Is augmented reality projections the new fireworks of the Middle East? We hope so
To celebrate a wedding it is common for Middle East men to shoot guns into the air, with stray bullets eventually falling to the sky, killing wildlife and sometimes people. This still happens in Gaza and Jordan for instance, although authorities in Jordan are trying to fight the practice. In Jaffa, Israel the Arabs there shoot off fireworks instead. The booming explosion creates the effect, but we like to see a new direction the Middle East is headed to: augmented reality.
To celebrate the United Arab Emirates National Day 2011, technologists and designers at Obscura Digital created an augmented reality canvas over the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Al Jahili Fort in the Gulf region. Augmenting reality with a projector, and images is a new way of celebrating without creating waste. Although the 44 projectors with a combined brightness of 840,000 lumens does create carbon emissions, we avoid all the toxins and dangers of fireworks –– which the Middle East people so love. See below for mind-blowing images and video.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is itself a stunning piece of architecture, highlighting the stunning design and attention to details made famous in the Middle East. On a huge scale, consider the projected area goes over a surface 600ft wide x 351ft high, this new project shows some of the best in eastern design.
Here’s the whole video of the Obscura Design event in Abu Dhabi
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
How is this applicable to wedding celebrations for the 99% that don’t have the money or access to this type of technology?
That’s right. And it is so beautiful.
Mrs. Kloosterman,
Thank you for this great story.
This is a fantastic alternative to fireworks and the great thing about it is, it can be displayed over and over again without any waste and harm.