The Spirit Portal is an interactive, holographic nighttime experience that visualizes the transition from the outside world into a magical realm. Intended for installation in entryways to main venue areas, the Spirit Portal is a tangible manifestation of the transcendent moment patrons experience as they enter the venue and their journeys begin. As festival patrons approach the Spirit Portal and their anticipation grows, their auras appear before them as glowing silhouettes of colorful light floating mid-air and mirroring their every move. As they pass through the Spirit Portal and unite with their auras, they briefly feel an otherworldly chill—their adventures have begun.
The Spirit Portal uses live 3D depth tracking cameras, projection mapping, and a holographic dry mist screen to create a free-floating image of patrons’ auras, mirroring their movements and actions in the real world.
3D depth cameras are used to create a digital 3D version of each patron in real-time and track them as they approach and pass through the portal. After digital manipulation of the captured data, the resulting images are projected and mapped onto a holographic dry mist screen.
The holographic dry mist screen works on the principle of refraction, similar to a rainbow. Images are projected onto an ultra-fine water mist which refracts the light toward individual patrons, creating the illusion of a hologram. The screen utilizes a high-pressure misting system and specialized nozzles to create water droplets nearly 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This causes the droplets to evaporate just before touching the patron’s skin, allowing them to remain completely dry while also producing a “cooling” sensation.