Traditional Japanese ceramics given new life in AR, delivered straight to your web browser for free

Add a touch of class to your home or video game.

Hasami-yaki is a type of porcelain crafted in the town of Hasami in Nagasaki Prefecture which draws on techniques from China and Korea that migrated there in the 16th century. Most notable for its handmade unconventional shapes and brilliant white surfaces, these pieces are forged in a traditional “climbing kiln,” a large oven dug into the earth which captures the heat of a wood fire to produce temperatures of over 1,400 degrees Celsius (2,500 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s a painstaking process which involves a team of experts working together for long stretches of time to make sure everything is done just right.

Image: Wankoubou

However, like many traditional crafts in Japan, its artisans are an aging breed and the knowledge and techniques they possess are fading away with them. It’s a problem that’s been exacerbated over the past year as COVID-19 canceled the art shows and festivals that served to generate much needed interest in Hasami-yaki.

▼ Hasami-yaki cups, vase, and dishes by Wankoubou

Image: Wankoubou

This is where the wizards at Fukuoka-based Steampunk Digital come in. Last year they lent a hand to the Fukuoka City Museum by creating accurate 3-D models of some exhibits that could be easily viewed, even in AR, by anyone with a web browser, both for free and without any special apps.

Now they are lending their talent and tech to Hasami-yaki makers Wankoubou, and are letting people sample their wares anywhere in the world.

▼ Some real pieces of Wankoubou ceramics beside their virtual counterparts.

Image: Steampunk Digital

Image: Steampunk Digital

Steampunk Digital had their work cut out for them on this one though. Normally, they employ a variety of techniques to map 3-D models such as laser scanning or photogrammetry, which is the art of mapping a 3-D objects and places using a series of 2-D photographs taken at different angles. However, everything that makes Hasami-yaki great, such as its smoothness and pure white sheen, make mapping a potential nightmare.

Since these Hasami-yaki objects were all relatively small, an SOL scanner, which uses laser and white light to map out 3-D objects automatically, was tried first.

Image: Steampunk Digital

However, the shapes and textures of Wankoubou’s Hasami-yaki tended to confuse the computer enough that it struggled to make sense of the data for a decent model.

▼ The software totally cut the cheese on this one…

Image: Steampunk Digital

This would not do, so the more labor-intensive photogrammetry approach was taken, but since almost all of the items were a pristine white color, it was extremely difficult to gauge their dimensions in photographs. So, they had to dab dozens of dots on the dishes with green and pink markers – making sure that they were fully washable beforehand!

Image: Steampunk Digital

Also, photogrammetry tends to work best for large-scale mapping, but in this case the subjects were sometimes smaller than the camera itself. The photography had to be done very meticulously and with a rock-steady hand to ensure an accurate model.

Image: Steampunk Digital

The photographs were then used to generate a cloud of points in 3-D space that represented an accurate shape and size of the real life item.

Image: Steampunk Digital

The cloud is further refined into solid 3-D models which are then merged together to reduce errors in the mapping to about the size of a human hair. After that, the model, with its accurate dimensions intact, is beautified in the 3-D modeling software Blender and given authentic textures.

Image: Steampunk Digital

With the same level of care and attention to detail that went into making the Hasami-yaki itself, we now have a fully usable 3-D model of it. These models can all be freely viewed from the Steampunk Digital website (linked below) both in a browser-based viewer or AR if you have a device with a camera.

▼ With its high degree of precision, you can even see the fine contours in detail

Image: ©SoraNews24

But a really neat application of this can be seen by heading over to the Wankoubou website. For example, let’s say I’ve got my eye on their “Egg” serving dish, now on sale for 2,750 yen (US$25).

Image: Wankoubou

But while shopping online, how can I know if this dish will fit on my desk, let alone match its carefully put-together décor?

Image: ©SoraNews24

Well, all I’d have to do is tap on the 3-D icons on the product’s page. I can then check it out from all possible angles.

Image: Wankoubou

And by just tapping the AR button and scanning where I want to put the dish with my device…

Image: ©SoraNews24

There it is! Huh, it’s a lot smaller than I expected. Good thing I checked first.

Image: ©SoraNews24

Considering how much work went into making both the tableware and their digital models, it’s all ridiculously easy to use on our end. Everything I just showed you literally took a few seconds to set up, and that’s just one application of this stuff. 3-D EC models, compatible with most animation studios or game engines, can also be purchased online from the Steampunk Digital website linked below.

Image: Wankoubou

So whether it’s learning more about traditional Hasami-yaki porcelain, buying it, or including it in your own first-person shooter, the sky’s the limit when old tech meets new tech. Hopefully this piece of cultural heritage and others like it can find new life as a result.

Source: Steampunk Digital, Wankoubou
Top image: Steampunk Digital
Insert images: Steampunk Digital, Wankoubou
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