Alpine Sensation: immersive projection with Panasonic systems at the top of Europe

Seven Panasonic PT-DZ6700 projectors, with a casing specially adapted to operate at 3.454 meters above sea level, They are the technological core of Alpine Sensation, an exhibition-attraction installed at the top of the Swiss mountain pass Jungfraujoch, in which visitors take a tour with 360º panoramic projections.

At a height of 3.454 meters above sea level, Alpine Sensation is the name under which a new attraction-exhibition installed on Jungfraujoch has been inaugurated, the mountain pass located in the Bernese Alps, within the Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, on the occasion of its centenary.

Alpine Sensation includes a 360º panoramic projection in its tour, a tunnel of 250 meters and two halls located between the Hall of the Sphinx and the Ice Palace, that serve as a space for the shows that are held there. Visitors board a moving walkway that transports them along a wall of 90 meters in length, full of samples of paintings with landscapes of the Alps and graphically show the evolution of tourism in this area and the history of the Jungfraubahn railway.

The exhibition includes, besides, an adventurous tour and a video projection area located in the Sphinx Room. Through a sequence of striking images combined with light and local music, The adventurous tour guides visitors through a journey that extends from Adolf Guyer-Zeller's great idea to the grueling effort that went into building the Jungfraubahn.

In a 360º projection space, located in the Hall of the Sphinx, video transports visitors to the world of towering natural skyscrapers surrounding Jungfraujoch. Edelweiss Cavern, a room full of lights with snow flower shapes on the walls, contains a large snow globe that describes life in the Jungfrau region and Switzerland.

Among a collection of vibrating wooden figures, Visitors can discover all kinds of surprises in an environment that constantly alternates between day and night and in which Switzerland becomes a wonderland.

A project with great challenges

The experts who participated in this unique project had to face a whole series of problems associated with planning, which include the use of a set of different projectors located at points located more than 3.000 meters high above sea level and the cold and humid characteristics associated with this environment.

Among other requirements, Auviso, company in charge of the integration of this installation, had to ensure the operation of the projectors in this place every day for several years, so the reliability of the systems was an absolute priority. Besides, maintenance had to be planned precisely, since it is not always possible to carry it out during opening hours, to which is added that the only way to access Jungfraujoch is by train, on a trip of about three hours from Interlaken.

Added to these challenges were the limitation of space and the abrupt projection areas.. Besides, Those responsible wanted projections of shocking images, clear and vivid that told a credible story related to this unique place. As part of this requirement, The projectors had to emit the lowest possible noise level so that visitors could fully concentrate on the show. Finally, The installation had to be easy to locate and operate.

As Florian Züger explains, Auviso systems director, “carry out construction work at more than 3.454 meters above sea level is not something we do every day, but thanks to far-sighted planning, the competence of our experts and exceptionally reliable Panasonic products, “All of us who participated in this very special project were able to bring it to a successful conclusion.”.

projector 1 high performance DLP chip

The solution chosen by the Auviso experts was to use seven PT-DZ6700 projectors from Panasonic what, along with your goals, were introduced in a casing specially adapted to the environment. This high-performance, Full WUXGA resolution single-chip DLP projector, guarantees high definition images 6.000 luminosity lumens.

The PT-DZ6700 uses a dual lamp system that continues to operate without interruption even if one of the lamps burns out.. Its Eco l mode extends the life of the lamp to about 3.000 hours. In addition, The projector offers uninterrupted operation thanks to its liquid cooling system and a self-cleaning air filter.

Thanks to the incorporation of Color Matching and Edge Blending technologies in this system, Up to one hundred projectors can be installed and used simultaneously for a show. To respond to other needs, The Panasonic PT-DZ6700 model incorporates a Side-by-Side function that allows two images from different sources to be projected simultaneously, one next to the other.

This projector is compatible with a wide range of lenses, but to accommodate the limited space available at the Alpine Sensation show, Auviso decided to use seven ultra-wide zoom lenses (0.8-1.0:1) ET-DLE080, since the projection distance can be considerably reduced in this way, depending on the projection surface.

“For this project -adds Züger-, We needed reliable and resistant projectors that we would feel comfortable working with at this incredible height. We also decided to project fresh images, vivid and clear to create an immersive environment, surprising and attractive. In this process, luminosity and resolution played a fundamental role. Unlike products from other manufacturers, “Panasonic projectors responded to all our needs and that is the reason why we decided to use them for this project”.