This week’s most innovative stuff that you don’t need to bother finding yourself includes 3D laser images, an orchestra reciting tweet compositions and a country crooner’s mobile-synched light show.
Number 5) Long-distance 3D laser camera images
Physicists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have created a ridiculously smart technology that can create 3D images of people from up to a kilometer away. The camera works by bouncing lasers off distant objects, and measuring the time it takes for the light to travel back to the detector. Apparently, with extra research, the camera's range could extend to 10km (6.2 miles). Sounds like the ultimate snooping device…
Via BBC.co.uk
Number 4) Brad Paisley Light Show app
Country crooner Brad Paisley's forthcoming performance at the American Academy of Country Music Awards is to be accompanied by a light show powered by fans' smartphones. Fans’ smartphones are synched to create a dazzling, flashing spectacle. It’s an interesting idea, though not the first execution we’ve seen – Dan Deacon first did his own version reported in this blog back in September.
Via Mashable
Number 3) Seat taxi fare
To promote Seat’s Brake Energy Recovery System and make it sounds a little less dull, Seat connected it to a taxi’s meter. As the energy was recovered people noticed their tax fares mysteriously reducing in price. Perhaps a shame the ‘viral’ video released appears to be just a little contrived but it’s a smart way of contextualising the benefits of an otherwise potential dull product to explain.
Via Adverblog
Number 2) Metropole Tweetphony
The Metropole Orchestra in Amsterdam came up with a great idea to promote themselves in the face of a funding block from the Dutch government. They launched the Metropole Tweetphony, allowing twitter users from around the world to tweet their own 140 character composition and have it added to other crowd sourced compositions and played out in near-real-time. More interestingly the Dutch government apparently decided to reverse their initial decision and released the funding they were after. Very smart.
Metropole Tweetphony Case Film from jeroenthissen on Vimeo.
Via Digital Buzz Blog
Number 1) WWF Deforested football field
In Number 1 this week is a brilliant idea from WWF to raise awareness of deforestation in Brazil. The equivalent of a football field of forest is clear-cut every 4 minutes in Brazil. To help contextualise this they digitally “hijacked” an international match of the Brazilian Women’s National team and progressively transformed the pitch from green to brown. Awesome thinking.
Via Adverblog
That’s it for this week. As ever, if anything screamingly awesome has been missed out, let us know in the comments below. Or feel free to ping any recommendations for next week to @jamescfilmer.
James Filmer
Chief Innovation Officer
UM