Illuminating light: a casual optics workbench

We describe a novel system for rapid prototyping of laser-based optical and holographic layouts. Users of this experimental direct manipulation tool -- called Illuminating Light -- move physical representations of various optical elements about a workspace; the system tracks these components and projects back onto the workspace surface the simulated propagation of laser light through the evolving layout. This application is built atop the Luminous Room infrastructure, an aggregate of interlinked, computer-controlled projector-camera units called I/0 Bulbs.