetni square and Ilica.
PIEdeck is an experimental interactive installation created for playful activities with multiple participants. Developed by the research group Playful Interactive Environments (PIE), it consists of a laser tracking system, public display and Virtual Reality headsets. Utilizing the Pharus tracking system developed by the Ars Electronica Futurelab, up to 25 participants can simultaneously interact with the system and each other in the same physical space. PIEdeck serves as an experimental environment to explore novel game concepts and other forms of co-located interaction in a hybrid-reality context, combining real physical movement with virtual content in a large-scale setting.
The PIEdeck prototype allows two Virtual Reality (VR) participants to walk through an immersive, abstract audiovisual world and interact with a dynamic, animated sculpture. Passersby also leave their own mark on the virtual world, creating traces behind them for the VR participants. The sculpture, traces and other virtual elements are all visible to spectators on a public screen.
