eyeMagic - the future of reading?

The Hon. Jim Anderton launched the world's first 3D, animated children’s picture book Giant Jimmy Jones on Wednesday November 26, 2003, at the South Christchurch Library.

The technology was developed by the Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) based at the University of Canterbury, a multi-disciplinary research and development centre which develops cutting-edge technologies to make people's interaction with computers more human-like.

Giant Jimmy Jones was written and illustrated by internationally recognised New Zealand author and illustrator Gavin Bishop. The project was funded by Creative New Zealand and the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology through its one-off ‘Smash Palace Collaborations Fund’. eyeMagic was one of three projects that received Smash Palace funding, out of twenty-one submitted.

eyeMagic is the beginning of a new way of telling stories, a familiar but different way for readers and viewers to interact with stories. It makes possible, in a very tangible way, total immersion in a story. The book can be read like any normal picture book, however when you look at the pages through the handheld display which contains a camera connected to a computer, three-dimensional animated content leaps from each of the pages, triggering the narration of the story. The book can be rotated so that you can look at the images from any angle.

Christchurch City Libraries is delighted to be able to provide the venue for displaying this world-first initiative. eyeMagic will be at the South Christchurch Library until mid-January 2004 so come along and try it out.

Read the media release in City Scene: Story leaps off the page.

Launch photos

Hon Jim Anderton launches eyeMagic at the South Christchurch Library	Author and illustrator Gavin Bishop
Dr Mark Billinghurst, Director of the Hit Lab NZ, and Claudia Nelles demonstrate eyeMagic	Hon. Jim Anderton tries eyeMagic
Close up of eyeMagic