The
CompuObscura holds approximately four participants at
one time. Participants may either sit on the chairs
provided along the walls, or move freely in the open
area in the center of the room. The CompuObscura contains
a high-resolution digital video projector, and a high-resolution
digital video camera that captures the motion of the
CompuObscura’s participants.
A space beneath the floor contains
a small computer network connected with a high-speed
connection to Internet II that in turn is connected
to an advanced image processing center at California
Polytechnic State University and with a number of other
CompuObscura installations around the globe.
The CompuObscura captures and
reprocesses high-resolution video images and high-quality
audio on the fly, then uses the high-speed, massive
bandwidth capabilities of Internet II technology to
swap these composite images and remixed audio tracks
from one CompuObscura installation to the next. Against
the largest wall in the CompuObscura, we display an
image that fills the entire wall. This image shows the
CompuObscura participants immersed in a virtual environment
composed of architectural components lifted from an
“actual” environment (a village plaza in
Northern Italy, for example).
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