Pool Party - 65,000 Ping Pong Balls in a Projected Pool

Ping Pong Pool Party

UrbanDaddy challenged us to create a memorable interactive experience in water. Our desire was to create animations that partygoers could swim through. Initially we had no idea how to make this a reality.
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Pools are not exactly the most projection ready surface, and initial brainstorms produced many more challenges than we had anticipated. In researching a solution, we had to overcome the fact that projection doesn’t work on the surface of water, it becomes distorted if you project through it, and pool parties are notorious for more standing than swimming. To make something truly interactive, we needed to get everyone in that pool!

Pool Party: Thousands of projected ping pong balls that you can swim through
The pool is completely covered in ping pong balls
Aqualillies perform a water ballet in a pool covered with ping pong balls and interactive projections
Water ballet in a pool covered with ping pong balls and interactive projections
Audio reactive visuals projected on a pool that uses floating ping pong balls as a projection surface
Legs up - Aqualillies perform a water ballet in a pool covered with ping pong balls and interactive projections
Pool Party: Thousands of projected ping pong balls that you can swim through
Computer generated audio reactive visuals projected on a pool covered in ping pong balls

We reacted as any normal person would, and promptly put in an order for 65,000 ping pong balls, enough to cover the entire surface of the pool. To go with our new screen, we created an application which mapped to the pool and displayed a floating river of graphics, pulled by an invisible tide. Audio reactive visuals bumped along with the various dj’s and musical acts taking place poolside. The tactile quality of swimming through ping pong balls, combined with animated colors and light created an interactive event worth telling stories about.

Pool Party - exclusive wedding pool party festivities
Pool Party - exclusive wedding pool party festivities
Pool Party - exclusive wedding pool party festivities
Pool Party - exclusive wedding pool party festivities
Pool Party - exclusive wedding pool party festivities
Pool Party - exclusive wedding pool party festivities

Team

  • Zander Brimijoin - Creative Director
  • Daniel Scheibel - Creative Coder
  • Charlie Whitney - Creative Coder

Special Thanks

  • UrbanDaddy - Event Production
  • Aqualillies - Water Ballet

Created for UrbanDaddy