What’s cooler than a laser light show? One that combines real-time control, motion tracking, and Daft Punk. For the past week, artist and hacker Memo Akten has been uploading videos showing off what he’s learned using a laser projector and the Ether Dream digital-to-analog converter. At its simplest, the setup allows Akten to draw a shape and have it projected on the wall, but it can also handle more interesting effects. In one video, he uses the Leap Motion controller to track his fingers, letting him sweep circles over a friend in protective glasses (he warns viewers that lasers won’t do your eyes any favors.) In another, he sets up a bubble-blowing machine, then points a camera towards it and the wall. By tracking the edges of the bubbles, he can set lasers to outline them. A few more details are over at Vimeo, along with links to the code and software he’s using.
Watch lasers track bubbles to the beat of Daft Punk
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
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