4K Video Wall Makes an Entrance at the Maritime Aquarium
A massive 32-panel 4K video wall is making quite a splash in the newly renovated entrance hall in the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in Connecticut. Engaging visitors with a dynamic “Sketch and Release” interactive feature presented in ultra-high-definition by a RGB Spectrum MediaWall V Display Processor, the video wall invites visitors to dive right in to an immersive sea life experience.
Walking in through what is now known as Newman’s Own Hall, guests of all ages are drawn in by the video wall’s creative approach to learning about Long Island Sound wildlife and conservation. Using interactive kiosks, visitors select and personalize a sea creature and then release it in 3D on the big screen. There it swims with up to 200 other visitor-designed Long Island Sound native sharks, fish, seals, sea turtles and squid in a virtual seascape.
Exhibit producers at Richard Lewis Media Group (RLMG) developed Sketch and Release as a virtual reality application, so the video wall technology had to have top-level processing capabilities. A robust solution was designed and implemented by AV integration specialist Everett Hall Associates.
RLMG’s VR content was written in Unity, and runs on a powerful multiprocessor outfitted with Matrox cards. To optimize the user-generated content and the 3D seascape for display on the 4x8 grid of Samsung 55-inch thin-bezel LED displays required a 4K-capable video processor. Enter RGB’s MediaWall V, the first truly 4K-capable video wall processor.
The MediaWall V processor enables the entire wall to be treated as a single seamless display, or positions multiple windows anywhere on the wall. This versatility is key, because in addition to Sketch and Release, the video wall displays educational videos, promotional content, and presentations for special events. A touch panel control system handles presets for signage, presentations, the VR interactive aquarium, or live video.
Using the MediaWall V for the first time on the Maritime Aquarium project, Everett Hall Associates General Manager Joel R. Rollins was impressed: “When you’re trying to push the edge with regard to software and the way it interacts with the public, the fact that the hardware pieces could be depended upon makes it work. We also knew that in addition to a VR-Based exhibit, we would have to accommodate expansion and future sources. We’ve had zero issues. I’ve programmed a lot of systems using previous MediaWall display processors, and they were always reliable, and this was no different.”
RGB Spectrum is a leading designer and manufacturer of mission-critical, real-time audio-visual solutions for a civilian, government, and military client base. The company offers integrated hardware, software, and control systems to satisfy the most demanding requirements. Since 1987, RGB Spectrum has been dedicated to helping its customers achieve Better Decisions. Faster.™
