---
key: mechanic/spatial-interfaces--t308
type: mechanic
id: spatial-interfaces--t308
lang: en
title: 'Light, projections, surfaces and interactive installations'
summary: >-
  Projection maps a virtual scene onto physical surfaces. The RoomAlive research
  prototype uses calibrated projectors and cameras across a room.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/spatial-interfaces--t308/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/spatial-interfaces--t308.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/spatial-interfaces--t308.md
aliases:
  - Projection and interactive surfaces
tags:
  - Spatial and alternative interfaces
  - Mechanics and variants
sourceIds:
  - source-e0fe8e3e16f92d8f
  - source-bda177b93ab2962f
sources:
  - id: source-e0fe8e3e16f92d8f
    title: 'OpenCV: Geometric transformations'
    url: >-
      https://docs.opencv.org/4.x/da/d6e/tutorial_py_geometric_transformations.html
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-bda177b93ab2962f
    title: RoomAlive (research prototype)
    url: 'https://github.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: spatial-interfaces
    id: t308
    title: Spatial and alternative interfaces
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/spatial-interfaces/#t308'
    categoryIds:
      - mechanics
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Projection and interactive surfaces
    description: >-
      Projection maps a virtual scene onto physical surfaces. The RoomAlive
      research prototype uses calibrated projectors and cameras across a room.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/control-roomalive.webp
      width: 933
      height: 555
      game: RoomAlive (research prototype)
      sourceUrl: 'https://github.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit/master/RoomAliveToolkitForUnity/docs/images/Roomalive.png
      credit: Microsoft Research / RoomAlive authors
      rights: >-
        © Microsoft Research and the RoomAlive authors. Official research
        project photograph. Source repository licensing applies; not relicensed
        under portal CC BY 4.0.
      caption: 'RoomAlive: projection follows the room’s walls, furniture and geometry'
      alt: 'RoomAlive: projection follows the room’s walls, furniture and geometry'
      markers:
        - x: 52
          'y': 62
          label: The projected pattern follows furniture and floor surfaces
    tips:
      - >-
        Calibrate projectors and cameras together and account for people and
        object shadows.
    examples:
      - title: RoomAlive (research prototype)
        url: 'https://github.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on
  2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design
  examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests.
  Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not
  every proposed variant.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/spatial-interfaces
---
# Light, projections, surfaces and interactive installations

id: spatial-interfaces--t308
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/spatial-interfaces--t308
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/spatial-interfaces--t308/

Projection maps a virtual scene onto physical surfaces. The RoomAlive research prototype uses calibrated projectors and cameras across a room.

## At a glance

![RoomAlive: projection follows the room’s walls, furniture and geometry](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/control-roomalive.webp)

[RoomAlive (research prototype)](https://github.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit) · © Microsoft Research and the RoomAlive authors. Official research project photograph. Source repository licensing applies; not relicensed under portal CC BY 4.0.

1. The projected pattern follows furniture and floor surfaces

- Calibrate projectors and cameras together and account for people and object shadows.

- [RoomAlive (research prototype)](https://github.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit)

## How it works

Installations connect participant positions and physical surfaces to projected responses through stable spatial alignment.

## Variants

### Mechanic variants

<a id="t308-variants"></a>

- Calibration aligns camera and projection coordinates. <a id="t308-v1"></a>
- Touch selects a region on a physical surface. <a id="t308-v2"></a>
- Shadows become controllable play objects. <a id="t308-v3"></a>
- Several participants share one interaction area. <a id="t308-v4"></a>

## Design example

A projected river crosses a table and moving physical blocks changes its virtual water route.

Prototype check: Test projector movement, camera occlusion and lighting changes with an explicit recalibration mode.

## Context and limits

Spatial and specialized input requires calibration, clear action confirmation and a way to continue after signal loss. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.

- [OpenCV: Geometric transformations](https://docs.opencv.org/4.x/da/d6e/tutorial_py_geometric_transformations.html) (id: source-e0fe8e3e16f92d8f)
- [RoomAlive (research prototype)](https://github.com/microsoft/RoomAliveToolkit) (id: source-bda177b93ab2962f)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors