6 ms·

3D Coke Sign in Times Square [video]

87 points by xvirk 9y ago

pluma 9y ago
This is a cool effect but it looks like it's mechanical: the screen is split into tiny squares which can slide in and out independently. It's not 3D, it's literally tiny screens moving along the z-axis. The technology behind this is probably quite interesting as the movement has to sync up with the video but I can't watch this without wondering how long it will take for some of the tiny screens to get stuck because of a failed actuator. It's more of a clever hack of 2D technology than an actual advancement in 3D technology like the title might lead someone to believe.
- tyingq 9y ago
  Here's a post with better detail, videos of testing the system, etc. It's pretty much what you described. https://hackaday.com/2017/09/02/coca-colas-new-3d-times-square-sign-invokes-inceptionism/ https://hackaday.com/2017/09/02/coca-colas-new-3d-times-squa...
  - phjesusthatguy3 9y ago
    I'd propose replacing the original link with this one, since there's information about how this display was put together, in addition to a link to the posted video.
- sarreph 9y ago
  > This is a cool effect but it looks like it's mechanical Well, yes, it is mechanical. While I agree with you that this isn't what you would normally class as '3D' it still has a z-axis component; so perhaps it qualifies for 2.5D? Nonetheless, I haven't seen mainstream advertising done like this before and the applications of this (more creative visual / mechanical syncs) are really exciting.
  - BatFastard 9y ago
    It is fun to watch, but its really just the uniqueness that makes it special. I personally dont see this getting wide spread use.
    - ghostbrainalpha 9y ago
      It's just like any other tech demo. The uniqueness factor is all its got going for it now... but to take the next step this technique must inspire someone to use it and create additional value beyond the uniqueness. The next step is now more likely because millions of people will see what is possible and be inspired to create. Similar to what is going on with VR Gaming headsets like Oculus right now.
- jkgsligoa 9y ago
  It's literally real 3D. Do you think only pseudo-3D-in-2D is real 3D, while actual real 3D is just a 2D hack? It's ridiculous.
  - damnfine 9y ago
    If one dimension is limited compared to others, it makes sense to call it psudeo 3d, because all planes are not fully realized. But it is still clearly invoking a 3rd dimension, maybe a 4th if you consider movement in time. I still call it just shy of '3D'.
    - wlesieutre 9y ago
      My car is 3D but it's only ever car-shaped.
      - thanatropism 9y ago
        Yes, but can it be segmented in open regions which are homeo/diffeomorphic to subsets of the R²? (Canonical example: the Earth is a three-dimensional object, but looks 2D locally (at a neighborhood of any given point).
    - Geee 9y ago
      Offtopic, but why is 'pseudo' almost always misspelled even on HN?
      - pluma 9y ago
        Because in English the way it's spelled seems entirely orthogonal to its pronunciation. "pseudo" basically sounds like "sudo". Compare to German where the way it's spelled is exactly how you'd spell it if you first heard it (and speak German). We don't drop the "p" and we pronounce "eu" as a diphthong as in other Germans words (sounding like "oi" in English). As a German this is why I almost never misspell it in English. It looks the same as in German and is a loanword in both languages, so I tend to sound it out the German way even when thinking in English.
- pp19dd 9y ago
  Something always fails. Was curious about the details, though. Actuators from the linked Patent: - F12-BC (W-Robit, Taiwan) - PAC-UGT040D (PBC Linear, Roscoe, Ill.) Motors and servos: - BCH U04 (Schneider Electric, Palatine, Ill.) - LXM23A servo system (Schneider) - Modicon M256 Logic controller (Schneider) - SM23165DT (Moog Animatics, Santa Clara, Calif.) That last motor is a NEMA 23 stepper and commonly used in 3D printers. I remember tweaking the current levels on it with a temperature gun until it was just at 40 C. These particular ones are rated for 85 C and have a high mean time between failure - over 20k hours of continuous operation. At lower (more normal) operation temperatures they can last 10-20 years. Of course, there are always exceptions and lots can go wrong (that random failure, bird gets trapped in the mechanism?), but looks like they picked decent components.
- zeep 9y ago
  To increase the 3D resolution, all they have to do is make the pixels smaller (1 screen = 1 pixel).
atroll 9y ago
Not 3D at all, just a bunch of squares randomly popping out, meh.
iammyIP 9y ago
It's pretty sad that such an aesthetic piece of technology is completely ruined by that companys content.
- odessacubbage 9y ago
  the pursuit of aesthetics has always been bankrolled by commercial dick measuring contests of one form or another. the fact that we can convince our corporate overlords to continue financing unnecessary objects is one of the few things that keeps me hopeful for the future.
  - iammyIP 9y ago
    Nice viewpoint, but still - why couldn't they engage some artists to do some really beautiful stuff with this setup instead of nonstop-plastering their default imagery onto it. It's a missed opportunity to show off even bigger dick in that regard.
willvarfar 9y ago
Very very cool! Also very very pixelated appearence because the sharp edges to each unit. /me mulls patenting the same kind of thing but by stitching together small cheap flexible LCD screens brought in bulk from Alibaba...
- brudgers 9y ago
  The pixelation is a result of viewing it a distance closer than the distance at which the image was designed to be viewed. At a microscopic level, a fine art photograph will show grain, an inkjet print will show ink dots, and a computer monitor will appear as individual pixels. The video is shot in close and tangentially in order to show how it works.
  - willvarfar 9y ago
    By "pixelated appearence" I mean the blockiness caused by seeing the black sides of each block when its a different height. The display is a bit like a minecraft map with the colouring only on one face of each cube.
    - justusthane 9y ago
      I think eliminating the black sides would actually make the 3D effect far less visible.
    - brudgers 9y ago
      I agree. The opening scene of the video and the shot at around 0:38 depict the typical angles and viewing distance from which most people will experience the sign. From these view points, the individual pixels are not readily apparent. But a two video from typical angles and distances would not be very interesting compared to close ups that show the mechanism in action and showing the mechanism is probably more suitable for a sales/marketing video.
VikingCoder 9y ago
Something similar - the sand pit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8UXSJmrJE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8UXSJmrJE Also, I can't find it now, but there was a car demo that was similar - it was vertical, and the car drove through a show floor. Can someone find that one?
- neolefty 9y ago
  Same sand pit with water and lava: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p7YVqyudiE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p7YVqyudiE
hamburglar1 9y ago
Very cool, I'll still be avoiding Time Square at all times though
firefoxd 9y ago
I'm always impressed on how high quality these screens are. Despite the fact that they are on 24/7 and run under extreme condition, snow New York, and excruciating heat in vegas. You really have to see them up close in person to appreciate it, then realize you are watching a commercial.
- tyingq 9y ago
  Aside from the mechanical pieces on this one, the signs are mostly LEDS and shift registers. Good LEDs with good heat sinking and rugged 5vdc power supplies are really all that's needed for a good sign. Plus keeping water out. The modules themselves are fairly commoditized at this point. As long as you buy ones with name brand LEDs (Cree, etc), they are very resilient. Signs you see that have issues are usually just the cheap modules with generic LEDs.
- coin 9y ago
  > then realize you are watching a commercial Regardless of its impressiveness, at the end of the day it's just an ad trying to sell you stuff
hyperbovine 9y ago
"Please pay attention to us, we'll try anything"
detritus 9y ago
As neat as the underlying tech is, the end result here is, to my eye, essentially the same as default wipes/transitions from #homeMovieEditingSoftware#, rendering all that effort fairly pointless. Mind you, it's Time Square, so gimmicks got to gimmick!

87 points by xvirk 9y ago

This is a cool effect but it looks like it's mechanical: the screen is split into tiny squares which can slide in and out independently. It's not 3D, it's literally tiny screens moving along the z-axis. The technology behind this is probably quite interesting as the movement has to sync up with the video but I can't watch this without wondering how long it will take for some of the tiny screens to get stuck because of a failed actuator. It's more of a clever hack of 2D technology than an actual advancement in 3D technology like the title might lead someone to believe.

tyingq 9y ago
Here's a post with better detail, videos of testing the system, etc. It's pretty much what you described. https://hackaday.com/2017/09/02/coca-colas-new-3d-times-square-sign-invokes-inceptionism/ https://hackaday.com/2017/09/02/coca-colas-new-3d-times-squa...
- phjesusthatguy3 9y ago
  I'd propose replacing the original link with this one, since there's information about how this display was put together, in addition to a link to the posted video.
sarreph 9y ago
> This is a cool effect but it looks like it's mechanical Well, yes, it is mechanical. While I agree with you that this isn't what you would normally class as '3D' it still has a z-axis component; so perhaps it qualifies for 2.5D? Nonetheless, I haven't seen mainstream advertising done like this before and the applications of this (more creative visual / mechanical syncs) are really exciting.
- BatFastard 9y ago
  It is fun to watch, but its really just the uniqueness that makes it special. I personally dont see this getting wide spread use.
  - ghostbrainalpha 9y ago
    It's just like any other tech demo. The uniqueness factor is all its got going for it now... but to take the next step this technique must inspire someone to use it and create additional value beyond the uniqueness. The next step is now more likely because millions of people will see what is possible and be inspired to create. Similar to what is going on with VR Gaming headsets like Oculus right now.
jkgsligoa 9y ago
It's literally real 3D. Do you think only pseudo-3D-in-2D is real 3D, while actual real 3D is just a 2D hack? It's ridiculous.
- damnfine 9y ago
  If one dimension is limited compared to others, it makes sense to call it psudeo 3d, because all planes are not fully realized. But it is still clearly invoking a 3rd dimension, maybe a 4th if you consider movement in time. I still call it just shy of '3D'.
  - wlesieutre 9y ago
    My car is 3D but it's only ever car-shaped.
    - thanatropism 9y ago
      Yes, but can it be segmented in open regions which are homeo/diffeomorphic to subsets of the R²? (Canonical example: the Earth is a three-dimensional object, but looks 2D locally (at a neighborhood of any given point).
  - Geee 9y ago
    Offtopic, but why is 'pseudo' almost always misspelled even on HN?
    - pluma 9y ago
      Because in English the way it's spelled seems entirely orthogonal to its pronunciation. "pseudo" basically sounds like "sudo". Compare to German where the way it's spelled is exactly how you'd spell it if you first heard it (and speak German). We don't drop the "p" and we pronounce "eu" as a diphthong as in other Germans words (sounding like "oi" in English). As a German this is why I almost never misspell it in English. It looks the same as in German and is a loanword in both languages, so I tend to sound it out the German way even when thinking in English.
pp19dd 9y ago
Something always fails. Was curious about the details, though. Actuators from the linked Patent: - F12-BC (W-Robit, Taiwan) - PAC-UGT040D (PBC Linear, Roscoe, Ill.) Motors and servos: - BCH U04 (Schneider Electric, Palatine, Ill.) - LXM23A servo system (Schneider) - Modicon M256 Logic controller (Schneider) - SM23165DT (Moog Animatics, Santa Clara, Calif.) That last motor is a NEMA 23 stepper and commonly used in 3D printers. I remember tweaking the current levels on it with a temperature gun until it was just at 40 C. These particular ones are rated for 85 C and have a high mean time between failure - over 20k hours of continuous operation. At lower (more normal) operation temperatures they can last 10-20 years. Of course, there are always exceptions and lots can go wrong (that random failure, bird gets trapped in the mechanism?), but looks like they picked decent components.
zeep 9y ago
To increase the 3D resolution, all they have to do is make the pixels smaller (1 screen = 1 pixel).

atroll 9y ago

Not 3D at all, just a bunch of squares randomly popping out, meh.

iammyIP 9y ago

It's pretty sad that such an aesthetic piece of technology is completely ruined by that companys content.

odessacubbage 9y ago
the pursuit of aesthetics has always been bankrolled by commercial dick measuring contests of one form or another. the fact that we can convince our corporate overlords to continue financing unnecessary objects is one of the few things that keeps me hopeful for the future.
- iammyIP 9y ago
  Nice viewpoint, but still - why couldn't they engage some artists to do some really beautiful stuff with this setup instead of nonstop-plastering their default imagery onto it. It's a missed opportunity to show off even bigger dick in that regard.

willvarfar 9y ago

Very very cool! Also very very pixelated appearence because the sharp edges to each unit. /me mulls patenting the same kind of thing but by stitching together small cheap flexible LCD screens brought in bulk from Alibaba...

brudgers 9y ago
The pixelation is a result of viewing it a distance closer than the distance at which the image was designed to be viewed. At a microscopic level, a fine art photograph will show grain, an inkjet print will show ink dots, and a computer monitor will appear as individual pixels. The video is shot in close and tangentially in order to show how it works.
- willvarfar 9y ago
  By "pixelated appearence" I mean the blockiness caused by seeing the black sides of each block when its a different height. The display is a bit like a minecraft map with the colouring only on one face of each cube.
  - justusthane 9y ago
    I think eliminating the black sides would actually make the 3D effect far less visible.
  - brudgers 9y ago
    I agree. The opening scene of the video and the shot at around 0:38 depict the typical angles and viewing distance from which most people will experience the sign. From these view points, the individual pixels are not readily apparent. But a two video from typical angles and distances would not be very interesting compared to close ups that show the mechanism in action and showing the mechanism is probably more suitable for a sales/marketing video.

VikingCoder 9y ago

Something similar - the sand pit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8UXSJmrJE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8UXSJmrJE Also, I can't find it now, but there was a car demo that was similar - it was vertical, and the car drove through a show floor. Can someone find that one?

neolefty 9y ago
Same sand pit with water and lava: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p7YVqyudiE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p7YVqyudiE

hamburglar1 9y ago

Very cool, I'll still be avoiding Time Square at all times though

firefoxd 9y ago

I'm always impressed on how high quality these screens are. Despite the fact that they are on 24/7 and run under extreme condition, snow New York, and excruciating heat in vegas. You really have to see them up close in person to appreciate it, then realize you are watching a commercial.

tyingq 9y ago
Aside from the mechanical pieces on this one, the signs are mostly LEDS and shift registers. Good LEDs with good heat sinking and rugged 5vdc power supplies are really all that's needed for a good sign. Plus keeping water out. The modules themselves are fairly commoditized at this point. As long as you buy ones with name brand LEDs (Cree, etc), they are very resilient. Signs you see that have issues are usually just the cheap modules with generic LEDs.
coin 9y ago
> then realize you are watching a commercial Regardless of its impressiveness, at the end of the day it's just an ad trying to sell you stuff

hyperbovine 9y ago

"Please pay attention to us, we'll try anything"

detritus 9y ago

As neat as the underlying tech is, the end result here is, to my eye, essentially the same as default wipes/transitions from #homeMovieEditingSoftware#, rendering all that effort fairly pointless. Mind you, it's Time Square, so gimmicks got to gimmick!