Illuminating Light: An Optical Design Tool with a Luminous-Tangible Interface
John Underkoffler and Hiroshi Ishii
Tangible Media Group

John Underkoffler at MIT's Media Lab demonstrated a system which enabled table top models of buildings to cast digital 'shadows' based on the location of a computer generated 'sun'. The system was called 'Illuminating Light".

The models were physical miniature buildings which could be manipulated on a table. A combination of video camera, data projector and computer interpret the location of the models and project graphics.

These graphics could be the shadows cast by full scale buildings, or data about traffic in and around the buildings, and other relevant dynamic data to assist architects. John's description of his project is framed in terms of the research being done on an 'intelligent lightbulb' which performs the combined roles of computer, dataprojector and video camera. This video interview was conducted during the "Digital Life" exhibition of student work in which sponsors and other visitors observe Media Lab research activity they have been funding.

This work relates to EMU as it privaleges the the notion of urban structures and urban phenomena as electronically mediated at even the planning stages of development. The system seeks to abstract aspects of real urban phenomena, such as the shadows cast by buildings on each other, and the nature of dynamic phenomena both natural (wind, rain fall etc) and social (the flow of people or car traffic past a building).