An Atlona OmniStream networked AV system is at the heart of a major upgrade to the learning infrastructure at Stralsund University, in Northern Germany, which specialises in technical education fields such as engineering and computer science. The integrator, IBB Elektronik, also chose an array of technology from Biamp, Panasonic, Netgear and Wacom for the installation.
The university hired a regional electrical contractor to run a network cabling infrastructure for two new, more modern auditoriums, but it needed to find the right technology partners to create infrastructure for the AV and IT system upgrades. The answer came when a representative from Atlona shared a concept that connected with the university’s vision. IBB Elektronik then brought the conceptual design to fruition.
Two Wacom Cintiq Pro pen displays contribute to a dynamic learning experience in each classroom. Instructors leverage them as annotation devices. One display is larger than the other (one Cintiq Pro 24, and one Cintiq Pro 32), and learning content from both pen displays can be added to the network on demand through an interactive touch screen. Instructors can also draw and adjust content before sharing.
An Atlona OmniStream networked AV system feeds that content to three ceiling-mounted Panasonic laser projectors, with OmniStream’s fast, flexible switching providing instructors to feed the projectors in any combination with immediate results. The system includes AT-OMNI-111 AV encoders and AT-OMNI-121 AV decoders, the latter of which receive and prepare the signals for presentation through the projectors.
The projectors display the content on a white wall behind the instructor’s desk, and the instructor can choose the layout (standard mode, cinematic mode and more) that represents the most effective presentation for each lesson.
Martin Bade, technology and sales manager, IBB Elektonik, said: “The AV system is managed by a centralised Velocity Gateway on the network with an 8in Atlona touch panel. Content from the source PCs in the room can be routed to the projectors over the network via OmniStream. The content is fed through one or more projectors, depending on the subject and the goal of the instructor. OmniStream’s fast-switching capabilities ensure that the instructor can switch between sources and display modes with no latency, which creates a consistent learning experience for students free of distractions.”
For example, the middle projector offers wider image projection and will be used when the instructor wants to present information in what Bade calls “cinematic mode”; that projector can be turned off when the learning content is best presented through the smaller projectors at left and right, with different content appearing on each Wacom panel.
Instructors can choose these and other projection layouts using an Atlona Velocity AT-VTP-1000VL 10-inch touchpanel, which serves as the control surface for many additional AV functions in the room.
Bade added: “It is also possible to create an individual video distribution for any of the three projectors. Some professors just want a standard template for educational lessons they can quickly call up and use across all classes. Others want very specialised templates they can use with the interactive panels, or individual layouts they can easily modify. The Velocity control environment provides that flexibility to support different workflows.”
The “individual video distributions” Bade speaks about often come from the Atlona AT-HDVS-CAM added to the back wall. “This is the visual element that makes online education possible,” he said. “When they do hybrid lessons, they can take advantage of six preset positions that will allow remote learners to see individual screens or a complete classroom overview. It can also be adjusted to focus on the instructor during a lecture.”
Bade installed an Atlona Omega AT-OME-MS42 4×2 matrix switcher that is often used when a professor wants to bring his laptop into the visual environment or use other media such as a document camera, which is connected to the AT-OME-MS42. “When instructors connect to the OME-MS42 switcher, they have immediate access to the camera and, in one of the spaces, a Nureva HDL300 soundbar. That provides an audio and microphone solution in the smaller auditorium, and the OME-MS42 can extra the audio as needed.”
The larger room features a Biamp Nexia DSP conference system, which offers 10 mic/line inputs and six mic/line outputs. The OmniStream system generates an AES67 audio stream to move audio sources on and off the network.
Bade continued: “We have wireless microphones with headsets and a cable microphone on a stand. These and other audio sources are combined into the DSP to present clean sound for those physically in the room as well as for hybrid learners. Instructors can also active different audio presets on the Velocity touchpanel.”
The OmniStream networked AV ecosystem also supports longer distance signal distributions, including USB connections from the Atlona camera and the Nureva system. OmniStream AT-OMNI-311 USB to IP adapters prepare the signals for transport over the network, and AT-OMNI-324 convert the IP signals back to USB at the destination. The entire OmniStream distribution environment, including the AV encoders and decoders, connect to a Netgear managed switch.
Bade concluded: “OmniStream is the reliable transport mechanism for all this longer distance traffic, and really makes it possible to present visual content in so many flexible ways. With a Velocity hardware gateway at the centre of it all to map and control signals, the Straslund team has achieved precisely what it set out to do.”
