Digital firework display puts you in control

Web design guru Seb Lee-Delisle has created a firework display that you can reach out and touch without getting your fingers burned. It's called PixelPyros and it's a digital display made out of state of the art projectors, lasers and a massive screen.

Unlike other, more 'real' firework displays, what you see in the PixelPyros display is choreographed by the crowd. There's a row of bright orbs at the bottom of the giant screen, and if you reach out and touch one it'll launch a volley of virtual rockets into the sky.

Multiply this by a large number of people and you quickly end up with a scorching extravaganza that you only ever see in reality when a fireworks factory catches on fire and everything goes off at once.

If you like what you see and fancy having a go at making your own pretend pyrotechnics, Seb will be making the project's C++ codebase freely available on Github at a later date. For now, though, here's where you can see the big, proper version in the UK:

• 18 October: Game City launch event, Nottingham
• 02 November: Location TBA, Brighton
• 17 November: Location TBA, Midlands
• 06 December: Festival of Light, Huddersfield
• 07 December: Festival of Light, Huddersfield

Words: Jim McCauley

Liked this? Read these!

• Discover what's next for Augmented Reality
• Brilliant examples of kinetic typography
• Projection mapping demos that will blow your mind!

Seen an amazing light show? Tell us about it in the comments!