Barco provides a star projection solution to the Valladolid digital planetarium

The digital planetarium of Valladolid, one of the great attractions of the Science Museum of the Castilian-Leonese capital, has renewed its projection system and equipment with Barco's Led DLP technology, according to the project carried out by the RSA Cosmos specialist.

Since the beginning of 2015, the Planetarium of Valladolid Science Museum It has a new digital projection system and six devices with Led technology from the Belgian firm Barco, specifically the FL35 WQXGA model, that offer 2,560×1.600 pixels per channel.

Initiative of the Valladolid City Council, The Planetarium opened its doors in the year 2003 y, since then, It is one of the great attractions preferred by the public who visit the Science Museum. After twelve years of intense activity, the installation required a technological renovation, which took place in February 2015 according to the solution has been provided by the French RSA Cosmos, one of the world's largest providers of integrated optical solutions, digital, full domes 3D, hybrid and portable, intended for planetariums.

Barco's DLP Led projection technology has been the chosen option (see attached video), with the installation of six FL35 WQXGA model projectors, which does not incorporate a lamp or consumables thanks to the second generation ReaLed solid state lighting from this manufacturer, to offer up 100.000 hours of useful life.

This projector offers a native resolution of 2,560×1.600 pixels (WQXGA), con 1.200 lumens, aspect ratio 16:10 and contrast up 8.000:1 for 24 operation×7 with optimal image quality.

By not using a lamp, The FL35 projector can be installed at any orientation angle. For the Valladolid Planetarium project, a configuration of five systems located around the perimeter of the dome and a sixth zenith that covers the entire upper part has been chosen..

As Inés Rodríguez Hidalgo points out, museum director, One of the premises of this renovation was Led technology “because of the advantages it offers.”, like its great stability, durability and significant energy savings, higher than 30% compared to conventional lamp projectors”.

The project, made by RSA Cosmos specialist, responds “to the fact that previously there was also a Ship installation in the Planetarium, composed of six CRT projectors, and the idea was to reuse the same installation locations to avoid restructuring this space”, explains Star Pacalon, sales & marketing of this company.

The collaboration between RSA and Barco goes back a long way, “And in this particular project we had a very good relationship with the client thanks to the Barco team,” says Pacalon., who traveled to Valladolid and gave some demonstrations of their projectors, which is very important when selecting a technology and being able to see how it looked on the dome. Several systems were chosen and, in this way, Those responsible for the Planetarium were able to make their own choice seeing what the result really was”.

For Rodríguez Hidalgo, “The result is magnificent.”, both with live night sky viewing programs, like for movie screening. In this regard, We have premiered a very spectacular and award-winning work called 'The Dream of Flying' (‘Dream to fly’), of the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw (Copernicus Science Centre), which is being very well received by the public”.

High-impact audiovisual programs

Live and guided by Astronomy specialists, Visitors to the Valladolid Planetarium can enjoy spectacular audiovisual programs about the Universe in different languages.

The Planetarium is divided into three large sections: the dome, the projection system and the room. The first of them has a diameter of 11 metros, with an inclination between 10 y 15º, and its structure is self-supporting with perforated aluminum sheet, Consisting of square section tubes and curved steel sheet, rigidized, calibrated and assembled. The screen surface is 1,2 mm. thick, with dimensions of 1×2 m.

The projection system adopted is In Space System, which allows you to have only one cable connected per projector and only use a single input source, avoiding having a transition between two video or computer sources that are different. “This can overcome a problem inherent to the projection technology of tritube systems., which do not allow a clean change of fonts, no flash on screen, and fast. Besides, all astronomical simulator data and video pass through a single channel, allowing a change of sources without jumping images”, point from RSA Cosmos.

The Planetarium room has a unidirectional position, with full dome and frontal projection. It has eighty seats that can be adjusted in their inclination and is prepared with spaces for people with disabilities.. This space also has areas reserved for the programming and production of the Planetarium's own programs..

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