Coming to an event near you: virtual graffiti

Entertainment Published on 15 July 2009 in Entertainment

Although street art is experiencing a renaissance, the old issue of vandalism remains. YrWall is an interactive virtual graffiti wall that avoids the drips and damage because, quite simply, there's no paint involved. Users paint on a projection screen using a can that's actually an infra-red beam controlled by a button and tracked using a computer vision system. By pressing the faux spray can's button, users draw on the wall much like using their computer's draw function, but without the mouse and on a much larger scale. A pop-up interface provides an array of digital paint colours and also allows users to select themes like nature or urban; grabbing images from these themes to add to their piece.

YrWall, which can be hired short- or long-term or installed bespoke, has already been quite a hit at events like the UK's Secret Garden Party. Adding to the concept's appeal and branding opportunities, people can receive a free digital copy of their art to share with friends, or can have their design printed on t-shirts and stickers right after they've finalized their piece.

While YrWall isn't going to eclipse the interest in genuine street art and good old spray-can graffiti, it’s an appealing mix of physical and digital, and of performance and play. Which could make for an irresistible offering for event organizers and their novelty-seeking clients.

Website: www.yrwall.com
Contact: www.yrwall.com/contact.aspx

Spotted by: Frank Meeuwsen

Comments on this idea:

Of interest to some readers may be a similar project called FriiSpray - open source infra-red graffiti!

Lots of interesting work in this field at the moment, I really like the blend of art and technology that sites like instructables, make and others are facilitating and inspiring.

Yrwall has a really nice interface :)

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