Hurrairah bin Sohail talks to Pro AV Solutions about the impressive ‘Sphere’ that has been constructed and commissioned for Queensland University of Technology’s Education Precinct building.
The education sector has always been willing to push the boundaries when it comes to tech and AV and for proof
of this you need to look no further
than the Queensland University
of Technology [QUT].
Having previously brought to
life ‘The Cube’, one of the world’s
largest digital interactive learning
and display spaces which
comprises 48 multi-touch screens
across two storeys, QUT has now
unveiled a state-of-the-art atrium
AV system, located in the newly
built Education Precinct building
on the Kelvin Grove campus in
Brisbane, Australia.
Professor Margaret Sheil, QUT
vice chancellor and president,
says regarding the initiative:
“This is a significant investment
by the university in enhancing
the student learning experience
and continuing to provide
quality teaching and education.
These facilities have been
purpose-designed and reflect
QUT’s commitment to applying
technology and immersive
digital environments in teaching,
research and engagement.”
Shannan Brooksby, account
manager at Pro AV Solutions,
talks about the project: “The goal
for QUT was to create another
highly acclaimed and recognised
technology-rich showpiece in the
main atrium space of this newly
developed building.”
The showpiece is the ‘Sphere’
and Brooksby details: “The
Precinct provides contemporary
flexible and technology equipped
teaching spaces, and its main
centrepiece is the Sphere
provided by Pro AV Solutions
–a 5m diameter LED globe
suspended over two floors which
is complemented by a 4.8m wide
interactive digital LED videowall
screen. As the first of its kind in
the world, the Sphere comprises
12.7 million individual LED
lights, allowing the sphere to
operate in full daylight.”
He continues: “The first Sphere
program was developed by QUT
teacher education and early
childhood researchers in
collaboration with QUT’s
Visualisation and eResearch
[ViseR] team. It demonstrates
the importance of the early years
in brain development and how
everyday activities like playing
games and reading fire activity
in a child’s brain. The Pro AV
Solutions site engineers worked
tirelessly to fully assemble the
sphere and install, test and
commission the surrounding
technology to bring yet another
world class QUT project to life
in readiness for the university’s
February 2019 orientation week
events, and the opening of this
new building.”
The Sphere was sourced from
manufacturer Linso, owned by
Leyard, and weighs 3.5 tonnes.
It comprises 1,040 individual
panels and a total of 12.7 million
3mm pixels.
Brooksby says: “Built and
tested in China by Leyard-owned
company Linso, once complete
the Sphere was dismantled and
shipped to Brisbane and then
assembled in the atrium of the
new Education Precinct building
at QUT by the Pro AV Solutions
team. The Leyard team were
incredibly excited and supportive
of this project given the size
and scale of the Sphere. The full
Leyard and Linso product family
is represented here by Midwich
Australia who are a highly
regarded vendor partner for
Pro AV Solutions.”
With the critical importance
of the Sphere in mind, Pro AV
Solutions was taking no chances.
Brooksby details: “This was of
course a unique project given it is
a world first. For Pro AV Solutions
and Leyard, the key was the
testing and maintenance of the
Sphere. We ended up flying over
our engineering manager to the
Linso factory in China for the
testing of the initial build of the
LED to make sure this went as
smoothly as possible. In addition,
20% of the stock for the project
is spares in case we had issues
with any of the 1,040 LEDs in
the Sphere.”
Ensuring video signal
transmission to the Sphere was
also a challenge. Brooksby says:
“The university needed the
ability to replicate virtual
reality-developed content onto
the Sphere with higher than 4K
native resolution. Due to these
requirements, a custom video
processor was required to merge
the PC signal which is sent to
the Sphere in two halves via
customised video transport
over fibre.”
Audio in the atrium is provided
by Bose EM180 EdgeMax
speakers, Bose EX1280C
ControlSpace and input is
handled by AKG DMS800
wireless microphones.
Brooksby explains: “Audio for
the large open atrium space
is brought to life by 12 Bose
EdgeMax speakers concealed
within each floor’s ceiling space,
directed towards the sphere, Bose
digital sound processing and
amplification provides the signal
management to the speakers via
a Dante network. Wireless radio
microphone technology provides
voice reinforcement to the space
for presentations.”
Regarding the audio systems
selected, Brooksby says: “The
solution was selected to leverage
our partnerships with key
vendors for critical application
projects. We needed a reliable
audio solution that would work
first time and suit the large
auditorium space, so we turned
to our good partners at Bose.”
Control for the Sphere is
provided by AMX CU800, AMX
NX-200, AMX MXD-1001 and
AMX TPControl for iPad.
Brooksby says: “The system
has a central AMX control system
with a 10-in wall mount touch
panel and mobile iPad to enable
signal switching, power and
audio control. The AMX solution
encompassed excellent capability
to send control strings to the
application PC for content
scheduling and scene recalls.
In addition, the requirement for
network control of the power
sequencing and also to relay
control to the motor drive to raise
and lower the actual display for
service and event modes was
natively integrated to the display
and motor control ports.
“Using the iPad TP Control
license allows the users to easily
set levels for audio, recall various
content scenes and power the
system whilst being situated
where the operator needs to
be. Additional monitoring and
remote operation is available to
admin users and the system is
RMS ready for reporting to our
AVCare hot desk for the service
level agreement requirements.”
He continues: “Audio level
controls were provided for each
channel (each speaker) to provide
an immersive sound experience
and also provide excellent
low-level ambient background
sound for general day to day
activity. Leveraging the Dante
capability of the DSP and the AKG
wireless microphone system
provided robust and simplified
integration of the audio devices.”
To conclude, Brooksby says:
“As a world first, the Sphere is
one of those innovations you
have to see to truly appreciate.
When standing in the room,
you’re are simply in awe. This
large, 5m diameter, 3.5 tonne
LED masterpiece is something
that the client and Pro AV
Solutions is incredibly proud of
and has created the talking point
and environment Queensland
University of Technology was
after.
“The Pro AV Solutions team
provided QUT with a complete
‘turnkey’ solution fully installed,
tested and commissioned onsite
at QUT, including all rigging,
internal power and cable
management and motorised
lifting assemblies to make sure
this project ran as smoothly as
possible.”