The world from the cabin of an airplane: the multimedia experience of Vienna Airport

Those responsible for this great panoramic view offered from Visitor World, located in the airport complex, There are six Christie DHD850-GS laser projectors, installed behind the screens and equipped with UST lenses.

The Visitor World experience room Vienna airport It is a unique space, in which aviation lovers have the opportunity to see the world from the cockpit of an airplane, from inside and outside, offering a different experience from the traditional airport environment and operations.

How does an airport operate twenty-four hours a day?? What phases does a suitcase go through on its way to the hold of the plane?? What does the world look like from the cockpit? These questions have been resolved with the help of six laser projectors Christie DHD850-GS, located in the Terminal experience room 3 of this Austrian airport facility.

In this sense, Vienna airport not only attracts passengers, also for visitors without a boarding pass. In 2018, more than 160.000 people came to the visitor center of Austria's largest airport to enjoy a tour of its facilities and learn how an airport works, whose most attractive element is said multimedia experience room.

The visit, fully automated, guides its members through several multimedia themed areas that simulate twenty-four hours of airport work. Visitors can follow the journey of a suitcase in fast motion, from the moment of billing until it enters the ship's hold, or experience what it feels like to be an air traffic controller in his tower or a pilot in the cockpit of his plane..

Images from an ultra-short distance

For the large projection of the cabin area, Operators relied on six Christie DHD850-GS laser phosphors, with UST ultra-short throw lenses 0.36; supplied and installed by Panatronic, su partner in Vienna.

The projectors have been arranged in a semicircle on the floor, less than one meter from the back wall. Each one of them projects an image of 2,10 meters wide (without counting the fusion areas of the images). The result is a single global and panoramic image of what is seen from the cabin..

Control and content feeding are carried out through a central server, that integrates a content management system and six PCs, each connected to its corresponding projector. A curved screen serves as a projection surface.

“The dimensions of the screen, The low construction depth and the curvature of the projection surface forced the use of ultra-short throw lenses – explica Roman Binder, director general de Panatronic-. We have placed the projectors practically attached to the back of the screen, with the projector beam pointing upwards.

Despite the minimum projection distance and that which visitors also have, located on the other side of the cockpit simulation screen, Wide-angle lens with ultra-short throw distance allows for a uniform image.

Christie's technical director, Peter Bast, who collaborated with Panatronic in the configuration of the projectors, He adds that “in this installation, the curvature of the screen is noticeable, and that requires a warping of the impeccable images”.

The Christie DHD850-GS projector is factory processed warping y blending raster-based that allows large projections to be configured, even more complex and in adverse spatial conditions. With this manufacturer's BoldColor technology, very accurate color reproduction is guaranteed, without any diminution of brilliance.

Uninterrupted operation in the cabin

Groups of visitors pass through the four media rooms several times a day, “which is no problem for the projectors, since they are designed to work without interruptions”, Binder said, who also points out that the flexible installation options, with vertical orientation, and its silent operation have been other decisive factors in opting for the Christie solution.

Shortly after the opening of this facility, The creation of this new experiential environment by artist Thomas Brezing has been positively received by visitors, both for its differential concept and for its realism.