LightenUp: Meditative LED Lighting Installation
Webcam Prototype & Physical installation to be presented at Kirksey Architecture HQ on November 12, 2026
3D / Design
Concepting
Original concept exploring aesthetic and functional in one lighting design, starting as a VR prototype for the MetaQuest 3. A requirement for more visually appealing lighting design at a workshop redirected the project to design for a different user and implement new feedback
MetaHuman Development & MediaPipe4U Integration
Developed MetaHuman using Unreal Engine's MetaHuman plugin and used MediaPipe4U for the motion capture of the MetaHuman through the webcam
The MetaHuman was developed with ambiguous features than surfaced with a solid material. Using MediaPipe4U, the user's motions can be applied to the MetaHuman. The application tracks the MetaHuman's movement to display corresponding lighting to the angles of the user's arms.
The MetaHuman, with a new material, can be hidden from view so that only the user's interaction with the lighting is apparent on the resulting display
The user's (represented by the MetaHuman outlined in yellow) are guided through the application by another MetaHuman (the opaque one), whose actions are an animated loop. The instructor MetaHuman cycles through meditative exercises and the user can choose to follow. The video above demonstrates how the lighting may represent when a user is falling behind or is struggling with the exercise.