ShadowUp™

Shadows leave the wall and floor and rise into the air.
A new optical experience by Abstract Engine.

Request a demo kit About the work
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ShadowUp™ is a new optical experience,
built on a mechanism called StereoLight™.
The moment you put on the 3D glasses, the shadows, reflections, and refractions in front of you
gain volume and rise into the space.

Shadows lift away from the wall and the floor.
They appear as solid forms, right within your reach.

Mechanism

Light, 3D glasses, depth perception.

Three elements combine to lift shadows into the air.

01
StereoLight™
A twin-lens light flashes its left and right LEDs alternately, casting two slightly different shadows of the subject.
02
3D glasses
Active-shutter 3D glasses, synced with the StereoLight, show a different shadow to each eye.
03
Depth perception
The brain interprets the difference in shape between the two images as depth — lifting the shadow into the air.

StereoLight™ is a system Abstract Engine developed in-house, pairing a twin-lens projector with active-shutter 3D glasses. With no CGI at all, it lifts three-dimensional imagery into the air — with zero latency, at infinite resolution — from the shadows of whatever is actually there. Patent pending (JP Application No. 2024-230384).

Works

StereoLight™
in use.

Syn: A New Horizon of Bodily Sensation by Rhizomatiks × ELEVENPLAY
2023 · Large hall
Syn: A New Horizon of Bodily Sensation
by Rhizomatiks × ELEVENPLAY
TOKYO NODE, Toranomon Hills, Tokyo / 1,500 m² · StereoLight™ debut
ShadowUp Kochi Castle
2024–25 · Outdoor walk-through
ShadowUp Kochi Castle
Kochi Castle / 10,000 m² outdoors · 39-day ticketed event
Wonder Lab of Shadows
2025 · Workshop format
Wonder Lab of Shadows
Nippon TV HQ hall, Tokyo / 20 min × 4 shows · 97% satisfaction
TOKYO PROTOTYPE
2026 · Short-form, small room
TOKYO PROTOTYPE
TOKYO NODE, Tokyo / robot arm × music · 2,000+ visitors in 2 days

Scale

For spaces of
every scale.

From a compact setup that fits in a single bag to a large outdoor walk-through event.
We tailor the equipment, the number of units, and the operating setup to the scale of the space.

01 — Portable
Tensof m²
From a single bag
Runs on a single handheld StereoLight™. For close-up experiences in small rooms, storefronts, or classrooms.
Setup About 30 min
02 — Room
Hundredsof m²
Small room · studio
A mix of fixed and handheld units that can sync with a robot arm or music. For short but intense experiences.
Setup About half a day
03 — Hall
Thousandsof m²
Large hall · gallery
Built with several fixed units. For large installations combined with video or live performance.
Setup 1 to several days
04 — Outdoor
Tens of thousandsof m²
Outdoor architecture · city block
Nighttime staging for castles and landmark buildings. For wide-area walk-through events linking several experience zones.
Setup Several days+

Demo Kit

See it for yourself.

ShadowUp™ can't be captured in photos or video.
It has to be seen through our 3D glasses.

We offer a demo kit on loan so you can try it hands-on.
Once you've experienced it for yourself, we can start talking about your project.
Kits are limited, so please reach out through the form below.

Contact us
ShadowUp™ demo kit (1 StereoLight + 8 pairs of 3D glasses)

We'll share the configuration, setup, and loan terms when we talk.

About

Abstract Engine Inc.

ShadowUp™ is an optical experience researched, developed, and produced by Abstract Engine Inc.

A creative agency that provides comprehensive services from strategy planning to content creation and experience design, taking the challenges faced by corporations, municipalities, and government bodies as starting points. Beginning at the research and concept stage, we plan, design, and build across a wide range of outputs — on-screen, physical, and content.

With three brands and teams of distinct expertise — Rhizomatiks, Panoramatiks, and Flowplateaux — we take on advanced, high-precision projects and keep connecting technology with society.

Innovating creativity by exploring human-technology relations
Steering society towards a better path through creative action
Tackling challenges by expanding the possibilities of creative expression and experience

Contact

Contact

Project consultations, demo-kit loans, equipment rental, partnership inquiries — we welcome them all.