GigaLinc: Immersive Gigapixel Photography


Ronnie Miranda (left) and Samuel Cox

Gigapixel photographer Ronnie Miranda staged GigaLinc: An Immersive Gigapixel Photography Exhibit at the Blue Moon Theatre of the Shangri-la Hotel in Vancouver, BC on October 13th & 14th, 2011. The exhibit was held in collaboration with Samuel Cox who developed GigaLinc for his Master’s degree in Digital Imaging and Photography at the University of Lincoln, UK.

GigaLinc is an exhibition that allows participants to interactively explore large-scale panoramic images. Gigapixel images (100 times the information captured by a 10 megapixel digital camera) are digitally projected onto a large screen that allows viewers to navigate and explore the image in detail using Kinect-based hand-gestures, zooming in and out of areas of particular interest. Surround-sound adds to the multi-sensory experience.

GigaLinc explores the world of immersive photography and the possibilities it offers for changing the way we look at and use photographic images. It does this through digital technologies that allows the viewer to ‘step inside’ and move around large panoramic images, presented in astonishing levels of detail. As the perspective changes, the viewer feels as if he or she is actually ‘immersed’ in the scene.

The technology consists of several features: the hand tracking utilizes an Xbox Kinect to input gesture based commands that runs on open source software. Arduino allows the participants to select their image just by tapping one touch-pad on the floor.

PHOTOS

COMMENTS

The gigalinc immersive technology was a truly outstanding experience. To be taken right into the scene and be able to view the images using your own movements was an amazing experience. The interaction with the images was so futuristic I felt that I was in a movie set years into the future.
Jeff Froehlich, Director of Sales and Marketing, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver

The GigaLinc Immersive experience is a great way for brands to attract attention to their products or services in a live setting. As a sponsorship consultant working with many brands and properties, the possibilities for sponsors to activate their partnerships and engage live audiences at major sporting events, festivals, retail locations, and tradeshows are endless.
Deborah Jones, Sponsorship Central

The Gigalinc experience is unlike anything else. Captain your own roller coaster ride through massive landscapes and crowd scenes using hand gestures to zoom in and out to discovering facial expressions and other small details. It’s an incredible sensory experience, it almost feels like flying.
Tanis Tsisserev, APR, T2 Communications Inc.

Photography has always been a passion of mine and even though I didn’t think it was possible the Gigalinc Immersive Experience has truly changed the landscape. The amount of interactivity that will now be a part of viewing photos is incredible. Thank you for showcasing this product at the Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver.
Adam Nagy, Digital Marketing Manager, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver

BC Place Stadium Re-Opening

The new BC Place Stadium reopened on September 30, 2011. Renovations, upgrades and its new cable-supported retractable roof cost CA$563 million. The opening game was between the CFL’s BC Lions and the Edmonton Eskimos. Ronnie Miranda created a 4.8 gigapixel image of the opening ceremonies.

Ronnie Miranda shooting a gigapixel image & timelapse during re-opening night.

 

CTV News at 11:30pm with Keri Adams, Michael Kuss & Jason Pires (Oct 4, 2011)

Ronnie created a 2nd gigapixel image on October 2, 2011 for first game of the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS at the new stadium.

Canada Day 2011

Canada Day 2011 is a 7.2 billion pixel image, 90° view of the famous Vancouver skyline from across Stanley Park. The image is composed of 1224 individual photos taken on July 1, 2011 using a GigaPan EPIC Pro, Canon EOS Rebel T2i and a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM. The horizontal banding is due to the change in cloud and lighting conditions during the 90 minute shoot. It is the largest digital photo ever created of the Vancouver Skyline as of July 2011.

2011 Stanley Cup Fan Zone

Peter Grainger of CTV News BC interviewed Ronnie Miranda for the GigaPan images he created of the 2011 Stanley Cup Canucks Game 5 Fan Zone. The feature was aired on June 13, 2011. As part of the story and with the help of CTV News, Ronnie created a 2.4 gigapixel panorama of the Vancouver Canucks away game viewing at Rogers Arena for Game 6.

Related Article: GigaPan Creates ‘Where’s Waldo’ of Canucks Fan Zones

CTV News with Mike Killeen and Tamara Taggart (Jun 13, 2011)

UPDATE: On June 15, 2011, Ronnie Miranda captured and created a 2.11 gigapixel image of the Game 7 Stanley Cup Canucks Fan Zone before the riots broke out. The image has received international attention (see below) and has more than 7.0 millions hits as of May 28, 2012. It was also used as the cover of the official independent review of 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup Playoffs Riot.

RELATED POSTS:

Vancouver Whitecaps GigaTag

Vancouver Whitecaps FC brought their Major League Soccer debut on March 19, 2011 at Empire Field to the fans with GigaTag.

GigaPan Vancouver Whitecaps
Northeast View

GigaPan Vancouver Whitecaps
Southwest View

Two 2-gigapixel panoramas were created. Each one was made up of 200 photos stitched together taken over a 20 minute span. With GigaTag, users can explore and zoom into incredible detail, find themselves and their friends, then tag and share on Facebook. The Whitecaps are the very first-ever Canadian entity to use GigaTag.

CTV News at 11:30pm with Keri Adams, Michael Kuss & Jason Pires (March 24, 2011)

Downtown Vancouver 10 Gigapixels

Downtown Vancouver is a 10 billion pixel image, 160° view of downtown Vancouver, BC Canada. The image is composed of 1380 individual photos taken on December 17, 2010 using a GigaPan EPIC Pro, Canon EOS Rebel T2i and a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM.

The famous North Shore Mountains (Cypress, Lions, Grouse and Seymour) are in the backdrop. On the left is English Bay. Spanning the width is False Creek with the Yaletown condos (left), Cambie Street Bridge (center), and on the right, BC Place Stadium with its new retractable roof under construction, Rogers Arena, Port Metro Vancouver, Olympic Athlete’s Village and Science World. The tallest building (center) is the Living Shangri-la Tower.

VIDEO

CTV News at 11:30pm with Keri Adams, Michael Kuss & Jason Pires (Jan 12, 2011)

BEHIND-THE-SCENES