Beam

Beam was an interactive installation built around a physical model of a spacesuit. Visitors used a torch as a pointing device, sweeping light across the suit to reveal points of interest such as the boots, visor and respiratory system. As they hovered over each area, the system projected contextual information into the surrounding space.

Working with Katrin Wegener, I helped design and build the interaction, using the torch as both an intuitive input device and a theatrical prop. The challenge was to make the experience feel immediate enough that visitors understood it instinctively without losing the sense of discovery.

Beam was an early experiment in what might now be called projected augmented reality, using light and a physical object as the interface rather than a screen. The torch worked as an intuitive pointer that needed almost no explanation, while the spacesuit gave the interaction a sense of curiosity and wonder.