VIOSO ANYSTATION: 12 Projectors inside the Mobile Dome. Our test lab in Duesseldorf as starting point for large scale solutions all around the world.
Duesseldorf, feb 28th 2015
Customer: VIOSO itself
Topic: 12 Projectors in a Mobile Dome
Mediaserver: VIOSO Domemaster X12
Projection: 12 WXUGA Optoma Micro Beamers
Resolution: 4K x 4K
Calibration: VIOSO Calibrator with 1 single fisheye-cam in less than 30 minutes
What makes a trade show fun? Having the biggest crowd at your stand! Precisely for these occasions VIOSO has created a real eye-catcher, the Mini Dome. ISE 2015 proved this in Amsterdam, with its deck chairs underneath the decorative semi-dome occupied around the clock.
Missed the presentation? No problem: We will explain why VIOSO Dome Projection Solutions set both technical and visual standards. You are also very welcome to get a first hand impression in our lab in Duesseldorf!
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| Duesseldorf: VIOSO-Dome inside the lab |
THE SETUP
VIOSO’s Mini Dome is perfectly suited to reproduce realistic conditions and to test out complex installations in a restricted space. And don’t let the name fool you: The Mini Dome’s height is 3.00 meters at its apex, with a 1.80 meters diameter, at a still fairly transportable weight of 25 kilograms. The semi-dome itself is moulded from seamless acrylic with a matte finish. Our paint is specifically suited to projection, to keep direct light reflection at a minimum.
The self-supporting frame consists of aluminium rails with a maximum length of 1.80 meters, which rest on four solid posts. This design, developed specifically for the Mini-Dome by VIOSO, allows tilting at an angle of zero to 45 degrees (relative to the ground). Disassembled, the VIOSO-Dome takes up a mere six square meters and hence easily fits into a small van like the Mercedes Vito or Sprinter. The assembling will seem like a sprint as well: It takes two people three hours to complete the setup.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
More than 100 meters of HDMI and power cables are hidden inside the cable tunnels of the dome. Twelve micro projectors (Optoma ML750e) are mounted to the rails which frame the dome (as shown in the diagram):
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| Projector arrangement inside the semi-dome |
- 6 projectors arranged equidistant (same distance between projectors) for the lower section of the image
- 5 projectors arranged equidistant for the mid-section
of the image
- 1 projector for the dome’s apex
For achieving an optimal overall image, each projector has to cover approximately the same area inside the dome.
At 1280x800 resolution, each projector will provide 400 ANSI-lumens at a contrast ratio of 10000:1. These are no groundbreaking figures by any means, but they are almost unparalleled at a size of just 10.5x10.5x3.5 centimeters and a price point of 300 Euros per unit.
The ambient noise emitted from the projectors’ fans is kept surprisingly minimal. The satellite speakers of the 5.1 surround sound system (e. g. by Logitech, JBL or Teufel, depending on budget), which are also mounted to the rails, excellently utilize the acoustic characteristics of the semi-dome. For the viewer, the result is a spectacular experience: Without casting shadows, he can stand right underneath the dome and marvel at the projection head over heels - pardon - eyes over ears.
VIOSO DOMEMASTER X12 WITH GPU-EMBEDDING
The Mini Dome (as shown above) forms a dream team with VIOSO Domemaster x12: Five professional grade Nvidia® Quadro GPUs, in conjunction with a Nvidia® Quadrosync board provide ample ports and power. The software is chosen according to specific requirements: VIOSO Player has no difficulty handling 2.5x2.5K resolution at 60 Hz.
Wings VIOSO, which effortlessly fulfills demands of large venues and planetaria, takes care of higher resolution video. Wherever processor intensive realtime content is utilized, VIOSO Anyblend shows its strengths. With VIOSO’s proprietary GPU-embedding technique, the OS treats all 12 projectors as a single screen. Wether your content is a simple spreadsheet or a high-end flight simulator - it can just as easily be displayed on the big screen.
Thanks to native Microsoft® Windows integration, the processing resources are largely reserved for displaying content. This provides a massive increase in flexibility and performance, which also helps to lower the overall price: In this way, VIOSO Dome Projection solutions can be achieved at relatively low cost concerning both software and hardware.
When combined with applications for star visualization like ‚Stellarium‘ or ‚Microsoft® Worldwide Telescope‘, even the Mini Dome of VIOSO’s lab transforms into a surprisingly naturalistic depiction of the nighttime sky. Realtime applications - e. g. games - make their mark with GPU-enhanced graphics.
REFERENCES
The achievements of VIOSO’s Mini Dome have been proven on a larger scale on multiple occasions. Until now, partners around the globe have realized more than 50 dome projects utilizing VIOSO technology.
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| Istanbul: flying-theater structure Skyler
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Istanbul (Turkey):
DOF Robotics use VIOSO Anyblend as part of their ‚flying-theatre’ product ‚Skyler‘ (see above) in conjunction with a 3D-player.
Baku (Azerbaijan):
The national history museum inside ‚Shirvanshah’s Palace‘ employs VIOSO Domemaster x9 to imitate gold tiles on the restored virgin stone dome. Each day, the projection system starts up by itself. With the aid of a camera, which is submerged into the floor, the picture can be recalibrated anytime, at the click of a button.
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| Naya Raipur: draußen Baustelle, drinnen Zukunft |
Naya Raipur (India):
Naya Raipur’s city council shows the future of its urban development inside a permanently installed dome. Due to extreme temperature conditions (between 5 and 50 degrees Celsius), the projectors have to be recalibrated on a regular basis. Here Wings VIOSO’s quick auto-calibration comes in particularly handy.
Bad Sulza (Germany):
Since fall 2014, a two-channel dome is a permanent feature of Bad Sulza’s ‚Toskana-Therme‘ (‚Tuscany Thermal Bath‘). Every square centimeter of the bath is precious. Therefore the wellness and sauna areas provide little space for high tech installations. But VIOSO Domemaster Micro fits into even the smallest of (sauna) huts.
Jena (Germany):
The Zeiss Planetarium’s Fulldome Festival uses VIOSO Domemaster x8 as player for works selected for the competition (films, games, visualisations etc.) as well as capturing VJ content live.
JUST CHECK IT OUT!
VIOSO Player, as well as the more complex solutions Wings VIOSO, Calibrator and Anyblend all have their respective 30-day trial versions (watermarked), which run on current-generation Microsoft® Windows systems. Downloads and further information on our website:
VIOSO.com
VIOSO PRESS RELATIONS
Sebastian Zueger
PR@vioso.com
+49 (0) 211 5447533-0
+49 (0) 170 4809425
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