For Dolby‘s ongoing site-specific installations at its unique gallery space in San Francisco, Munky and Tool of North America created an augmented reality audiovisual quest across the stars. Asteria, inspired by Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and cosmic mythology, consists of a 3-act, mobile AR experience for iOS devices synchronized with a 12 minute film that plays on loop on the gallery’s 64-foot LED wrap around wall.
Inspired by the Dolby Gallery itself, Munky and Tool of North America worked to design an AR experience that pairs with the big screen, coupling the two platforms to create this immersive space exploration. Putting the user in the stereoscopic transmissions of the “xO-9 probe” explorer, they’re taken to three different worlds in the year 2027, each world in a different state of worldly evolution; each corresponding to a unique epoch in Earth’s own development.
THE PROCESS
Leveraging real-time programming, audio-reactive 3D visuals, and immersive Dolby Atmos mixing, celestial bodies move through space while exoplanetary terrain is projected onto the gallery’s LED Ribbon Wall. With Dolby Atmos, sound is not constrained to channels, but moves around you in the three-dimensional space. The Dolby sound system allows users to pan around with their smartphones and be surrounded by sound throughout the gallery, creating a multi-immersive futuristic space adventure, supported by visuals inspired by scientific research and data. Munky and Unity Artist, Jeff Bryant, worked together to design the story and visuals behind the three planets in the installation, envisioning the project by looking towards the future of space travel.
www.toolofna.com & www.behance.net/Dolby-Asteria
