Journey to Future Ink Open Lab

What if we can draw in any space with a pen?

In the Future Ink Open Lab, visitors are invited to the studio space of the Ars Electronica Futurelab, where the joint research team develops the Space Ink technology. As part of the Future Ink Project, Space Ink combines Wacom’s pen and tablet technology with Ars Electronica Futurelab’s advanced drone technology called Spaxels, to envision a future where we can draw in any space with a pen.

The first step of the Space Ink research is the Space Brush. The brush strokes created on the tablet by the artist are translated into three-dimensional movements of the drone. The LEDs on the drone create a light painting, visualized by the projector in the studio. In the second step, Expressive Brush, we expand the expression of artists and drones with additional ink and drone parameters that capture the soul of artistic expressions, allowing mutual inspiration between drones and humans. In the third step, Collaborative Brush, we explore the possibility of multiple drones and human collaboration, as the base research for swarm expressions in the future. The Space Ink research opens the door to new creative expressions in the Future Ink Project.