Video mapping as a display medium
During large events, the team is systematically faced with the challenge of disseminating information. Indeed, how can a large volume of information be collected and sorted and made visible to all, despite the challenges related to the size of the crowd?
A few years ago, we tried to answer this question, but I never bothered to share the details. So today I will try to recount the process and our conclusions, and I hope without boring you too much.
At the events we facilitate, teams traditionally use scribers to select and highlight important content, with their number increasing proportionally with the size of the group. But this solution has its weaknesses. Scribing is a slow process, limited in terms of bandwidth, but also and above all, it is not modifiable. The fresco is built chronologically, with no possibility of reconfiguration or change of theme.
To overcome this, we decided to use video, which allowed a display 4 or 5 meters wide, therefore on the scale of our session. In addition, it was easy and quick to capture important quotes on our computers, several people could work in parallel on the same file, which was easily editable if necessary.
So while the choice of video projection seemed full of promise, we still had to admit that visually it wasn't very exciting. Even with a nice template, it remained horribly "flat".
This is how we came to the concept of video mapping. You have certainly already seen or heard about video mapping. It involves projecting a video onto a 3D surface. These "surfaces" are often buildings, such as churches or historical monuments. The whole point of this technique lies in the dialogue between this immobile surface, carrying its own story, and the living narration of the video. 
It is rare that we do our workshops in historical buildings, but we can use any other type of volume. In our case, we used Tetrix cubes. Here are some examples of what is possible with video mapping and some cubes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeMjq-9XRTQ&t=5s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrQUdTT6BHQ
The concept was ambitious: build a central totem, tall enough so that the content projected on it would be visible to everyone, even with people standing in front of it, all in 360 degrees. In short, it was a splendid idea and full of promise. Now, let's move on to the reality of execution.
If we had the concept, it had been impossible for us to prepare it in advance. However, we soon realized the technical challenge that awaited us... Calibrating video projectors is delicate and takes time, as is discovering the software, which is necessarily specialized. Finally, if you want to project from a distance so as not to hinder the movement of participants, you need very powerful and therefore quite specific equipment, which was not available on site.
We must admit that these few disappointments had slightly dampened our enthusiasm. It was therefore decided that we would make, in the name of science and co-design, a reduced version with, in addition, an "old-fashioned" knowledge wall, if I dare say.
Here are a few seconds of this first test, carried out by Arezki Moussi, off the cuff, with no experience of this technology and armed only with his creative genius.
If there was one thing to remember: it seems to me that the potential for wonder of this technique remains intact, but it must be admitted that the execution remains complicated. Ideally, the totem would have to be drawn in 3D (which, with cubes, is easy) and the software configured in advance so that on the big day, "only" the projectors have to be installed. All the animations can be prepared in advance, leaving the team to fill in the gaps during the session.
In short, we have experimented, advanced the science of the small world of collaborative sessions, and I hope that other teams after us will build on our experience and do bigger and better.
There are 3D mapping professionals in France, so if you want to amaze your participants with an unusual set-up... You have your next idea!