The historic German gasholder in Oberhausen gets a makeover with Panasonic laser projection

The central element of this industrial symbol converted into a museum is the exhibition dedicated to nature, where the projectors of this manufacturer are essential to represent the Earth on a globe. 25 m. designed by Intermediate Engineering, with stunning high resolution satellite images, obtained thanks to the collaboration of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Built in the years 20 from the last century, he Oberhausen gasholder It is a symbol of Germany's industrial heritage and the tallest in Europe, located in the Ruhr region, which has now been converted into a large museum and exhibition space (of 7.000 m2 of surface area), in whose interior caverns events of all kinds are also celebrated, concerts and even theater productions throughout the year.

One of his last exhibitions, denominada ‘miracles of nature’, dedicated to the variety of natural life through the best international nature and wildlife photography, has been so well received that it has been extended until the end of 2017. Proposed by Commissioner Peter Pachnicke, sample includes 150 large format illustrations, from works by photojournalist Christian Ziegler and microphotographer Manfred Kage, to cinematic sequences from BBC television series and the global phenomenon Planet Earth.

The central element of this successful exhibition is a balloon of 25 metros, suspended in a space of 100 meters high, designed by Intermediate Engineering, where laser projection is a fundamental element to represent the Earth from impressive high-resolution satellite images, obtained thanks to the collaboration of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

With the help of satellites positioned at 36.000 km of the Earth's atmosphere, A series of images sent at intervals show the impressive view of our planet, that varies from day to night through the seasons. Visitors can also see ice forming at the North Pole in winter, along with the movements of clouds and air.

The video sequence consists of 1,5 millions of images from various satellites, which in turn combines DLR with high quality video. For this, twelve laser devices of the PT-RZ670 model Panasonic cover that great sphere or globe with 27.648.000 projection mapped pixels. A glass elevator to the gasometer roof offers a stunning panoramic view of the Earth, faithfully recreated with this manufacturer's laser projection technology.

Mapping and video structure

For this project, The specialist Intermediate Engineering began by building a small-sized test structure at its facilities, where they deployed their own computer monitoring systems and mapping software before assembling the final balloon structure on the gasometer.

For your part, DLR created video sequences for each projector, with a structure of virtual cameras supplied by Intermediate Engineering that were oriented to the globe in a virtual gasometer to fix the positions of each projector, in addition to adjusting the projection exactly in the final structure, for which ninety days were used to generate the final images.

The structure of the gasometer, mostly steel, presented a demanding internal environment, with a humidity of 95% and temperatures up to 44°C. Intermediate Engineering remote control server monitored conditions to ensure consistent uptime, but with the technical service located five hours away, The company needed a reliable product and support.

This is what Heiko Wandrey emphasizes, founder and CEO of Intermediate Engineering: “Any company can have problems with its products, but the important thing is how you solve them when they arise. They must be resolved and quickly. Good communication makes the difference in service, and the one that Panasonic has lent us, in addition to its good equipment, It has been excellent when we have needed to talk to someone or receive advice”.

According to the agreement, an expanded service was contracted, “which includes a specific loan unit, so if a problem arises we can get expert help quickly and ensure maximum uptime and receive a replacement projector within 24 hours if a problem arises before 12:00 h”, Wandrey points out..

In this sense, one of the challenges that Panasonic laser projectors overcame was during the winter, remember this manager: “since this is when very low temperatures occur and caused occasional problems with turning on the projectors.”. Panasonic addressed this issue with modified replacement units to meet our low temperature ignition needs., and we are very happy with the results”.

Quality and reliability

With a maintenance-free runtime of 20.000 hours thanks to Panasonic's Solid Shine laser technology, The PT-RZ670 model was selected for this project because it also offers 6.500 High brightness lumens and flexible omnidirectional mounting options, which has allowed them to create an attraction as unusual as it is striking.

The watertight and hermetically sealed housing also ensures high image quality, even in the dusty, heavy-traffic environment of the historic gasometer, with a maximum temperature of 44º Celsius and a humidity of 95,3%.