To identify the location of a phicon, the installation originally used the Reactivision fiducial tracking system. The major advantage centred on the ability to simulate tabletop interaction without setting up the table, computer, and projector (etc). However, problems occurred when the projected image interfered with the fiducial image.
Examples of Reactivision fiducials found underneath a ship phicon.
An implementation of colour tracking was made in order to identify the location of each ship individually. Colour tracking had a higher fidelity as the processing required to identify colour was significantly simpler.
Although a loss of phicon orientation is the by-product of utilising colour over fiducial tracking, it was not required for the game. For a ship to attack broadside, it must sail past its opponent. Orientation of the phicon is ignored in the movement of a ship.