Virtual posters may one day take over Hong Kong skyscrapers with augmented reality technology
Format will allow posters and ads to be projected in the air, without the need for screens
“Hanging” a virtual poster 60 storeys high that stretches 200 metres wide across the 88-storey Two International Finance Centre in Central may one day be a reality with the help of a new form of technology.
Augmented reality, which enhances the real world environment with digital elements, as seen in smartphone game Pokémon Go that swept Hong Kong last year, could soon be used for outdoor advertising on skyscrapers, adding a new dimension to Hong Kong’s skyline.
British company Lightvert is currently developing a type of large-scale outdoor advertising technology which does not require a billboard or an LCD television set. The advertisement will not be attached to a building at all, but will be projected through lasers in the air, appearing in such a way that a “virtual” poster is created momentarily. A narrow strip of reflective material will be fixed to the side of the building and a high-speed light scanner will project light off a reflector and towards the viewer.
With this technology, giant posters could seemingly appear in the air.
Daniel Siden, founder and chief executive of Lightvert, said the new technology, called Echo, would be particularly attractive in Hong Kong with its strong array of tall buildings and impressive skyline.