Light Fixtures Position Detection Using a Camera

Abstract

AbstractInterdisciplinary research combines computer vision with stage light design to automatically detect light fixtures’ positions to create light animations. Multiple programmable light fixtures are often used in theaters, the event industry, and interactive installations. When creating complex animations such as a wave traveling from one side to the other through multiple light fixtures array, all lights’ positions must be known beforehand. Traditionally the position of the light is marked in the technical plan. However, technicians make mistakes during the installation and sometimes install the light in a different position. In such a case, time-consuming troubleshooting is needed to determine which light is misplaced and either correct the position in the software or manually move the light to the correct position. Our system saves time during installation and produces a light id and position pairs that users can use in various lighting control software. As a result, users can improvise and change the light positions more intuitively without needing a technical plan. Our system saves installation costs and enables rapid prototyping of light shows to create previously impossible organic designs. We verified the system in a controlled experiment and measured the influence of camera resolution on accuracy.