eGlass

Obscura Digital

eGlass (aka “switchable glass”) is glass whose light transmission properties are altered when voltage is applied: it’s transparent when electrically charged, and opaque when not. When eGlass panels are segmented and arranged into a grid, a window becomes a pane of individually-addressable “pixels”. Obscura can programmatically animate these pixels and project media onto the opaque panes, creating an integrated multi-level animation — with the natural environment beyond being a layer in its own right.

When we introduce motion sensors and RFIDs into the system, the multi-level animation experience becomes interactive. The pixels and the media can be made to react and respond to both the viewer’s position and movements, as well as the natural environment (sun location, brightness, time of day, vehicles passing, etc.).

Obscura has perfected a large-scale manufacturing process for 4’x8′ and larger laminated eGlass panels, allowing us to provide clients with eGlass installations at scale. With multiple layers of animation potential to play with, these types of installations offer a unique, dynamic and breathtaking media experience.

My Contribution

I contributed to this prototype in the San Francisco with a focused on handling the mapping, control of the eGlass, realtime content, media engagement, and playback controls.