Interactive High Resolution Panorama

The general aim of the research association, planned over a three year period (2006-2009) was to investigate basic methods and prototypical applications for the visualization of data on large high-resolution screens. The requirements of the research association were extended for a further year following the project’s success.

In the application context of artistic projects, software tools and presentation methods were developed at the Institute of Visual Media [LINK], so as to make interactive digital content available within a public space. Here, emphasis was placed on the production of real-time manipulation and interaction with digital panoramic contents. The results produced as part of the project were on show in 2007 at the PanoramaFestival at the Institute for Visual Media, and at the Ideenpark Stuttgart, in 2008, and presented in the exhibition »IMAGINING MEDIA@ZKM« in 2009. At the climate summit in Copenhagen the installation »Exits II«, among others by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro was shown at the Kunsthalle Charlottenborg (Copenhagen); it was also on show  from May to August 2010 at the Alhondiga Bilbao, in Spain.

In 2009, the PanoramaLab was installed as a permanent presentation site in the ZKM | Foyer. »CloudBrowsing«, a research project developed in collaboration with the University of Konstanz was extended in 2010 for the purposes of increasing access to random databanks and so-called »bookmarks«, a mechanism which makes it possible to feature themes by link collection retrieval.

In addition to Wikipedia, an institute production databank is visible, in which the works from the exhibition »IMAGINING MEDIA@ZKM« are explained. As part of the project, a composite manager based on the software code of the Panorama Player was developed for the X11 window system; this allows for the representation of any given applications with limited bandwidth range without special adaptations to the Panorama Screen.

The Institute of Visual Media supported the construction of a 270-degree driving simulation at the Living Lab Automotive of the FZI Karlsruhe, which was realized with the aid of this software level.

Various installations were initiated for the Panorama technology developed at the institute illustrating the broadly distributed spectrum of the application and design potential which this technology opens up.