# What is Projection Mapping?

Projection Mapping uses everyday video projectors, but instead of projecting on a flat screen, light is mapped onto any surface, turning common objects of any 3D shape into interactive displays. More formally, projection mapping is "the display of an image on a non-flat or non-white surface".

[Frequently asked Questions](https://noktavisual.com/faq/) about Projection Mapping (by NoktaVisual)  
  
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" height="314" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/skU3T8bgEIM" width="560"></iframe>

  
  
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" height="314" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FEZuE9Til78" width="560"></iframe>

### Projection mapping: a historical view

*These three examples give a very rough and non objective timeline/history of the development of projection mapping*

**<span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">1. Michael Naimark’s *Displacements* (1980)</span></span>**

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" height="314" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bFIP9jcUF-4" width="560"></iframe>

<span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Michael Naimark</span></span>’s *Displacements* (1980) is a foundational work in the history of projection mapping because it used filmed imagery projected back onto the exact physical environment it was recorded in, creating a striking illusion where reality and projection seamlessly merge.

By aligning moving images with real-world objects, *Displacements* anticipated the core technique of projection mapping—precise spatial registration—making it one of the earliest examples of transforming physical space through projected media.

**2. <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Pablo Valbuena</span></span>’s *Augmented Sculpture* (2006–2007)**

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" height="350" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/34623832?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=8dc7dc" width="425"></iframe>

<span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Pablo Valbuena</span></span>’s *Augmented Sculpture* (2006–2007) is often seen as an early milestone of projection mapping, as it precisely layers projected light onto physical structures to create the illusion of transforming three-dimensional space.

**3. Pharrell Mashup (Happy Get Lucky) - Pomplamoose (2014)**

[<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" height="314" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i7X8ZnmLfM0" width="560"></iframe>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7X8ZnmLfM0)

The <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Pharrell Mashup (Happy Get Lucky) - Pomplamoose</span></span> by <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Pomplamoose</span></span> is important for projection mapping because it shows how visuals can be precisely synchronized with music.

Using only one projector, cardboard, and <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Adobe Premiere Pro</span></span>, it reflects how projection mapping can be simple yet effective in aligning image, sound, and physical space.