Illuminating Innovation: VR Drone Show Design Tool
by Faith Popov
title
Illuminating Innovation: VR Drone Show Design Tool
agency
MediatedX
client
Arizona State University
Submission by
Faith Popov
Project Lead
Ana Herruzo / Founder/Director of MediatedX
Contributors
Ana Herruzo - Creative Director Henry Beach - Project Manager Faith Popov - Software Developer Alba Marti - Art Director Derrek Sekito - Art Director
SkyCanvas VR: A tool for immersive design
SkyCanvas VR represents a groundbreaking leap in environmental visual communication, inspired by Arizona State University's spectacular drone light show at Mountain America Stadium in Fall 2023. This awe-inspiring event, a collaboration between MEDIATEDX, Nova Sky Stories, and ASU's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, laid the foundation for an innovative tool that expands the horizons of visual storytelling into the sky.
In the nascent field of drone show creation, where the night sky becomes a limitless canvas, SkyCanvas VR addresses unique challenges faced by visual communicators. It translates fundamental principles of composition, color, and form into a revolutionary medium, enabling creators to craft intricate, kinetic narratives in virtual 3D space before bringing them to life above mesmerized audiences.
The design tool's prototype, showcased at SXSW 2024's Extended Realities exhibition, captivated the global creative community. It demonstrates Arizona's pioneering role in fusing artistic vision with cutting-edge technology, offering unprecedented control over a new form of large-scale, dynamic environmental storytelling.
SkyCanvas VR empowers creators to:
- Orchestrate up to 600 virtual drones in real-time
- Experience compositions from multiple vantage points
- Apply principles of visual hierarchy, rhythm, animation and balance in a three-dimensional, moving space
- Seamlessly transform two-dimensional concepts into breathtaking aerial displays
- This project represents a technological breakthrough and unlocks new realms of creative expression. It challenges visual communicators to transcend static mediums, embracing time, movement, and spatial relationships in innovative ways.
By developing SkyCanvas VR, Arizona reaffirms its commitment to fostering innovation in visual arts and communication. It positions our state at the vanguard of a new frontier, where traditional principles of visual storytelling evolve to harness the boundless potential of the sky. This tool embodies the transformative power of design, inspiring and equipping the next generation of creatives to craft immersive, awe-inspiring experiences that redefine our field.
Faith Popov
As ASU students at the MEDIATEDX Experiences Research Lab, we're revolutionizing environmental graphic design through innovative drone light shows. Our project gained recognition at South by Southwest in March 2024. Faith Popov, our software developer, shares: "As an Arizona native, I'm thrilled to contribute to our state's appeal through our VR drone show design tool. We're creating a pipeline from virtual concepts to real aerial displays, putting Arizona at the forefront of this emerging design experience. It's exhilarating to think our work might inspire people to see Arizona as a hub for cutting-edge creativity." By transforming the sky above Mountain America Stadium into a dynamic, drone-powered canvas, we're pioneering new forms of environmental graphics. Our VR design tool showcases Arizona's innovation, inspiring others to see our state as a place where imagination and technology converge. We're proud to contribute to Arizona's identity as a leader in immersive design. ~The MEDIATEDX Drone Show Design Team