PAUL LACROIX  ポール・ラクロワ

Creative Technologist / Engineer / Media Artist

Categories:    My picks  Interactive installations  Projection Mapping  Other  All

April 2025: KOBELCO / 2025 Japan International Expo, Future Society Showcase Projects, Future Life Expo, "Future City" Pavilion
KOBELCO / NOMURA MEDIAS
Video technical director, Lighting coordinator

  • Video technical direction
  • Lighting coordination
  • Interactivity

  • Already six months since the project I had been working on launched at the Osaka World Expo 2025!

    In early 2024, I was contacted by NOMURA MEDIAS to join the development of KOBELCO’s place at the Expo. They entrusted me with the technical direction of the overall video equipment system, lighting coordination, interactivity, and several other aspects of the installation.

    The place’s design is quite ambitious. Besides the impressive LED sphere at the entrance and the large LED screen at the back, one of the main attractions is a ball coaster, surrounded by video projection mapping that synchronizes with the movement of the balls.

    Projected on the wall behind the sphere, I also created an interactive artwork with particles representing the flow of energy, which has become a popular photo spot for visitors.

    The project was made possible thanks to fantastic teams with members from diverse backgrounds. It was a great experience collaborating with everyone.

    KOBELCO's place is at the 2025 Japan International Expo, Future Society Showcase Projects, Future Life Expo, “Future City” Pavilion. It runs until mid-October 2025, so if you have the chance, please stop by!
    September 2023: Immersive installation at Bandai Spirits in Tokyo
    NGC / Bandai Spirits
    Director / Technical director / Developer

  • Interactive content design
  • Sensing system development
  • Sound design
  • Floor lighting system development

  • This immersive experience was installed at the entrance of BANDAI SPIRITS headquarters in Tokyo. The setup consists of two 6.5m-long LED screens on both sides of a corridor.

    Depending on the season, different contents are shown. Optical sensors allow these real-time interactive contents to respond to people's movements.
    Video
    October 2018: Interactive Bouldering Wall (Panasonic 100th anniversary)
    Panasonic / P.I.C.S. - http://www.pics.tokyo
    Engineer / Consultant

  • Consultant for high-speed tracking system and its integration
  • Development of a customized library for tracking on the wall
  • April 2018: Interactive Content (Hiroshima The Outlets/AEON)
    P.I.C.S. - http://www.pics.tokyo
    Software Engineer

  • Development of two interactive contents
  • Electronic interface for synchronizing the content with nearby elevator
  • Gachapon content video
    December 2017: Light Aquarium (Tokyo International Forum)
    P.I.C.S. - http://www.pics.tokyo
    Software Developer / Interaction Designer

  • Home-made position sensor
  • Development of two interactive contents
  • Light aquarium (Official video)
    October 2017: Interactive Content for Takashi Yanase Exhibition
    TECHNONET - http://www.technonet.co.jp
    Software Developer / Interaction Designer

    February 2016: Development and Installation of a Real-Time Virtual Character System at SEGA Joypolis (Shanghai and Tokyo)
    SEGA Live Creation - http://www.sega-live.com
  • Development and integration of an original system with a convenient workflow for content creators
  • Real-time full body motion capture and rendering, support of Lip sync
  • Support of multiple characters and props
  • October 2015: Upgrade of the AR Clothes Fitting system (Osaka)
    Transit Digital Works - http://www.transit-dw.com
  • Customization of the system for business suits
  • System upgrade (multi-layer, auto-skinning, support of very high-resolution textures...)
  • Improvement of the calibration system
  • June 2015: Upgrade and Installation of the Virtual Character "Lopit" (Qingdao, China)
    SEGA Live Creation - http://www.sega-live.com
  • System adjustments
  • July 2014: Interactive Seashore Floor Projection at Enoshima Aquarium
    Naked - http://www.naked-inc.com / Transit Digital Works - http://www.transit-dw.com
    Software Developper / Interaction Designer

  • Real-time water simulation
  • Interaction with infrared sensing data
  • "Night style" artistic rendering
  • July 2012: Image Technical Director for the renewing of SEGA Tokyo Joypolis
    Link: http://tokyo-joypolis.com/stageshow
    Polygon Pictures Inc. - http://www.ppi.co.jp
  • Design and development of the system of real-time 3D virtual character
  • Evaluation of several 3D Projection Mapping systems
  • Design of the reference content templates and development of an After Effects plugin for template transformation
  • 3D Simulation software for preview
  • April 2012: Project Leading Engineer on AR Garment Fitting Project
    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gguTQHfoD_8
    Transit Digital Works - http://www.transit-dw.com
  • Research and Development, system design
  • Real-time cloth physics simulation
  • Kinect skeleton data filtering/retargeting, improvement of the body detection quality
  • Cloth database management system
  • Real-time wool and fur rendering
    Real-time fur rendering
    January 2012: Interactive content for the 100 Years anniversary of Sharp
    Ittocan - http://www.ittocan.co.jp
    Design Concept Graphic User Interface using both touch screen and Kinect motion sensing
    October 2011: Interactive content at Ecobuild event (Tokyo International Forum)
    Ittocan - http://www.ittocan.co.jp
    Technical Director / Interaction Designer

    Multiple screens (8K pixels wide), double camera sensing
    September 2010: Interactive content at Sky Hall Penthouse Wedding
    Widget Inc.
    October 2010: Interactive content at Sign Kasumigaseki
    Widget Inc. / JET Agency
    February 2010: Interactive contents at Aquamarine Fukushima
    Widget Inc.
    Technical Direction / Interaction Designer

    November 2009: Interactive content for the live show Keio NetBand Wa-i
    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8wrUYP4uRE
    Widget Inc.
    2009: Conception and management of an interactive digital signage project
    Widget Inc.
  • Research and development about visual sensing algorithms used with standard camera (motion and position estimation, face detection and tracking)
  • Promotion (website, documents, presentation video editing)
  • Customer relations, project budget estimation
  • Design of interactive content by using Flash or C++/OpenGL
  • Development of customizable content templates and their IDE
  • System installation, calibration and maintenance