Making Immersive Experiences More Sustainable

written by Thomas Vertommen, Busness Development Manager

As the appetite for immersive experiences grows, audiences are seeking ever more engaging and exciting attractions. However, creating an immersive experience that is both cost-effective and sustainable to tour has been challenging. Historically, the logistical and financial hurdles of setting up, running, and transporting these experiences have been significant. But with the advent of new technologies from Hive and Panasonic's SDM-enabled projectors, there's a revolutionary shift towards making these experiences more sustainable.

Current Challenges

Traditionally, creating a touring immersive experience requires extensive cabling and central media control rooms. These setups involve a central hub where the core computing and processing equipment is located. This central hub manages all aspects of the immersive experience, from processing complex visual and audio content to ensuring synchronized playback across various displays and speakers. Peripheral devices such as projectors, screens, speakers, and lighting systems are networked around this hub, requiring a complex arrangement of cabling and hardware.

This centralized architecture poses significant logistical challenges. Transporting the central hub and its associated equipment can be costly and requires careful planning. Additionally, setting up at a new location involved re-establishing the entire central system and ensuring all peripherals are correctly networked and synchronized. This can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. The infrastructure needed, including dedicated rooms for equipment and extensive cabling for data and power transmission, further adds to the complexity and expense.

Revolutionizing Immersive Experiences with Distributed Architecture

To address these challenges, technology leaders Intel, Panasonic, and Hive have collaborated to create a new distributed architecture powered by Intel Smart Display Module (SDM). This innovative approach decentralizes the processing power from a single distanced hub and distributes it across multiple nodes at the display units. By integrating the processing capabilities directly within the projectors or displays, this new architecture reduces the need for extensive central processing equipment.

The benefits of this distributed architecture are manifold. It significantly cuts down on the bulk and complexity of the equipment, removing the need for a central media hub and reducing cabling. This makes touring shows more agile and easier to transport, directly translating to reduced logistical costs and shorter setup times. In addition, this approach offers enhanced flexibility in design and deployment. The system is more modular and scalable, allowing elements to be added, removed, or reconfigured with ease, adapting to the varying constraints and opportunities of different venues.

"The distributed approach has less impact on the environment in a number of ways. First, the power consumption is only 65 watts per device, compared to the significantly higher consumption of traditional media servers. Then there are additional benefits such as the reduced weight in the transportation of the equipment and the elimination of big racks. The systems are easily supported remotely and are designed in a modern, compact, and efficient manner."

The BBC Earth Experience

A prime example of this new approach in action is the BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne. The organisers chose a distributed architecture solution for its major deployment. Leading Australian video technology and production supplier TDC utilized Hive’s BeeBlade media server on a board in Panasonic Intel SDM-enabled projectors for the first time.

The Melbourne exhibit features 70 Panasonic projectors, with 49 of them powered by BeeBlade. The content is delivered using Hive’s proprietary BeeSync software, ensuring perfect synchronization of all imagery. In the main room, visitors experience a 360-degree environment with over 127 million pixels, all synchronized to provide an immersive and seamless experience. This setup eliminated the need for a central hub, saving time on setup, reducing costs on cabling, and minimizing the overall space and environmental impact of the installation.

"The approach doesn’t just represent technological advancement; it heralds a new greener and more efficient era in digital art installations. This transformative approach is not just a disruption in the media server space; it’s an evolutionary leap, helping to save time, money, and the planet."

Sustainability Benefits

The sustainability benefits of this distributed architecture are significant. The reduced power consumption of the devices, lower transportation costs due to the elimination of bulky central hubs, and the streamlined setup process all contribute to a greener and more sustainable operation. Furthermore, the modular nature of the system means that it can be easily scaled and adapted to different venues without the need for substantial infrastructure changes.

In conclusion, the new distributed architecture powered by Hive and Panasonic's SDM-enabled projectors is revolutionizing the way immersive experiences are created and toured. By addressing the historical challenges of central media control rooms and extensive cabling, this approach offers a more sustainable, cost-effective, and flexible solution.

The BBC Earth Experience shows the potential of this technology, demonstrating that it is possible to deliver high-quality immersive experiences while also being mindful of environmental and logistical impacts. As the demand for immersive experiences continues to grow, this innovative approach will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of the industry.

Making Immersive Experiences More Sustainable

Current Challenges

Revolutionizing Immersive Experiences with Distributed Architecture

The BBC Earth Experience

Sustainability Benefits

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