Laser projection marks the path of audiovisual transformation in the DCU

Dublin City University has embarked on a technological modernization project, including the deployment of Panasonic laser projectors, together with Crestron DM, for each of the teaching spaces.

The Dublin City University Digitization Project (DCU) in collaboration with Panasonic It is part of an investment of 200 million euros in a new campus for the Irish capital.

At the core of this partnership is the manufacturer's laser projection technology., to the point that at the end of last year more than 150 laser projectors, along with the platform Crestron Digital Media, in each of the teaching spaces on the three campuses.

This combination responds to the tender document for reliable equipment, low maintenance and easy to use for the user, Therefore, the LED/laser projector from the Solid Shine PT-RW330 range was chosen. (of 3.500 lumens) from Panasonic for seminar rooms, while for larger classrooms, the all-laser model PT-RW630 was chosen (of 6.500 lumens) from this manufacturer.

This is what Declan Raftery points out, DCU COO: “we have more than 140 classrooms and teaching spaces distributed across three campuses. Until now we had used old halogen technology and we wanted to replace it. The laser technology offered by Panasonic is attractive for its quality, Extreme durability and low maintenance costs. From the university's point of view, represents a substantial reduction in the total cost of ownership”.

Also, The teachers' comments regarding the change in audiovisual technology “have also been very positive.”, since until now its quality had always been a reason for complaint - explains Raftery -. Sometimes, They walked into a classroom early in the morning and a lamp burned out., which caused delays in class. We are now moving towards a situation where teachers rely on technology, “They know it will work and that it will offer high quality in all teaching spaces”.

In the same line, Students also point out that new audiovisual technology allows them to learn better, since with the previous one there were many failures in the operation of the projectors. “It was frustrating to come to class and find that the teacher couldn't use the technology, something that does not happen now with new technology, Improving the classroom experience, said Kim Sweeney, president of the DCU student association.

The Irish company McKeon Group has been awarded the contract to update the audiovisual technologies of Dublin City University and is gradually replacing the systems of all the teaching spaces of this academic institution with the new digital platform.

“Given the economic situation in Ireland, It has been very difficult to convince customers that switching to laser technology is more profitable in the long run - says Tomás Mac Eoin., director general de McKeon Group. For this reason, we organized a competition with laser projectors from Panasonic and several lamp-based rivals, and we beat them with flying colors”.

According to the terms of the project, the company has signed a three-year framework contract to upgrade all teaching spaces to the same standard, “that we must install depending on class schedules. Once the work is completed, The facilities will be comparable with those of the best educational institutions in Ireland”, this manager assures.

Para William Kelly, dean of DCU, “It is very important to have a 21st century digital campus and that the audiovisual equipment has been modernized with cutting-edge technology. Student expectations are based on their own personal experience of virtually instant access to technology. Now we are approaching the idea of ​​a flipped classroom, in which students learn much of the material outside of formal classes, and the classroom becomes much more of a collaborative space. "It is very important in this context that both teachers and students can bring digital material and that technology guarantees its operation.".