We set out to make a design tool that is an interface between physical and digital modelling.

Taichi is our friend who is completing his second year in Landscape architecture. He finds it more intuitive to work in plan and has to keep taking the time to keep switching between digital and physical representation in Rhino. It takes valuable time to iterate in this way, when he clearly knows how he wants the path to interact with the geometry. We made this for him, admittedly this is now a week past his final review but it's the thought that counts, no?

We use ReactiVision and Firefly to as the methodology underpinning the real-time physical interactive prototyping component into Grasshopper. Each individual fiducial marker is recognized through a webcam propped over the printed topographical plan in question.

As you move the fiducial markers around, the path geometry in Rhino reacts in real time; a series of swales and berms are generated along the user-determined path, allowing you to visualize the influence of your design choices on the landscape in real time.