Toyota launches ‘Cars That Feel’ interactive installation at Vivid Sydney via Soap Creative
Digital agency Soap Creative has launched ‘Cars That Feel’ – an interactive installation with partner Toyota, at this year’s Vivid festival. The installation transforms three Toyota Prius cars into sentient beings which respond emotionally to human interaction.
Developed as an internal innovation R&D project at Soap, each car has its own personality and connects with people through light projections, colour and sound.
Festivalgoers are encouraged to capture and share their images with the hashtag #carsthatfeel.
The technology powering the cars was developed by Soap’s in-house development team over the past four months. Each car uses six internal BenQ projectors, Arduino controllers and high intensity LED light rigs. A custom application was build to control the internal projection mapping, lighting, sound and animation.
Says Brad Eldridge, Soap creative partner: “Soap is a collection of people who love to play, make and do. We’ve always been fans of Vivid and we’re stoked to be able to contribute a playful, interactive digital experience that brings something new to the festival.”
The ‘Cars That Feel’ idea was a coincidental fit with Toyota and their global patent on the concept of cars that show feelings. Upon seeing Soap’s Vivid concept, Toyota welcomed the opportunity to be involved.
Says a Toyota spokesperson: “Prius started a motoring revolution with its breakthrough hybrid technology, so it’s fitting that Prius is now the hero of such an innovative, creative and futuristic installation. Each of the interactive Prius hybrids at Vivid will allow festival patrons to explore a possible future relationship between people and cars – a future that embodies Toyota’s ‘fun to drive’ philosophy.”
Soap partnered with Bruce Heald and the team at Noise International for sound design and music.
‘Cars That Feel’ can be seen directly under the south end of the Harbour Bridge from May 23rd to the 9th of June.
6 Comments
How did they do this? I was down there last night and the cars seemingly knew where I was, conversed with me, got angry when I didnt do what they asked and generally freaked me out!
James it’s all down to motion sensors ‘n’ shit
I’ve got enough to worry about without worrying how my frick’n car feels. SERIOUSLY!
Go Brado and team. Awesome stuff chaps.
This is a fabulous installation which really appealed to the Vivid Festival-goers – all credit to the team that developed it. I think the car responses are controlled by a guy with an ipad…….he was very discreet & we didn’t spot him at first.
T’was cute, but lost a little emotion when the guys/gals controlling the cars on their iPads were just 2 feet away.