Experiencing Local Landmarks with K-Digital Hiking
Immersive Hiking Experience with a Large Vertical Screen and a Stepper
Like many others, I once subscribed to a well-known indoor bike brand, hoping to exercise consistently at home. But in the end, all I got was an expensive clothes hanger.
That experience made me wonder:
“What if, instead of staring at a small tablet, I could walk in front of a large screen showing real, lifelike scenery? Wouldn’t exercise feel much more enjoyable?”
This question led to an experiment. Using Paintpam’s vertical mobile projection kiosk—capable of projecting a 2400mm-high image—we tested it with actual hiking footage.
The Immersion of Vertical Projection
One thing we learned from building exhibition spaces was that walking feels far more realistic when paired with a vertically extended screen.
But with a conventional 16:9 horizontal setup, it required an enormous wall and very low lighting for the visuals to work.
We solved this by shifting to a vertical projection.
The results were impressive: even without turning off the lights, the sense of immersion was strong, and using real hiking videos enhanced the realism dramatically. That’s how Digital Hiking was born.
K-Digital Hiking Debuts at Hanbit Tower, Daejeon
The first installation of this vertical projection kiosk was at Hanbit Tower, the landmark of the 1993 Daejeon Expo.
A massive 2400mm × 1500mm screen displayed the Daejeon Dulle-gil hiking trail. In front of it, visitors could step on a stepper to walk along the course.
In reality, the full Dulle-gil trail takes about 72 hours to complete. For the exhibition, we compressed the experience, allowing participants to move “as if by shortcut” to fit the time.
Acquiring video data requires filming on-site, but once collected, it can be mapped and converted into a Digital Hiking map for vertical projection.
Even in this short demo, participants felt as if they were hiking outdoors.
Expanding Applications: From Lounges to Hospitals and Schools
Although branded as K-Digital Hiking, the solution goes far beyond hiking.
In public spaces, it can feature local attractions, allowing visitors to experience them playfully while serving as a natural promotional channel.
In corporate spaces, it functions both as a wellness program for employees or guests and as a medium to convey brand values in an experiential way.
In public institutions, the large vertical screen and flexible hardware compatibility make it possible to go beyond hiking—incorporating educational and gamified content.
The system is not tied to a specific fitness device. Whether it’s a stepper, treadmill, or even walking directly on the floor, the camera can recognize movements—making management and operation easier.
K-Digital Hiking as a Platform for Global Tourism
We called this solution K-Digital Hiking because it is not limited to Korea.
Earlier this year, Paintpam presented Screen Hiking in Thailand, and several royal and tourism-related organizations showed strong interest.
If countries could share hiking trails and landmark data,
it could serve as a promotional channel for local tourism,
provide indirect access to hard-to-visit destinations, and
allow people to experience world-famous trekking routes within a single solution.
This shows its potential not just as a fitness device, but as a tourism and cultural promotion platform.
From Hanbit Tower to the World
The debut of K-Digital Hiking at Hanbit Tower demonstrates how a kiosk that enables large vertical screens can become more than just a piece of equipment.
By combining experience, fun, and promotion, it offers both institutions and companies a new way to engage people in their spaces.