In recent years, artists and technologists have collaborated to create groundbreaking outdoor sculptures specifically designed for lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) systems. These innovative artworks transform when viewed through laser scanning technology, revealing hidden dimensions and interactive elements invisible to the naked eye.
Among the most notable is "The Light Weavers" in Berlin's Tiergarten Park, where steel structures embedded with reflective nodes create dynamic light patterns when scanned. Chicago's "Echo Grid" along the Riverwalk uses precisely positioned aluminum panels that generate digital soundscapes when mapped by lidar.
The "Data Forest" installation in Singapore's Gardens by the Bay represents a pioneering example, with its 18-meter-tall "trees" containing thousands of lidar-responsive surfaces that visualize wind patterns when scanned. Similarly, Oslo's "The Mirror Maze" sculpture complex creates real-time digital twins when viewed through lidar-equipped devices.
These sculptures represent a new frontier in public art, where physical installations maintain one appearance to casual observers while offering completely different experiences to those viewing through lidar systems. The technology allows for layered storytelling, with some sculptures revealing historical images or environmental data when scanned at different angles.
As lidar technology becomes more accessible through smartphones and AR devices, these sculptures gain new dimensions of interactivity, blurring the lines between physical art and digital experience in public spaces worldwide.