Karthik Patanjali

CityScope in use at MIT Media Lab 

CityScope Hardware

CityScope overview from MIT Media Lab website: 

"CITYSCOPE: AUGMENTED REALITY CITY SIMULATION

We develop simulation systems that can predict and quantify the potential impact of disruptive technologies within new and existing cities. We place a special emphasis on augmented reality decision support systems (ARDSS) that facilitate non-expert stakeholder collaboration within complex urban environments."

I worked on the MIT CityScope project leading the industrial design and making hardware and software modular for ease of deployment and expansion. Since the project was scaling up, it had to be easy to transport and set up wherever it is deployed. I worked on the hardware to make it modular for easy deployment, assembly and expansion. 

I worked on the design of the table to make it knock-down for ease of transportation. The computer vision cameras, the lighting, the surface for placing the blocks etc. could be fastened onto the structure. The side panels serve the purpose of giving a consistent lighting condition for computer vision and could also be used for branding.

I also worked on the software for concatenating the feeds of multiple tables to make a potentially endless array of tables to simulate cities.

Project Duration: 12 weeks.

Tools: Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, Laser cutter, Aluminium fabrication.