You log on to the VectorialVancouver.net, and you see a three-dimensional representation of Vancouver. And then you can select individual searchlights and move them, orient them, point them in any direction you want, and create pyramids or meshes or zigzags over the skyline of Vancouver.
And then, once you're happy with your design, you basically sign it. You put your name, your location, maybe a dedication to somebody, and you submit it to Vancouver, where it is received. And every 12 to 15 seconds, a new design appears in the night sky, exactly as the participant had sent it from his or her computer.
And, then, finally, what happens is, the system photographs this design with four cameras that are placed in the site, and builds a Web page automatically for each participant.
A great example of getting people involved in a civic event. I don't expect to be lighting Washington's skies anytime soon, but I do have to find ways to make all my projects more participatory. Amazing how work/life can be active now.
Maybe there's a connection: How Social Engagement is Changing at Flowtown.